Jordan Harbinger

So we wanted to get a couple experts in here to advise.

The first person we talked to was Corbin Payne, defense attorney and friend of the show.

Dun-dun.

And the first thing Corbin said was, in his experience, ex-cons are generally viewed with suspicion and a lack of sympathy by the legal system in the wider world.

And because we as a society are primed to view ex-cons with both suspicion and contempt, people like your former business partner, they can often justify their actions as you deserving it, and they can do so pretty easily.

So Corbin had some tactical advice for you

First, from now on, when you start a business, you need to document, document, document.

Never again start a business without an operating agreement or a partnership agreement or something like that.

Never take a job without something in writing laying out what the compensation looks like, what your job description and duties are, what protections you're entitled to, what your equity is, that is essential.

If the other party drags their feet, then Corbin said at the very least, send a CYA email laying out your understanding of these facts and ask them if that's also their understanding.

If they confirm, great.

If they don't reply at all, that's essentially confirmation.

If they deny, then at least you have clarity.

And second, and I assume you're already doing this, if you're suing your partner for your share of the business, bring a ton of documentation to your case.

Dates, history, contributions, major conversations, all of it.

And you probably have a better shot at this than you think.

In Corbin's experience, and I totally agree with him here, customers rarely do business with a company.

They do business with people.

And in most cases, they don't have a clue about who's in the office doing admin or who owns the company.

They just know the guys or gals who are actually interacting with them to do the thing they contracted y'all for.