The Artist’s Legal Tune-Up

lticon The Legal Tune-Up is a convenient 35 or 65-minute legal consultation for artists, entrepreneurs and other creative types. You’ll get advice about your options, rights and responsibilities – so you can make smart decisions and avoid big, costly mistakes.

For instance, you can:

Steer clear of contracts that aren’t in your best interests – creatively, financially or legally.
Know what you need to do before you use someone else’s work in your own creation or business.
Find out your options if someone is using your work without your permission.
Avoid pouring time, money and effort into a project that won’t get off the ground because of legal restrictions.
Get some smarts about the arts business. You know your craft. But to be successful you also need to know the law and business of being an artist.

Avoiding problems is a lot cheaper, easier and faster than trying to fix them.

“What are some specific examples of how a consultation could be helpful?”

How about the composer who wrote a tribute piece to her favorite band but didn’t get permission to quote the group’s songs in the piece before the premiere. Oops.
Or the start-up label that released albums before getting agreements with the artists and producers. Uh oh.
Got a great name for your new business but didn’t make sure somebody else wasn’t already using it? Ouch.
And then there was the singer/songwriter who signed with a manager before having a lawyer look over the contract. Or the band starting to make it big without having an agreement among its members. Ugh.

All of these “oopsies” led to some pretty serious problems. And they could have been avoided if the artists had contacted me before starting their projects. Other examples include questions about what’s covered under copyright, trademark, right of publicity, work-for-hire, fair use, parody, terminations and for-profit or NFP status.

Ready to get started? Click here to download your intake form.

“OK, how does it work?”

The Legal Tune-Up is conducted by phone or Skype, so wherever you are, I can be there for you.

Tell me about your issues or questions. Before we talk, you’ll download the intake form and send it back to me. This way, I’ll know what you want to discuss and who else may be involved. (I can also be sure there aren’t any potential conflicts of interest with any other clients). We’ll then determine whether it’s best to book a 35 or 65 minute session, depending on the number and complexity of your issues.
Pay the fee in advance. Everything’s spelled out in the the intake form, including a statement of your rights and responsibilities as a client.
Schedule the consultation and send me additional information, like copies of relevant documents, contracts or emails – anything that I should review prior to our session.
During our confidential session, we’ll discuss your situation to see if there are any legal hurdles or other issues you may need to address. This could also include advice on how to handle negotiations or disputes. Or you could use the session to get general guidance. We’ll examine the issues and discuss what steps you could take. You may choose to take action on your own or with my assistance.

Click here to download an intake form.

“How much does a Legal Tune-Up cost?”

I currently charge $175.00 for a 35-minute session and $295.00 for a 65-minute session.

“What’s the extra five minutes for?”

To exchange pleasantries, make sure you’re comfortable and cover the ground rules of the consultation. This way, you’ll get a full 30 or 60 minutes of consultation time.

Click here to download an intake form and book your Tune-Up.

“When can I schedule a session?”

We can book it any time that’s convenient for you. I even have night and weekend appointments available.

“How many sessions will I need?”

It depends. There are many matters that can be dealt with in a very short amount of time – often in a single session – although I make no guarantees. But, you may only book a maximum of six 35-minute or four 65-minute sessions per year. And no more than two sessions per month.

Why? Because the Legal Tune-Up is designed to give you quick, convenient and affordable advice on a topic. It’s not meant to take the place of a traditional ongoing attorney-client relationship where I’m always available to provide ongoing service to you and/or your business.

“Anything else I should know?”

While I can’t guarantee I can solve all your problems, I can promise that I’ll give you my honest, professional assessment of your situation based upon my many years of legal, business and teaching experience.

Shoot me a note on my contact page if you have any other questions about the service.

Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. By knowing your rights and responsibilities and exploring your possibilities now, you’ll save yourself a ton of time, money and heartache. That’s what the Legal Tune-Up is for.