Blog · The Law Offices of Paul H. Appel
Plain-English Articles for People Who Own a New Jersey Business
Short, practical pieces on the legal decisions owners face every week: signing, hiring, leasing, buying, selling and getting paid.
What the blog covers
Written from the questions clients actually ask
Each article starts from a situation an owner has brought to the firm, such as a lease renewal with a personal guarantee, a partner who wants out, a customer who has stopped paying, or a franchise agreement waiting for a signature. The articles explain how New Jersey law generally treats the issue, what the usual options are, and which first steps help or hurt your position.
The aim is to help you make a better decision and to recognize when a problem needs a lawyer before it becomes an expensive one. The articles are general information, not legal advice. Rules change and outcomes depend on your documents, so treat each one as a starting point. When an article raises a question about your own situation, the practice area pages explain how the firm handles that kind of matter in more detail.
Topics
Browse by subject
Articles fall into six broad groups. Each links to the practice area that covers the subject in depth.
Starting and structuring
Operating agreement essentials, nonprofit formation and the decisions that shape a company from its first day.
Entity formationContracts and leases
Clauses owners skim and regret, personal guarantees, lease defaults and subcontractor terms that decide who carries the risk.
Contract servicesPeople and hiring
Bringing on a first employee, classifying contractors under New Jersey's ABC test, and how courts look at non-competes.
Ongoing counselBuying, selling and succession
The steps in a sale, how indemnities and escrows protect each side, and planning the handover of a closely held business.
Buying or sellingFranchises
What to check before signing a franchise agreement and how termination and non-renewal protections work.
Franchise agreementsDisputes and getting paid
Responding to a demand letter, dealing with a breached contract, and contractor payment rights when an invoice goes unpaid.
Dispute resolution
Using the articles
Getting the most from what you read
- Check the article's date. Statutes, regulations and filing requirements in New Jersey do change
- Read your own contract alongside the article. The documents you signed usually matter more than the general rule
- Note any deadline the article mentions and work out your own date straight away
- If the stakes are significant, ask before acting. The FAQ page and a short call are both quicker than undoing a mistake
Seasonal shore businesses, construction firms and early-stage founders each have articles aimed at their particular pressures, from summer staffing and vendor terms to lien deadlines and founder equity. New articles are added regularly, and the latest posts are listed below, newest first.
Contact
Talk to Paul About Your Business
Describe what the business is dealing with — a contract on your desk, a deal in progress, a dispute or a company you are about to form. You will hear back from the attorney who handles the work.
- Phone917-748-6124
- Office11 Crestwood Drive, Freehold, NJ 07728
- ConsultationsBy phone, video or in person by appointment
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