An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure in Business and Law

In 1736, Benjamin Franklin famously advised fire-threatened Philadelphians that “[a]n ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” He believed time and money spent preventing fires is a more efficient and effective use of resources than spending time and money fighting fires. I see a handful of cases every year that could have been mitigated or in some cases prevented altogether if the clients followed Franklin’s advice.

This sounds like a self-serving sales pitch, I know. I’m telling you to invest time and money in obtaining legal advice to help you with legal problems that you are not imminently facing. But, if you are still skeptical of my motives, compare the relatively small amount of time and money you invest in brushing your teeth twice a day with the significant pain, suffering, and cost of having a tooth pulled. Likewise, would you rather make routine small investments in time and money to change the oil in your car, or simply avoid oil changes altogether and buy a new car when the motor blows? Of course, I can’t guarantee you’ll never face a legal catastrophe if you proactively invest time and money consulting with a lawyer. But, lawyers can help mitigate the risk—just as brushing your teeth and changing the oil in your car can help mitigate risks.

Lawyers can help:

1) Identify business risks,

2) Mitigate exposure to business risks, and

3) Remain ready to defend your interests if bad things happen. Some common issues where an ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure include:

• Starting, buying, or selling a business;
• Buying, selling, or leasing property;
• Signing a written contract for services or products;
• If the business or employees have been involved in an accident involving injuries to people or damage to property;
• Evaluating whether your business is appropriately insured considering your business activities and exposure to risk;
• If you are involved in a highly regulated business;
• Complaints and investigations from professional licensure boards;
• Compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations, including overtime compliance, and harassment training; and,
• Whenever your business receives a subpoena for records or other legal processes.

So, every time you brush your teeth or change the oil in your car, think about how proactively investing a little time and money for legal advice may help mitigate risk for your business in the long run.

About Christian & Small

Christian & Small LLP represents a diverse clientele throughout Alabama, the Southeast, and the nation with clients ranging from individuals and closely-held businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. By matching highly experienced lawyers with specific client needs, Christian & Small develops innovative, effective, and efficient solutions for clients. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast, Christian & Small focuses on the areas of litigation and business, is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and is the only Alabama-based member firm in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. Our corporate social responsibility program is focused on education, and diversity is one of Christian & Small's core values.

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.