Dealing With The Legal Consequences Of Being Broke

Posted on: 7 July 2023

If you are an accomplished portrait artist, you may have decided that you would like to make a living working for client commissions. While you may have the artistic elements taken care of, you will also need to make sure that you run your new endeavor as a business.

Part of running a business, especially when creatives are involved, is to have an attorney available to deal with legal issues. Below are a couple of reasons why you need to hire a lawyer when you start working for yourself as a portrait artist.

1. They Can Review Commission Contracts to Ensure That Both You and the Clients Are Fully Protected

One reason why you need to have a lawyer on hand for your portrait art business is that they can review the contracts drawn up between you and your clients. When you work on commission, you need to have the payment structure and expectations spelled out for each one.

Since each portrait will be different, you will need to have different contracts between you and your clients that need to be signed before you put brush to canvas. Once you have the contract drawn up, the lawyer can review it to make sure that both you and your client are fully protected without any holes or possible loopholes.

2. They Can File Copyright Paperwork on Your Pieces While Also Dealing with Possible Infringement Issues

Another reason why having an attorney available for your portrait art business is vital is that they can deal with copyright issues. Because your artwork is unique, you want to make sure that it is protected under copyright laws, and the lawyer can file the necessary paperwork for you.

If someone does try to claim your work as theirs or even share it on social media without your permission, this creates a possible copyright infringement issue. Your lawyer can help you by dealing with this issue by issuing a cease and desist order or even filing court paperwork if necessary.

While you may only wish to paint portraits and delve into your artistic endeavors, you will need to have a lawyer to help deal with the legal parts associated with the business. They can help you by reviewing contract commissions, filing copyright paperwork, and dealing with possible copyright infringement issues if someone tries to claim your pieces as their own. For more information, make an appointment for a consultation with an art lawyer in your area.