Frequently Asked Questions

Law in a Box is 24/7 access to an extensive portal of current and relevant information in relation to small business and then law. Legal Shield includes not only access to Law in a Box but also ‘lawyers on demand’ when you need them to clarify questions, ask additional information* and (depending on the membership level chosen) tailored documentation, specifically written for your business such as Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policies..

Immediate access to the Law in a Box portal, strategy call, and depending on the membership package you’ve chosen, customised legal documents for your business as soon as possible to provide you with the protection you need. Your membership also includes; access to a lawyer as and when you need for specific legal advice and unlimited advice (fair use) in relation to the documents which we tailor for you. The portal will be constantly updated with relevant and easy to read legal material specifically aimed at start-up entrepreneurs and small business.

Legal Shield membership has a number of levels that you can choose from depending on the needs of your business.

Just want ‘on demand’ access to a lawyer without fearing the bill arriving at the end of the month but are already protected with tailored documentation for your business? You need the basic level with no included documents.

Just starting out and don’t have staff yet? The +3 documents option will get you basic protection for your business. As your business grows and your needs change, for example you start taking on staff members or shareholders, then the type of business documentation you need will also change, this is where you need to start looking at the higher level membership options.

Firstly, we understand entrepreneurs and start-ups. We are a start-up ourselves and part of a large entrepreneurial network which we now provide advice to over 300 members. We have found a way to make it affordable for start-ups to obtain the legal advice they need. Over the past 2 years, we have honed these skills and developed this strategy to be able to make it affordable, accessible and easy for entrepreneurs to get the right legal advice for their business. We consistently find ourselves significantly less expensive than our competitors because we don’t have some of the overheads and we aren’t greedy. The model works at scale.

Legal Shield has been created to provide a cost effective option for start-up entrepreneurs and small business owners to get the legal protection they need, at a price they can afford.

In effect, Progressive Legal is taking the risk by providing the tailored documents to you up front and then amortising the cost over your membership time period. In order to keep costs as low as possible, the membership levels include different tailored documentation options that are likely to be needed at different business stages. Some of these documents, such as shareholders agreements are more time consuming and complex for us to draft and therefore more costly, and so can only be included in some of the higher level options.

We know you will love this service. We have developed the pricing model to essentially amortise your legal costs over the period of a year – so the period of the contract is for at least this term. We are effectively wearing the costs for you to have your business properly protected now, instead of waiting to have the funds to do so and allow you to budget for these costs instead of getting a bill shock or exposure to legal issues. Of course, if you are not happy with the service in any way, we want to know about it so we can fix it. If we can’t fix it, then we will arrange a payout figure and come to an agreement with you. We’re pragmatic with this stuff.

As soon as we get your initial instructions, we will commence drafting the documents for you. We will work with you to create a transparent and predictable timeline for completion. The aim is to provide the protection as fast as possible for you so you’re protected right from the get-go.

A. There are 6 main legal pitfalls we see day in day out working with entrepreneurs and small business owners.

• Secure all your intellectual property ASAP
• Obtain all the social media for your brand as soon as you are settled, web addresses, business names, registration, Trade Mark and any patent advice.
• Make sure the structure of the business is right for the objective
• Get a great accountant and the right financial advice. I can’t stress this enough.
• Get business insurance that covers you for the activities and keep the insurance current! Just like your car rego
• A stitch in time saves nine. Getting the right advice from the start is so important. The temptation will be to DIY, to pinch other business’ terms or policies, to buy off-the-shelf precedents. If you go to a traditional firm – it’s going to cost a lot but there are a few firms emerging now that are able to cater for start ups.

A. In the age of digital and social media, it is more important than ever before to safeguard yourself online. Here are a few of our best tips for entrepreneurs online.

• Do not outsource it – do it yourself and make sure you keep the control. This is really important. Especially if disgruntled ex-employees can do something silly. Just like they would if they had your credit card details…except the damage can be even worse.
• Think before you post. What is the message, what are the likely ramifications, could it be taken the wrong way?
• Secure all the relevant social media handles so that other businesses don’t secure them underneath you! This has happened to a few of our clients.

Business insurance is a must and it needs to cover you properly for your activities. Get your legal documents reviewed to make sure they cover you for all anticipated issues. Also, speak to others in the same industry that have similar issues and find out what they have done and what has worked well.

A. Firstly, it’s really important to have these nailed. They are your agreement with your customer/client – the lifeblood for your business. A lot of businesses get judged for their terms and conditions – you’d be surprised about how much this reflects on a business and how seriously they are taken.

• Start with the main areas of risk – the big ticket items.
• Identify exactly what you want to make sure you will be responsible for and what you won’t.
• Concentrate on the payment terms, hot it is done and step by step process so that it is clear for the consumer/client.
• Also, Ts&Cs should not cost more than $1,000 to get done professionally – unless it’s something complicated. We see clients come to us constantly that have been ripped off by other lawyers and it makes me so angry. It reflects poorly on the rest of us who want to do a good service for what’s fair. Especially when startups are on a budget.
• Find someone who speaks the same language. The traditional law firm simply doesn’t ‘get’ the modern day entrepreneur. They charge too much, they overvalue their services, they don’t communicate well and/or they don’t really care.

A. Terms and conditions on your website are a must if you are selling online – If you are collecting any personal information on your website, the law now is that you must have a privacy policy. That needs to deal with a whole raft of factors including what information you collect, how it is collected, where it is stored, complaints process, deletion, contact etc etc.

If it’s a game of chance, generally you need to apply for a license to do so. Each of the states will have their own laws relating to this. https://www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/promos_lotteries_facesheets.asp

NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements or Confidentiality Agreements) should be implemented prior to disclosure of the confidential information. It’s not fatal if you don’t but it’s very difficult to safeguard the information once the horse has bolted. Contractors/staff agreements the same – prior to engagement or employment so that the rules and boundaries are set prior to commencement. These document can be done retrospectively, but strongly recommend they are done prior.