Attorney and CPA: working relationship & recommendation

[Kat N.]

BP nation! 

It is about the end of the year, and certainly tax is important (as yes, Holiday is important too :) ...) 

How do you work with Attorney and CPA? Do you consider attorney & CPA is your "core team" that they know ins and outs of your business? Or do you consult attorney & CPA deal by deal and pay hourly basis? (And you consults different attorneys & CPAs). 

Last but not least, I am looking for some recommendations of attorney & CPA, preferably in the Bay Area (but I can work offline as well). I have worked with one CPA but would love to get more contacts. I haven't worked with any attorney yet.

Thanks so much! 

Best, 

Kathy

[Chris K.]

@Kat N.

I would say it depends. As a lawyer that hires other lawyers, most of the work they do for me is based on a specific project that I cannot handle for whatever reason (e.g. different location, odd subject matter, etc.). I consider them to be very valuable but I don't talk to them on a daily basis --- not even a weekly basis sometimes. With CPAs, I ask questions as they come up and we also do a more detailed review as tax season approaches. I don't really pay CPA's hourly but I assume it's sort of included in the year-end bill (which is okay).  

Most CPA/JD hybrids I meet tend to either be: (1) be a federal tax specialists/assassins; or (2) focus on one side of the practice over the other. That's fine but I'm not sure if it is always better than just hiring two separate professionals. For example, let's say you are dealing with a convoluted zoning matter. My guess is that most CPA/JD hybrids don't focus on zoning matters. So it depends on the facts. 

Disclaimer: While I’m an attorney licensed to practice in PA, I’m not your attorney. What I wrote above does not create an attorney/client relationship between us. I wrote the above for informational purposes. Do not rely on it for legal advice. Always consult with your attorney before you rely on the above information.