If you own a business or are self-employed, you may not need a commercial lawyer for every legal matter that arises. For example, you might be able to ensure your home-based bakery is compliant with local food handling regulations with just a bit of online research, and a helpful state inspector. However, there are times when it's good to call a commercial lawyer and get their expert opinion or advice on various aspects of your business; note a few of those times here and how this assistance can be beneficial for you and your business.

Before signing a lease

You may assume that you can read through a lease and understand it on your own, but a commercial lease is often more complicated than an apartment lease. It's easy to overlook certain terms and their meanings, or to misunderstand certain clauses, restrictions, and the like; you may also be responsibility for property upkeep and other factors that you don't expect with a commercial lease.

It's especially important to have the guidance of an attorney if you have a production facility that uses chemicals, extreme heat, flammable liquids, hazardous materials, and anything similar, as you may find that your lease doesn't allow for some of those materials on the property, or may dictate how they're stored and handled. In all cases, contact a commercial lawyer before signing any lease, even for an office but especially for a warehouse or production facility.

You want to bring on a partner

Even if your proposed partner is a friend or family member, you want to ensure that your business is protected financially and that everyone's responsibilities are clearly outlined in your business paperwork. There may also be tax implications from bringing on a partner, and you may need to legally change the business set-up, such as going from a limited liability company to a partnership. In all cases, have a commercial lawyer advise you on this move.

You are expanding your product lines

When you expand or change your product lines, you may be facing new compliance issues; for example, raw foodstuffs may need different handling and storage than raw materials used to make medicines, and vice versa. You may also face legal complications when trying to bring in materials from different countries, and may need to collect different taxes from end customers for new products. A commercial lawyer can advise you on all the legalities of expanding your product lines so you do this legally and also profitably.