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As an artist, you don’t have the advantage of having a tangible product so it can sometimes be difficult to prove when something you worked so hard to create is stolen. Finding an attorney who can help protect your property and your rights as an artist and producer is paramount. When you are interviewing a prospective Texas property lawyer, be sure to ask the following 5 crucial questions. Do You Have Relevant Experience? Intellectual property is complicated in that there are so many more facets involved than you might think. Two lawyers with the equivalent education and same number of years of experience will bring entirely different skills and expertise to the table. It is important to consider not only the number of years of experience or even necessarily the type of experience the lawyer has. You must also ask whether the lawyer has experience representing and successfully negotiating cases that are similar to your own situation. What Is Your Pay Schedule? Finding out what the pay schedule is that the attorney uses is essential to determine whether you will be able to pay for the services and plan ahead in terms of your budget. Some attorneys will charge flat fees if not for all cases then for specific types of situations. Other attorneys charge an hourly billing rate. In this case, you will need to know whether you will be charged for phone calls and brief consultations and conversations, for example. Another fee structure that many attorneys use is called a contingency fee, which involves a lawyer’s payment coming out of your eventual settlement. The payment arrangements you make with your lawyer will determine your ability to pay for the services so make sure you understand this completely when going in. As part of the payment arrangement conversation you are having with your lawyer, you might be concerned about your ability to pay. If you are concerned about the payments eating away at your budget, a reasonable question to ask would be whether there are any discounts available. Is There A Potential For Conflict? In the artist world, there are a lot of relationships to navigate and people to work around. The lawyer you are working with may also be representing other clients who are in competition with you. Be sure to review your previous relationships such as former business partners to identify any potential conflicts of interest on the attorney’s part. Although some would not worry about it, and the lawyer might not feel there is a problem either, if it makes you uncomfortable about leaving your sensitive information with the lawyer, then you should reconsider working with that professional. What Is Your Communication Style Like? Back in the day when attorneys communicated with their clients via fax and mail were a lot less complicated in many ways. Nowadays, attorneys will communicate with their clients via phone, email, texting, video conferencing, regular mail, and more. Furthermore, at any given moment you may be communicating with your attorney, or through paralegals, receptionists, secretaries, partners, and more. Make sure you understand and are comfortable with the particular communication style that your prospective lawyer prefers. Do You Offer A Free Consultation? Finally, find out whether the prospective attorney you are thinking about working with offers a free consultation. Although this may not be a crucial deciding factor for you, an initial consultation with an attorney can tell you a lot about the lawyer’s communication style and strategy. It can also help you determine whether the lawyer is someone who you can feel comfortable with and can build a rapport with. You might be working with your Texas property lawyer for a while so it is crucial that you are able to get along well with him or her.
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