Most people are decent human beings. But you have to watch out for the minority who are not - they can destroy your business. I would say that one scenario whe

Most people are decent human beings. But you have to watch out for the minority who are not - they can destroy your business. I would say that one scenario where you should consult a lawyer at the begfinning of a startup is if the startup engages in a sticky legal area. You know, sharing files, privacy issues, etc. (I'm just thinking off the top of my head here, there's a lot more gray legal areas out there.) How terrible would it be if you found out that your business model is basically illegal conduct? Be aware of the changing regulatory landscape of the internet - especially in the U.S. (I don't want to be all doom and gloom, but it's more about figuring out if the startup is worth the risk.)