Uncertainty reigns. With fuel prices getting higher, credit tighter and the economy shakier, it's a tough time to own or run a business. That makes it more important than ever to take care of the things you can control. And that's where the annual Law Journal can help. It can't lower your company's transportation costs, but it can let you know how to avoid some costly problems that could hurt business.

For example, you might be thinking about bolstering your labor force with temporary workers from a staffing service. Regardless of what your contract with the staffing service says, you could be liable in the eyes of government agencies and the courts for wages and benefits for those employees. It doesn't get any easier if you're adding regular staff. Thinking about researching a job applicant on social-networking Web sites such as MySpace or Facebook? You could be violating federal and state law.

Make sure you know the rules about these and other issues adressed in the 2008 Law Journal before you run into difficulties. The best way to do that is to consult a good lawyer. In these times, that's a certainty.