You know what makes you a better lawyer? Walking a mile in your client’s shoes. I recently started my own firm which forced me to go through the steps of business formation. It was a great exercise for me to be able to more clearly understand things as experienced by my clients that I never knew about.
For instance – the junk mail is insane! And confusing! You can see just a portion of the very official junk mail I received upon forming my LLC. I obviously understand that none of these communications are official, but I can see how confusing it could be. And these companies are trying to get more money out of you. For instance, one company is offering Certificates of Good Standing for $85.00. This is a document that you can get from the Florida Secretary of State for anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 depending on the type of company you have.
Another offers to provide “corporate consent records” for $155.00 for an LLC – specifically requesting a list of all shareholders of the LLC. This is a legal impossibility as LLCs don’t have shareholders.
I find the whole enterprise infuriating and make sure to warn my corporate clients to check in with me before making any payments beyond the flat fee paid to me at the start of the process. Launching your business is already a nerve wracking process; I hate that these scam artists are making it more difficult. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help you navigate these confusing waters.