Credit:  Wiki Commons

Now, explain it to me like I’m a four-year-old.

Denzel Washington – Acadaemy Award Winner
as Attorney Joe Miller in Philadelphia

It does not matter where your creative soul takes you.  Whether you’re a musician, actor, dancer, fine artist, juggler, you’ve chosen a path you love!!  You are passionate and excited about the possibilities of what lies ahead.

You have embarked on a career that is a business. A business that includes contracts that more often than not are filled with the proverbial legal “small print” and more often than not legal complexities that will not only affect the project at hand but your future career choices.

There is no getting around it, and you can’t shy away from dealing with contracts and agreements, which is why in this and upcoming articles we will face the legal issues of our life straight on, so when you are handed a contract, you are not dreading dealing with it, but you are excited as you are one step closer to entering an aggreement that will pay you for your creativity.

Embrace every legal question, contract and agreement that comes your way.  Look at each agreement as an amour that when done right will become a shield that serves all parties.

Alight, alright I am getting a bit carried away here. Let’s just say at the very least you are entering into the agreement with your eyes wide open.

Are you now feeling more confident about making sure you ask questions and appreciate the power of contracts?

Here are three action steps you can take to better equip yourself.

If you decide to move forward with the next steps, please let us know how you are doing in the comments.  We would be thrilled to hear about your progress and any ideas you would like to share that have helped you.  No one has one answer to anything, but collectively we can find the answers to many questions that help us as we move forward in our career.

Legal Shield is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. If you are a US resident it is invaluable. I have enjoyed having contracts read in Virgina, Las Vegas and other states.

All attorneys are martindale hubble rated, which means you get a high end attorney for a nominal monthly fee.  This is availalbe, because as a member your money is pooled with thousands of other members that allows Legal Shield to attract the best attorneys for their membership.

Click here to find out more about Legal Shield.

If it is challenging for you to pay the monthly membership fee or if you are outside the United States, reach out to organizations that offer pro bono legal services.

Pro Bono is a Latin term that means “for the public good.”  This usually means that an attorney who works with you on a pro bono basis will not charge you for their services.

If they must charge you, the attorney may place you under a retainer, it would nornally be for a very nominal amount, anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 US or similar amount in your country.

The best way to find Pro Bono legal advise is through contacts with colleagues who may know an attorney, a family contact, an organization that offers these services, a law school that may have a pro bono clinic, an arts organization that and also please contact your union.

As with everything, not all services are alike so please do your research and ask for recommendations.

If you wish to hire an attorney I strongly recommend asking your friends and colleagues for recommendations. Find out who has worked on a similar project and ask your friends and colleagues what they thought about their services.

Finally, searching the web and reading reviews is another avenue to find an attorney.

Always keep in mind that proper legal advise is there to help you.