How to find an attorney for your business

Q: How do I find a capable attorney for my small business?

A: Finding the right attorney for your small business can be difficult.  Many lawyers are not skilled in representing a struggling new business. Lawyers who primarily deal with consumer matters such as divorce, personal injury or consumer bankruptcy may be less skillful in business matters.  So, how do you search for and select a capable attorney?

A good place to start your search is the website of the Houston Lawyer Referral Service, www.hlrs.org. HLRS is a non-profit community service and provides free referrals. Their attorneys provide an initial 30-minute office consultation for a reduced fee of $20.

The membership directory of your local Chamber of Commerce will have information on attorneys who are members of that chamber.

Accountants work with many attorneys and are often a good source for referrals as are business insurance brokers.  

SCORE has counselors with legal background used in providing business counseling, but, they cannot represent your company on legal matters.

How do you select among the candidates?  An established attorney should have a website that provides some history of the attorney, her experience, the nature of her practice, and a list of some typical clients.  If a group practice is identified, but no specific individual, call and ask which attorneys in the firm specialize in small business practice.

Once you have identified the two or three that seem to fit, call and schedule a 15 minute interview.  Explain your purpose is to select an attorney for your new business, and that you do not expect legal advice at the meeting. Many attorneys will not charge for an introductory session.

At the meeting, briefly describe your business.  Find out what types of businesses the attorney typically represents.  Discuss services you need immediately and evaluate their response.  Ask what services you may need that you have not considered.  Find out if they charge by the hour, by the project, or on retainer, and what their fees are.  Ask if they can work within your budget?

Try to assess if you will be able to rely on the attorney when your business success or failure is at stake.  Is she generally a “problem solver”?  You want someone who works hard to find solutions to business problems.  At the same time you want an attorney who explains risks and is ready to give you advice you need, even if it is not what you want to hear.

New Affordable Employee Health Insurance

Q: As a small business owner I have struggled to find health insurance benefits for my employees that we can afford. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Fortunately, the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has developed a new health insurance product called Healthy Texas to help small business owners who would like to provide health insurance to their employees but have not been able to offer it.

For the employer and the employee, Healthy Texas operates like any private health plan. Healthy Texas was developed by the state, but private health insurance companies provide the coverage. Behind the scenes, Healthy Texas uses a state-funded pool to reimburse participating insurance carriers for some of their high-cost health care claims. By leveraging a combination of public and private funds, Healthy Texas builds on the existing employer-based health insurance model.  It is not part of federal health reform or a federal program.

Healthy Texas costs an average of 30 percent less than comparable employer health insurance plans and offers comprehensive benefits.

Even the smallest companies may be eligible. Healthy Texas was designed to help small businesses that have not offered health insurance benefits within the last 12 months. Eligible businesses are those employing between 2 and 50 eligible workers (including the owners) who work at least 30 hours a week, and 30 percent of those employees are paid annual wages of $32,670 or less.

The employer must pay at least half of employee monthly premiums and the employee is responsible for deductibles, co-insurance, and co-pays. Healthy Texas offers several deductible choices.  At least 60 percent of full-time employees without health insurance must enroll in the program.

The Healthy Texas enrollment process is easy and straightforward. An employer should contact one of the two participating providers, UnitedHeathcare and Celtic Insurance, and submit a short verification form that determines eligibility and allows a rate quote to be generated. Rates are determined only by business location and employees’ ages and genders, not by the medical history of a firm’s employees. Once an employer makes a decision about purchasing a Healthy Texas plan, the employer completes a more detailed application form.

For more information visit the TDI Healthy Texas website, www.healthytexasonline.com, or call 1-800-252-3439. Or visit the website of one of the participating providers, Celtic Insurance at www.myhealthytexas.com, or UnitedHeathcare at www.healthytexasuhc.com, to learn more about available plans, what they cost, and how to enroll.