Law is a necessary evil for business – like insurance – and taxes! Everyone knows they ought to be up to speed with the parts that apply to them – but no-one really wants to engage with it unless or until they have to – at which point it’s often too late to do more than fire-fight. But does it have to be that way? UK business tends to be reactive rather than proactive (and I speak as someone who is part of that, in my own right as well as through my clients); but I’m all in favour of prevention rather than cure. It’s less time-consuming, less stressful – and most importantly, it’s cheaper! Lawyers aren’t traditionally known for being open to new ideas (although that is changing). When I started out (19 years ago), while other offices were bringing in computers, we were still using typewriters – remember those?! Now, though, my profession is catching up with the rest of the world – using the web, blogging and podcasting – my own clients seem to appreciate our podcasts. But law is still a subject many businesspeople shy away from. So if you’re in that position, what’s good (if anything!), bad – and downright ugly! – about the law you have to comply with and the legal services available to help you do that?
