A brief guide to using a lawyer's mind in healthcare business situations

A lawyer experienced in contract aspects of dental law explores the differences between the ways dentists and lawyers are trained to think about business problems and opportunities. Lawyers are trained to analyze situations to look for alternatives and apply the law to the facts of the case. It is the nature of the law not to have scientifically justified general approaches (what dentists might call parameters or best practice rules). For the lawyer, multiple sources of law, legislative, judicial and regulatory, coupled with the details of a case, provide the framework for decision-making. This can place a premium on finding a lawyer familiar with the field of law in question. Lawyers provide a valuable service in negotiating, mediating, and otherwise finding alternatives to litigation. Communication skills are essential because of the complexity of many legal situations and because the lawyer never decides the correct course of action for a client--the client must do this based on his or her goals and the alternatives presented.