Are you a law firm? Do you provide legal advice?
No, we are not a law firm, and we do not provide legal advice.
This is an important boundary for us — and for you — to understand clearly.
What we are
FormationHub is a business-services company. We help you: - Prepare and file standard formation paperwork with state governments (Articles of Organization, Articles of Incorporation, etc.) - Apply for federal tax IDs (EIN) with the IRS - File regulatory reports (BOI with FinCEN, annual reports with the state) - Serve as your Registered Agent (receive legal mail at our address) - Provide template documents like Operating Agreements based on common configurations
Think of us as a paperwork-and-compliance service, similar to how TurboTax helps you file taxes without being a tax attorney.
What we are NOT
Not a law firm. We are not licensed to practice law in any state.
Not your attorney. We have no attorney-client relationship with you. Anything you tell us is not protected by attorney-client privilege.
Not licensed to give legal advice. Even staff who have law degrees are not acting as your lawyers when they work at FormationHub.
What this means in practice
We can tell you...
✅ "Wyoming has the lowest annual fee of the privacy-focused states."
✅ "California requires an $800 annual franchise tax regardless of revenue."
✅ "Our Operating Agreement template handles single-member, multi-member, and manager-managed LLCs."
✅ "The state rejected your filing because of a name conflict. We'll resubmit with the alternative name you provided."
We can NOT tell you...
❌ "Yes, your specific contract with that supplier is enforceable in Texas." — legal interpretation, not our place.
❌ "You should sue that customer for breach." — legal advice.
❌ "An LLC will fully protect you from this specific liability scenario." — that's an attorney's analysis of your facts.
❌ "You can avoid paying X tax by structuring it this way." — that's tax advice, requires a CPA or tax attorney.
We'll politely decline questions in those categories and point you to a qualified attorney or CPA.
Why this distinction matters
If we held ourselves out as a law firm without being one, we'd be committing the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) — a crime in most states. More importantly, you'd be relying on advice from people who aren't qualified to give it.
By being clear about what we are and aren't, we keep ourselves on the right side of the law AND ensure you don't make important legal decisions based on the wrong source.
When you DO need a lawyer
For most small businesses, you don't need a lawyer for routine formation paperwork — that's why we exist. But there are situations where you absolutely should:
You need a business lawyer if:
You're entering into a contract worth more than ~$10,000
You're forming a partnership with someone other than your spouse
You're being sued, or you want to sue someone
You're raising venture capital
You're acquiring another business or being acquired
You're creating a complex multi-entity structure (parent-subsidiary, holding companies)
You have unusual ownership arrangements (trusts, foreign owners, equity grants to employees)
You're operating in a heavily regulated industry (healthcare, finance, food, alcohol)
You need a tax professional if:
You're trying to figure out the best entity for your tax situation
You're considering S-Corp election
You're a foreign-owned LLC (Form 5472 filing required, $25,000 penalty for missing it)
You're approaching $250,000+ in revenue
You have employees
We can refer you to attorneys and CPAs in our network, but the relationship and the advice come from them, not us.
Disclaimer-y stuff (required by lawyers)
Anything you read on FormationHub's website, Help Center, blog, or chat conversations is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Your situation may differ. Consult a licensed professional before making decisions with legal, tax, or financial consequences.
By using FormationHub, you agree that: - We don't have an attorney-client relationship - We can't be held liable for legal outcomes - You're responsible for ensuring your business complies with all applicable laws
This isn't us being cold — it's just being honest about what we are and aren't.
Common questions
"Can your staff who have law degrees give me advice?"
No. Even if a staff member happens to be a JD, they're not your attorney while working at FormationHub. They're prohibited from giving legal advice in their role here.
"Why does your Operating Agreement look like a legal document?"
Templates can be drafted by attorneys without creating an attorney-client relationship with the template user. Our OA templates were drafted by attorneys (and updated periodically), but the customization and use of them is between you and a licensed attorney if you want professional advice on whether they fit your situation.
"Can you recommend an attorney?"
We have referral partners we trust — open a chat and tell us your situation (state, business stage, type of legal need) and we'll suggest 1-2 attorneys to talk to. We don't get kickbacks; these are people we genuinely think do good work.
"What's the difference between LegalZoom and you?"
LegalZoom has a sister entity called LegalShield that offers attorney access — that's a separate legal service. Their non-attorney services are similar to ours (also not a law firm). We don't have a sister legal entity yet; we refer customers to outside attorneys when legal advice is needed.
Next steps
Have a question that's clearly within our scope (filings, EIN, RA, compliance)? Open a chat — happy to help.
Need actual legal advice? We'll refer you. Open a chat with your situation.
Want to read more about what we DO and DON'T do? See Who is FormationHub?.