WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW BETTER THAN YOUR LAWYER
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, I think sometimes we overestimate how much we actually know about the legal side. I’ve tried to push back on my lawyer’s edits before, thinking they were being too cautious, and it ended up saving me a headache later. It’s easy to miss stuff when you’re too close to the deal. I’d rather have them be nitpicky than miss something major... even if it slows things down.
WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW BETTER THAN YOUR LAWYER
Man, I hear you on this. I’ve had my fair share of “I know what I’m doing” moments, especially when it comes to contracts. You spend years in the business, you start thinking you’ve seen every clause and loophole out there. Then your lawyer comes back with a dozen red marks and suddenly you’re questioning if you even read the thing right.
I’ll admit, sometimes it feels like they’re just dragging things out or nitpicking stuff that’ll never actually matter. Had a deal last year where my lawyer wanted to change the wording on a warranty section—seemed pointless to me at the time. Fast forward six months and, sure enough, that exact section saved my butt when a supplier tried to wiggle out of fixing their mess. Guess that’s why they get paid the big bucks.
But I do think there’s a balance. I’ve had lawyers who go so far into the weeds that we end up arguing over commas and semicolons for hours. At some point, you gotta trust your gut too—nobody knows your business like you do. But when it comes to legal landmines, I’d rather have someone overly cautious than someone who misses the tripwire entirely.
Still, doesn’t mean I don’t roll my eyes every time they send back a 10-page markup on what I thought was a simple agreement... Maybe one day I’ll learn to just let them do their thing without grumbling (but probably not).
WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW BETTER THAN YOUR LAWYER
At some point, you gotta trust your gut too—nobody knows your business like you do. But when it comes to legal landmines, I’d rather have someone overly cautious than someone who misses the tripwire entirely.
- Couldn’t agree more on the “legal landmines” part. In high-end real estate, one missed clause can mean six figures down the drain.
- I’ve had lawyers flag stuff in inspection contingencies that seemed like overkill. Turns out, those “nitpicks” saved me from inheriting a drainage nightmare on a property that looked perfect on paper.
- That said, I do get frustrated when they get hung up on formatting or archaic language. Sometimes it feels like they’re billing by the comma.
- My workaround: I ask them to highlight only the sections that could actually cost me money or create liability. Cuts down on the back-and-forth and keeps things focused.
- Still, I’d rather have a 10-page markup than a 10-page lawsuit. Guess it’s just part of the game if you want to protect your assets.
Funny how the stuff you think is “just legalese” ends up being the thing that saves you later...
WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW BETTER THAN YOUR LAWYER
I get the need for caution, but sometimes lawyers can get so bogged down in hypotheticals that it slows everything to a crawl. I’ve had deals nearly fall apart because legal wanted to reword a clause that both sides already agreed on. There’s a point where you have to weigh risk versus momentum—paralysis by analysis can cost you just as much as missing a detail. I usually push for a practical review: what’s likely to bite us, not just what’s theoretically possible. Sometimes you gotta move forward, even if it means living with a little uncertainty.