These are words irritating enough coming from pushy salespeople (and now law schools), but might be outright unethical coming from an attorney in some circumstances. Then there’s real life. The fact is that any time you see trouble, legal or otherwise, early intervention is key to a positive outcome. Better yet is the old cliche, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Which brings us to the question, ‘When do I consult a lawyer?’. I would suggest the answer is when the question has to be asked. If you think you might need a lawyer, then you need a lawyer. I’ve had prospective clients come to me a month after a final judgment had been entered. At that point, there’s nothing to do. Hiring an attorney can be costly, especially for smaller businesses who do not have the luxury of a general counsel that can be consulted without additional cost. However, it’s less costly to have a lawyer review a contract for $1,000.00 than to litigate any problems with it for $10,000.00. Every lawyer has limited time offer for you that’s not explicitly stated: the earlier you come, the better chance he has at a positive outcome for a lower price.