Do I Need a Lawyer to Incorporate?

Many small-business owners, and those with aspirations of starting very large enterprises, view incorporation as a critical early step in building the business. Although incorporation can involve a large amount of preparation and paperwork, the process does not require an attorney's assistance.

Requirement

• Entrepreneurs can incorporate without an attorney's assistance, according to the online incorporation service Enitia. In addition, Florida's online incorporation website Sunbiz encourages business owners to submit incorporation information through its Web-based portal rather than through an attorney's office.

Recommendations

• Although business owners may file for incorporation without using a lawyer, the process does involve a number of legal nuances. Because incorporation legally establishes a business as a separate and independent entity, the entrepreneurial website Startup Company Lawyer recommends discussing the process with a qualified attorney.

Alternatives

• Because of the amount of paperwork involved in creating a corporation, a number of organizations offer services to ease the process. These services do not offer legal advice, but they do handle administrative tasks such as articles of incorporation, corporate name search, application for an employer identification number, and creation of sample corporate bylaws, according to the business website S Corporations Explained .