With so many Florida LLC formation services to choose from, it may seem hard to understand the difference between hiring local experts versus a Florida LLC attorney. The key differences really boil down to 3 things: cost, expertise, and available services.
On this page, we’ll answer the following questions:
- What are the differences between a local expert and a Florida LLC attorney?
- Do I need a Florida LLC attorney to form an LLC?
- Can I form a Florida LLC on my own?
Differences between a local expert and a Florida LLC attorney
The differences between a local expert (like us) and a Florida LLC attorney can feel subtle. Both can help you form a Florida LLC and provide registered agent service. However, understanding specific distinctions could save you a lot of money and time.
Cost
- Law firm: Many attorneys charge a flat rate (upwards of $1000) for basic LLC formation, typically including filing your Articles of Organization and initial consultation. Other factors affecting your total cost are the attorney’s experience, location, and level of services needed. In addition, many attorneys charge additional fees for phone calls, postage, and research time.
- Local experts: Typically, a company dedicated to Florida business services is going to give you the most bang for your buck. At Sunshine Corporate Filings, we charge $35 plus state fees for LLC formation and $35 a year for registered agent service. If you want us to file your Annual Report each year as well, we do that for $100 plus state fees. That’s it. No hourly rates. No extra charges for phone calls or emails.
Need an LLC operating agreement? Law firms generally charge upwards of a hundred bucks. We include one for free with LLC formation.
Expertise
- Law firm: Most law firms only offer LLC formation as a supplementary service, meaning it’s not their primary focus. In all likelihood, the lawyer you hire won’t even draft your materials, as these kinds of tasks are commonly delegated to paralegals who may or may not know much about state-specific details. Services are less personal, more of a corporate feel. And with a national law firm, your lawyer may be more difficult to contact or work with, if their team isn’t local or if they’re focused on more lucrative legal cases.
- Local experts: Florida LLC formation is all we do–it’s our primary focus. Doing it better than anyone else is what makes or breaks us. That’s why we’ve built out a team with decades of experience working with the Florida SoS, people who know the ins and outs of Florida business processes.
Available Services
- Law firm: Most law firms don’t offer services outside of the legal field. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Florida LLC attorney who offers web & phone service, mail forwarding, or virtual office. Even if you need additional legal advice (beyond the initial formation process), it will likely cost you several hundred dollars in addition to what you initially paid.
- Local experts: More than legal services, a growing business needs business services. A professional business address. A local phone number and business phone line. A place to meet clients. A domain name that clearly connects to your business. Email addresses at that domain. A website on that domain. At Sunshine Corporate Filings, we offer all these and more within various packages, such as our mail forwarding, virtual office or business presence packages.
Ultimately, services like ours are a great choice if you want a wide range of professional, expert-level business support but don’t want to break your startup budget.
Do I need a Florida LLC attorney to form an LLC?
No. You are not legally required to retain an attorney to form a Florida LLC. Filing yourself or hiring a local expert (like us) is a great way to avoid ongoing legal fees.
Can I form a Florida LLC on my own?
Yes! Traditional LLCs are easy to register with the SOS. In fact, we provide a comprehensive step-by-step guide to registering a Florida LLC yourself. We also offer a free operating agreement you can customize to fit your needs.
Hire a local expert to form your Florida LLC
For just $195, we’ll file your Articles of Organization, provide local registered agent service, and much more!
- A secure online account
- Free LLC operating agreement
- 90-day trial of web and phone service
- Real-time annual report reminders
- Lifetime customer support
- Access to additional services such as mail forwarding and virtual office