http://www.fastcompany.com/3037829/6-reasons-your-lawyer-less-startup-is-doomed-from-the-get-go

This article highlights the benefits of getting a lawyer involved in your startup as early as possible. Securing a lawyer up front to structure your business entity and to handle other preliminary matters, which usually costs between $1,500 and $2,500, is highly advisable. Overall, the article is a nice summary of some of the value a lawyer can bring to a startup. As the article notes, many entrepreneurs make the mistake of relying on lawyers only when things go wrong (after the fact). This leads to high legal costs, feeding into the negative view many entrepreneurs have of lawyers more generally. If more entrepreneurs were to take the advice of this article, they may be more inclined to see lawyers as helpers, essential to their business.