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The high hourly rates attorneys and accountants charge may scare some, but going without needed professional
advice, especially on new
work contracts, may ultimately prove more costly.
To get the most out of an attorney, Rebecca Ary, a Seattle lawyer who has handled complicated independent
contractor questions, advises massage therapists to remember that after the initial intake interview, the meter is
running. Although they are very good listeners, "attorneys don't like excessive emoting." Save talking about your
feelings for your friends. Even a psychologist's rates would be lower for processing the feelings of anger and
betrayal that come up when a soured business relationship goes to litigation.
In a dispute, you need to have the facts. "You've got to be honest from the beginning," Ary says. To ensure good
service, she thinks clients should make themselves available. "There's nothing worse than when I can't get a hold of
a client," she adds.
While Ary believes an attorney's code of ethics might preclude trading
(or bartering)massage for legal representation, those
rules vary from state to state. Stan Youngs, a Seattle certified public accountant (CPA), says trades, so long as
applicable taxes are paid, could be a win-win.
Market conditions, specialized knowledge and reputation determine the rates lawyers and accountants can charge. An
attorney fresh out of law school might charge less per hour, but need more hours to do the work. CPAs are able to
charge more than tax preparers who don't have the same advanced education.
Ray Schmidgall, a professor in the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University, says much of the
tax advice people in the spa industry need is not extraordinarily complicated, and that a CPA is probably not
required each tax season. When seeking tax advice from someone who is not a CPA, though, he cautions that people
should be sure to check qualifications. "Find somebody who does tax returns for people in a similar type of
business," Schmidgall advises.
When using any kind of tax professional, Youngs says clients can reduce costs by asking at the start of the
relationship what documents will be required and quickly providing them. Youngs says he would always advise massage
therapists to take a new contract to an attorney, but
they don't necessarily need to see someone who is at the top of their
profession. "A simple contract review likely could be handled by any reputable small business attorney," Ary agrees.
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American Massage Therapy Association®
