Most musicians are concerned that lawyers make things complicated and create disputes. The truth is that good lawyers can set things up to avoid disputes. A well-drafted agreement between parties helps everyone avoid the courtroom and still protects you in the event that you get sued.
Too often bands don’t formalize their internal band agreement. They end up fighting over expenses, song credits, and other important issues that could be easily resolved with a well drafted agreement.
A lawyer is also helpful when you receive a contract for use of your song in a film, commercial, videogame, or an app. Also, when you need to register your copyrights of songs and recordings), or trademarks for the band’s name and logo. When you’re a musician or band who wants to form a publishing company or you need help affiliating with ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, or SoundExchange, a lawyer is a good resource to have.
It’s always good to already have a relationship with an attorney when you find out someone is using the same band name, you discover that someone is using your song without permission, you want to cover someone else's song on your record, you want to get out of a bad deal, or you need an exit agreement with a band member who is fired or quits. Of course, If you have a record label interested in signing you and/or your band, you should have a lawyer.
If you commissioned artwork for your album cover or merch and need to make sure you have all the rights you need to use the artwork, you co-wrote a song and want to establish your rights to freely exploit the song, or even if you teach music lessons and need a services contract with your students, you should have a lawyer.
It’s also good to have an attorney if you’re a person that does business with musicians. If you’re a manager, booking agent, or a producer that needs a contract with an artist, you should have a lawyer. If you want to use someone else's music on your website or a video, you should have a lawyer. If you are running a festival and need contracts with the performers or want to have live music performed at a nontraditional venue, you should have a lawyer.
After all of the above, beware of any lawyer that promises you a record contract in exchange for a “shopping fee”. A reputable lawyer has clients who are happy to answer questions about them and advise you as to their quality.