Seeking Legal Advice When Starting A Nonprofit Corporation
When it comes to seeking legal advice, do not assume every lawyer knows nonprofit law or has the knowledge needed for telling you how to become a nonprofit organization.
Recently I was having dinner with some friends and we were joined by someone I did not know. As the getting acquainted conversation took place, the topic came up about the process he took on starting a nonprofit organization.
He had used the services of a lawyer who helped him start a nonprofit ministry organization. What he did not know was that this same lawyer had come to me when I was employed as a Faith Coordinator for the County of San Diego a few years previously, asking me for information on the process of becoming a nonprofit corporation.
Clueless About Starting A Nonprofit Ministry
Now this attorney, a very competent lawyer, is an expert in family trusts, writing wills, and small business law. In fact I have used his services in the area of his legal expertise. But that day he was clueless as a nonprofit lawyer because he told me he knew very little about starting a nonprofit ministry.
He Thought I Was An Expert On How To Become A Nonprofit Organization
This competent family trust attorney had called asking me for some basic nonprofit information and ideas for launching a nonprofit ministry organization. My lawyer friend needed this information on how to begin a nonprofit organization for a new client.
Now lets get back to dinner conversation with my new acquaintance who was telling me how he started a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. As I was concluding my discussion with the new friend who had started a nonprofit ministry, I realized he was the client of my lawyer friend. Yes, he was the individual who had used the services of my lawyer friend.
And he had indeed paid $2500 to the lawyer for launching his nonprofit corporation. And what did I get out of it? Well, at least I had received a free lunch for my sharing my knowledge on starting a nonprofit corporation.
He Could Have Become A Nonprofit Corporation Specialist
There is more to this nonprofit story. You see, I had told the lawyer that if he would charge, say $500 or even $750, to help people begin nonprofit organizations, there were plenty of potential clients, like the people contacting me, desperately wanting to know how to start nonprofit corporations.
My competent lawyer friend told me he would rather charge $2500 and felt his services were worth it. Now I am confident that he is worth what he charged helping his client become a nonprofit organization. He simply did not realize what he could have made just helping people start a nonprofit organization.
Of course, it could have been a pride issue, and he just could not bring himself to charge less than that $2500 fee. As it was, he probably only made $2500 that year off of that one nonprofit client.
But what if he had lowered his price and had serviced 10 or 20 clients, people eagerly seeking help in starting a nonprofit organization, individuals needing information on how become nonprofit organization? Perhaps he could have helped hundreds of others become a nonprofit organization and in the process become a nonprofit corporation specialist.
Since then I have discovered that there are those who specialize in helping organizations achieve nonprofit status. For example you might check out the LegalZoom Incorporation Website.
Lower The Price For Nonprofit Legal Work
I for one, would use him for nonprofit legal services and for help in starting a nonprofit ministry organization. I also believe many of the people who asked me for references — those seeking legal information on how to start a nonprofit organization — would have used this lawyer’s nonprofit expertise too.
He could have had happy attorney clients, confident in starting a nonprofit organization with the help of a nonprofit corporation specialist.
Affordable Incorporation Resources Online
In addition to LegalZoom, there are many online resources offering help when starting a nonprofit corporation. These are very affordable incorporation resources on the internet offering help on how to become a nonprofit organization.
