[raganwald]

I agree that you are not putting yourself in harm's way by discussing legal matters with non-lawyers, even HN non-lawyers.

I have often discussed legal matters with experienced businesspeople and investors. Of course, when the conversation turns to "Ok, what is the next action step?" the consensus is nearly always "Talk to a lawyer" :-)

[mattmaroon]

You don't put yourself in harm's way as long as you realize that what you are giving or getting is not a substitute for legal advice. Unfortunately most people tend to forget that very easily, as humans are often misled by confident, and often confident that they know more than they do.

[raganwald]

Exactly. One should always differentiate "legal advice" from "advice about a legal matter."