Dallas Business Law Topics

Business owners in Texas will be dealing with a vast array of hurdles as they progress through their business journey. One potential issue is that of disputes or disagreements among partners, which can occur between anyone for many reasons. The important part is knowing how to handle it.

Business News Daily takes a look at what you can do when a partnership starts going downhill. They look at many different areas in which disputes can occur in, including monetary issues, intellectual property (IP), or operational functions. Depending on what caused the disagreement to occur, it's possible for partners to work things out without legal action. Mediators or counselors for business may be brought in to allow for a safe and open environment where all opinions are heard. This generally works best for issues like one partner having trouble with another not pulling their weight.

Prior to the 1960s, Texas was a state, which meant that it adhered to a "buyer beware" policy in real estate transactions. However, in 1968, the Supreme Court of Texas expressed its distaste of the caveat emptor doctrine when it comes to the sale and purchase of a home, stating that it did not placate the demands of justice.

According to the Journal of Texas Consumer Law, the court felt that it was unjust for the average homeowner — for whom the purchase of a home is the most important transaction of a lifetime — to be financially accountable for defects created or overlooked by experienced builders and sellers. In the caveat emptor doctrines' place, the court instated the "implied warranty." In the home construction industry, implied warranties come in one of two forms: the implied warranty of good and workmanlike construction and the implied warranty of habitability. Though sellers and builders may disclaim both types of warranties in instances, the courts will generally hold builders and sellers accountable for nuisances.

There are basic steps that need to be taken when trying to get a business off the ground. We suspect that is something that any would-be entrepreneur in Dallas can appreciate. You need a great idea, of course. You also need solid planning that takes all potential business legal matters into consideration. And part of that plan should include an exit strategy.

That last part might seem somewhat counter-intuitive to some. Why would you want to be thinking about getting out of your business even before it has gotten started? The answer, according to some business veterans, is that having an exit plan allows you to keep your ultimate goals in focus, share them with those you work with, and stay on course in rocky times.

Ah, the days of childhood when you could set up a crayon drawn sign on a corner, wheel out a wagon and start selling lemonade to passersby. You still may see some of these pop up businesses around Dallas on a hot summer day, but they are fewer and farther between than they used to be even 10 years ago.

That's not necessarily because it's so much harder to do -- though there are surely those who would argue that it is no easy thing starting a business. The legal hurdles that are required at the various levels of government can be significant. No, sad as it may be, security concerns might be the bigger reason why lemonade stands aren't as common as they used to be.