For many growing businesses, and especially for companies just starting out there can be many points at which you need to consult a legal professional for anything from writing contracts to getting to grips with the rules around intellectual property.

Many businesses may have a lawyer who you regularly seek counsel from, but it is also common to outsource whole legal projects to a firm and be left wondering if it’s cheaper to bring in your own in-house team. A company such as OMDI may find this beneficial.

The last few years have seen a growth in the number of solicitors working in-house, and the Law Society’s report ‘The Future of Legal Services’ predicted that by now the traditional legal model would have changed, with a movement towards more in-house teams which it has started to do.

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to bring your legal counsel in-house, whether that means one lawyer or a whole legal team and we have outlined some of the considerations below:

Future need

As with so many business decisions, you need to look to the future when deciding on the best solution to your legal needs.

If your company is growing then you might need help with scaling up staff, acquiring commercial property and other changes that require legal support.

You may wish to bring in outside legal counsel for each process as and when it is required, without being tied down into paying for a full-time team. In more broad terms, there are always economic changes on the horizon which can impact businesses. These could throw up new legal issues that your business hasn’t previously faced, so having your own in-house team to consult can help you to weather the storm.

Business Function

Consider the nature of the legal work that is required by your business when considering whether to bring in your own legal team. When you seek legal counsel from outside, solicitors will be able to provide advice only and you will need to make the ultimate decision yourself.

If you want a more hands-on approach, it could be worth adding a senior lawyer to your management team to not only inform you but also to help make those key business decisions. If you choose to go this route, you may want to consider hiring a legal recruiter like Alex Gotch to help you find the right person for the job. A legal recruiter can help you identify the best candidates for the role by evaluating their skills and work experience, making the selection process easier for you.

Cost

While for some companies the cost of bringing on full-time staff can be prohibitive, it is worth taking the time to compare the costs and the resulting benefits of both options. For some businesses the type of work that they do requires regular assistance with legal processes- for example if you do a lot of contract work for large organisations, or create a lot of products which require patents or other intellectual property protection.

If there is a consistent need for expert guidance on these types of matters then having your own in-house counsel can make things easier by speeding up the process, negating the need for lengthy briefings and even being part of the initial planning, costing you less in the long-term.