So, you have decided to take the leap and start the wellness business you have been dreaming about. Perhaps it is to share your knowledge as a health coach, or calm clients through stress relief techniques, or awaken your client’s inner energy and ability to heal whatever is nagging at them. The bottom line: you want your clients to achieve their optimal wellbeing because it will help them and you feel good about this life we all must lead.
But, when, if ever, should you hire a lawyer to help you with your business? What can a lawyer even do for you? Perhaps this is your first foray into establishing a business for yourself, or perhaps you have plenty of experience in starting or operating a business but you just aren’t sure if a wellness business needs legal attention.
I tell my clients to hire a wellness lawyer once they are truly committed to opening a wellness business. If you can take advantage of low-cost consultations with an experienced lawyer, such as what we offer, that may help you determine in the early planning stages if your business idea is even feasible.
But maybe you have already done your due diligence and know your wellness business idea is worthy of your pursuit. Should you engage a lawyer then? And if so, what kind of lawyer? I am going to be shamelessly biased for a moment, as I have been practicing health and wellness law for 23 years. What I have discovered in my decades of law practice is that clients benefit most if they hire a lawyer who understands the client’s industry and business aspirations. Hiring just any old lawyer, such as a general business lawyer, usually ends up in disappointment. This is because general business lawyers do not understand the nuances of wellness practice. They will happily write you a services contract for clients without appreciating how that contract needs to protect you from getting sued. Without knowing the differences between various wellness products and services, they cannot understand the risks those products and services present. So, when you conclude you need a lawyer, seek out a wellness lawyer, like Wellness Law.
As for when you should hire a wellness lawyer, I think the best time to hire one is after you have drafted your business plan but before you have officially started your business. That is the sweet spot for getting legal help. Too many clients have come to me well before they have thought through business strategy and logistics. While an experienced wellness lawyer can help refine a business plan, you as the business owner needs to be confident that if your idea is legally possible (which is what a good wellness lawyer will be able to tell you), then you are all in. That’s the ideal time for retaining a lawyer: early in the process, but not too early.
Again, if you still aren’t sure if you are in that “sweet spot” of retaining a lawyer, start with a low-cost consultation. We here at Wellness Law can usually get you on the right track with a short conversation. Contact us today so we can help you on your wellness business journey. Or, if you are starting a health and wellness coaching business, I suggest you look at purchasing our legal toolkit to help you with the legal essentials of such a business, which includes a one hour consult with me, plus five training videos, downloadable legal documents, and two books which can be great resources.