How Much Does a Business Lawyer Cost? Honest Flat-Fee Ranges

A business lawyer helps with the legal side of starting, running, and protecting a company. Common projects include forming a company, reviewing contracts, helping co-founders agree on roles, checking licenses and compliance rules, and negotiating a commercial lease for office, retail, or warehouse space.

Many small-business owners prefer flat fees for defined projects. A flat fee is one set amount for a specific job, such as filing formation papers or reviewing one contract. Flat fees can be easier to budget for than hourly billing.

Some lawyers also use hourly billing, which means you pay for the time spent on the matter. Hourly billing is common when the scope is uncertain, such as a negotiation that may go back and forth many times.

This page focuses on flat-fee ranges because they are easier to compare. These ranges are not quotes. Actual cost depends on your state, the lawyer's experience, how complex the work is, and whether the fee includes filing fees or government fees.

FoundryCounsel is not a law firm or attorney, and this is general educational information, not legal advice. For decisions about your business, check official sources like your state's Secretary of State, IRS.gov, and speak with a licensed attorney.

Below are common flat-fee ranges for US small-business matters. These are state-dependent ranges, not quotes.

• Business formation: often about $300 to $2,500+ in attorney fees, plus state filing fees. This may include choosing an entity, preparing filing documents, and basic startup documents.
• LLC formation: an LLC, or limited liability company, is a business structure that can separate the owner's personal assets from business debts in many cases. Legal help is often about $500 to $2,500+ in attorney fees, plus state fees.
• Corporation formation: a C-corp, or C corporation, is a corporation taxed separately from its owners by default. An S-corp, or S corporation, is a tax election that some eligible businesses make with the IRS so income may pass through to owners for tax purposes. Legal setup for a corporation is often about $800 to $3,500+ in attorney fees, plus state fees.
• Operating agreement: an operating agreement is the internal document that says how an LLC is owned, managed, and how decisions, profits, and exits work. A basic custom agreement often runs $300 to $2,000+.
• Articles of organization: articles of organization are the document filed with the state to create an LLC. Attorney help preparing and filing them is usually included in an LLC formation package, but by itself may be about $150 to $800+, plus filing fees.
• Employer Identification Number: an EIN is a federal tax ID number issued by the IRS for a business. Help obtaining an EIN is often $0 to $250 in attorney or service fees, but you can usually apply directly on IRS.gov at no filing cost. See What Is an EIN and How to Get One.
• Registered agent: a registered agent is the person or company authorized to receive legal and state notices for your business. Lawyer or service pricing is commonly $100 to $300 per year.
• DBA filing: a DBA, or "doing business as," is a trade name your business uses that is different from its legal name. Help with a DBA is often about $100 to $600+, plus local or state filing fees.
• Contract review: review of one common business contract is often about $300 to $1,500+. A heavily negotiated or industry-specific contract may cost more.
• Contract drafting: drafting one custom contract often runs $500 to $3,000+.
• NDA: an NDA, or non-disclosure agreement, is a contract that says certain information must be kept confidential. A simple NDA may be about $200 to $800+.
• MSA: an MSA, or master services agreement, is a main contract that sets the overall rules for an ongoing service relationship, often used with separate statements of work for each project. A custom MSA is often $800 to $4,000+.
• Founder or partnership agreement: a written agreement covering ownership, roles, vesting, decision-making, and exits often costs $700 to $4,000+.
• Commercial lease review: a lawyer's review of a lease for business space is often $500 to $3,000+. If the lawyer negotiates several rounds, cost may increase.
• Licensing and compliance review: checking which registrations, permits, and compliance steps may apply often costs $400 to $2,500+ depending on the business type and number of states.
• BOI report help: a BOI report, or beneficial ownership information report, is a federal filing that may require certain companies to report who owns or controls the business, depending on current law and reporting rules. Help preparing it has often been priced around $150 to $1,000+, but rules have changed over time, so always verify current requirements with FinCEN and a licensed attorney.

If you want to compare formation choices first, see LLC vs Corporation: Which Is Right and How to Form an LLC in the US. For legal help categories, visit Services.

The biggest cost factor is complexity. A single-owner online store with one straightforward contract usually costs less than a multi-owner company with investors, custom revenue splits, and work in several states.

Here are the main things that change the price:

• Your state: filing fees, publication rules, and local practice differ by state.
• Entity choice: deciding between an LLC and a corporation often affects the amount of drafting and advice needed.
• Number of owners: more owners usually means more negotiation over control, money, voting, and exits.
• Customization level: editing a basic template lightly is different from drafting a contract from scratch.
• Industry risk: healthcare, food, construction, finance, import/export, and regulated industries often need more careful review.
• Number of revisions: a flat fee may include one round of edits, while extra rounds cost more.
• Urgency: rush work can increase fees.
• Negotiation: reviewing a lease is usually cheaper than reviewing it and negotiating multiple points with the landlord.
• Multi-state activity: selling, hiring, or operating in more than one state can trigger extra registration and compliance work.

