Think of your business like a commercial HVAC system. It can look perfectly fine on the outside while a slow leak is quietly destroying the efficiency and the foundation. Most people only call a lawyer when the whole system crashes. But by then, you’re already losing money every hour.

I like to start with a Legal Health Audit. It’s a fancy term for us sitting down and looking at the guts of your operations. Here is what I’m typically looking for:

1. The Corporate Veil Check: Are you actually protected? If you did an LLC formation through a cheap website but haven’t kept up with meeting minutes or separate bank accounts, a creditor could pierce the veil and come for your personal savings or your house.

2. The Landmine Scan: I look at your existing contracts. I’m searching for those sneaky automatic renewal clauses or indemnity traps that shift all the risk onto your shoulders.

3. Employment Guardrails: Do you have an actual handbook, or just a collection of vibes and verbal rules? In New Jersey, vague employment policies are a recipe for a lawsuit.

4. Succession and Partnership Gaps: What happens if your partner decides to move to Florida tomorrow? If you don’t have a partnership agreement that spells out the exit strategy, the business might not survive the divorce.

5. Compliance Verification: I check to see if you’re up to date with state-specific filings. Jersey loves its paperwork, and missing a deadline can trigger a compliance violation notice.