Large companies have in-house legal departments led by a general counsel who knows the business, anticipates problems, and is involved in decisions before they are made. Most small and midsize businesses do not have that luxury. Instead, they call a lawyer when something goes wrong or when a document needs to be signed. That approach can work for a while, but as a business grows, it often leaves important risks unaddressed.

New Jersey makes it easy to form a limited liability company. A certificate of formation can be filed online in minutes. What the state does not require is an operating agreement, the document that sets out how the company will actually be owned and run. Many business owners skip it. That is often a mistake, and it is one that tends to surface at the worst possible moment.

Business owners tend to read contracts for the terms that seem to matter most: price, scope of work, and timing. Those terms are important, but disputes often turn on the provisions near the end of the document, the ones that are easy to skim past as standard language. Here are five clauses that deserve a closer look before you sign.

Buying or selling a home in New Jersey comes with a protection that surprises many people moving here from other states: the attorney review period. Understanding how it works can help you make the most of it and avoid costly misunderstandings.