Ask whether the fee includes:

• State filing fees
• Federal filing fees, if any
• Registered agent service for the first year
• One or more revision rounds
• Calls or meetings
• Negotiation with the other side
• Final signed copies and filing confirmations

A low number is not always the best value. A cheaper package that leaves out the operating agreement, founder terms, or contract revisions can cost more later.

When you speak with a lawyer, try to compare the scope, not just the price. Scope means exactly what work is included.

Use this checklist:

1. Ask what documents are included.
2. Ask what filing fees or government fees are extra.
3. Ask how many owners, contracts, or revision rounds the flat fee covers.
4. Ask whether the lawyer will file documents for you or only prepare them.
5. Ask what timeline is realistic.
6. Ask what happens if the matter becomes more complex than expected.
7. Ask whether future support is billed separately.

A few useful questions:

• "Is this a flat fee for the full project, or can it change?"
• "What exact documents and filings are included?"
• "What is not included?"
• "How many rounds of edits are covered?"
• "Will you communicate with the other party, landlord, or co-founder directly?"
• "Are state filing fees included or separate?"
• "What information do you need from me to start?"

Be careful with offers that sound unusually cheap but do not explain the work. Also be cautious of anyone who promises a guaranteed result, approval, or registration. No honest lawyer can promise that.

If you want help finding a licensed attorney for a defined business issue, you can get matched or learn how it works. FoundryCounsel is a free matching service for business owners, not a law firm and not a substitute for legal advice.

These examples are generic and for education only. They are not quotes.

Example 1: One-owner LLC for a small online business

A single owner wants to form an LLC, get an EIN, and create a basic operating agreement.

• Attorney fees might fall around $700 to $2,500+ total
• State filing fees are usually extra
• If the owner files the EIN directly on IRS.gov, that part may cost nothing

Example 2: Two founders starting a service business

Two founders need entity formation, a founder agreement, and a basic customer service contract.

• Attorney fees might fall around $1,500 to $5,500+ total
• Cost often rises if the founders negotiate equity, vesting, deadlock rules, or exit rights in detail

Example 3: Retail shop signing a first lease

A new retail business needs a lawyer to review a commercial lease and explain key risks.

• Lease review may be about $500 to $3,000+
• If the lawyer also negotiates several terms with the landlord, the total may go higher

Example 4: Consultant cleaning up contracts

A solo consultant wants a custom NDA and MSA for client work.

• Attorney fees might be about $1,000 to $4,500+ total
• Industry-specific data, intellectual property, or payment terms may increase the price

For help with these topics, see Business Entity Formation, Contracts and Agreements, Partnership and Founder Agreements, Commercial Leases and Real Estate, and Business Compliance and Licensing.

You do not need to know every legal term before talking to a lawyer. But a little preparation can reduce the bill.

• Know your goal: say whether you want to form a company, review one contract, negotiate a lease, or solve a compliance issue.
• Gather basic facts first: business name, state, number of owners, what you sell, and the deadline.
• Use one clear document list: send the draft contract, lease, or notes in one package instead of many scattered messages.
• Write your questions down: a short list helps you use meeting time well.
• Decide who has authority: if there are co-founders, decide who can approve edits.
• Ask for a phased approach: for example, first review the contract, then decide whether to negotiate.
• Handle simple government steps yourself when appropriate: for example, many owners can obtain an EIN directly through IRS.gov.

Do not send sensitive identifiers or confidential business secrets through an online form. Usually, contact details and a short description of the legal need are enough to start.

Official websites can also save time and money when you are researching basics:

• Your state's Secretary of State for business formation and state records
• IRS.gov for EINs and federal tax-election information
• USPTO.gov for federal trademark information

If you want more general reading first, visit Guides.

Some business tasks are simple enough to research yourself. Others are worth legal help because mistakes are expensive or hard to fix later.

A lawyer is often especially useful when:

• There are two or more owners
• The owners are contributing different amounts of money, work, or intellectual property
• You are choosing between an LLC and a corporation and the answer is not obvious
• You need a contract with custom payment, ownership, confidentiality, non-solicitation, or limitation-of-liability terms
• A landlord gives you a long commercial lease
• Your business needs permits, professional licenses, or operates in a regulated field
• You plan to raise money from investors
• You will do business across state lines

A short legal review now can prevent disputes later about ownership, profit splits, signatures, deadlines, and who is responsible when something goes wrong.

If you are ready to talk with someone, get matched for free. You can also visit Help if you want to understand the process first.