4 Steps to Practice Law Internationally
It’s not easy to practice law internationally. There are many steps you need to take before you can establish your business in another country. For example, if the country is a civil law jurisdiction, it will be required that your lawyer be certified by the Ministry of Justice. Here are four common steps for practicing law internationally and some useful information on getting started.
1) Find out the foreign country’s requirements for practicing law
First, you need to find information about your obligations as an attorney in that other country. Are there any special certifications required? If yes, then who will be responsible for issuing it? Inquire with local authorities or go through their website. You should also find out whether the country has a bar association or not. It’s also necessary to find out whether local lawyers can represent foreign clients and vice versa to clarify the regulation related to working by non-resident attorneys in this country. Usually, there are specific rules for how much time should be spent working at this other location.
2) Understand the foreign country’s legislation
It will be difficult to provide legal services if you are not familiar with local laws. Reading through all the relevant rules and regulations of this other country is a time-consuming process, but it has to be done for you to understand how things work there. After that, you should find out whether any certifications are required to practice law in that country. If yes, then it will be your responsibility to acquire them.
3) Find out the local market’s demand for your services
It is not enough to know whether you can practice law there or foreign lawyers’ rights and obligations. You must find out how much demand there is for legal services in this country. If it turns out that many new businesses are emerging, then maybe starting up a law firm there might be a good idea. To do this, you should consult local people about how much they are willing to pay for your services.
4) Find out estimated costs involved
It doesn’t make sense to start practicing law internationally without knowing how much it will cost you. First, you have to calculate all the expenses associated with your work at this other location. Next, find out whether there’s a market demand for legal services in this country and estimate the average rates charged by local lawyers. If you fail to do this, then it might become difficult for you to get out of the financial crisis once it happens.
Originally published at https://jose-simon-elarba.com on November 17, 2021.