Business owners will do anything in their power to help avoid lawsuits against their business. There is a good reason for that – lawsuits can be long, expensive, damage your reputation, and take your focus away from improving your business and taking care of your clients and customers. There is plenty that can be done to help prevent lawsuits from clients or other companies, but what about inside your own business?

Although they are sometimes a surprise, sometimes you can sense that something is wrong with another employee. If you think a business dispute is headed your way, here are 5 things you can do right now to help prepare for it:

Carefully Consider Communication

If the relationship between you and another member of your business has soured, you should be very careful in how you communicate with them. If they are building a legal case against you in their head, it is important not to give them anything that might upset them or be used against you as evidence. Accordingly, you can take your time to reply to them, and try to keep the majority of communication in writing, if possible.

Try To Calm Things Down

It is much better to prevent a business dispute than to prepare for one. If there is a way you can calmly and safely de-escalate the conflict, you should take that opportunity. Remember that the other person is a human just like you, and they want to be heard and feel respected. They also probably don’t want to hire lawyers and spend time in court, so take the opportunity to lower the temperature where you can.

Get Everything in Writing

This is good business practice in general, but especially when legal issues may be on the table. Try to keep your communication in writing, where it can be verified. Collect any documentation relating to the issue at the heart of the dispute that you can find. Don’t delete or alter any communication.

Don’t Lead the Charge

The best piece of advice we can give is not to lead with aggression. If someone is coming at you in your business, don’t move to retaliate or punish them with passive aggressive behavior. Simply try to resolve the issue, and if that is impossible, ask for help.

Ask For Help

If you sense a business dispute is headed your way, it is always good to speak to an attorney as soon as possible. At Sunshine Isaacson & Hecht, LLP, we are experienced in resolving tense New York business disputes. If you need help, contact Sunshine, Isaacson & Hecht, LLP today! We fight for you!