Get an engagement letter before work
An engagement letter prevents surprise bills.
Read the guide →Spot grant scams before they cost you
Nobody legitimate charges fees for guaranteed grants.
Read the guide →Check a lawyer's standing and record
Verify state bar status and any discipline record.
Read the guide →Get new hire paperwork done right
I-9, W-4, and the state new-hire report.
Read the guide →Draft a contract that protects you
Protect yourself with a simple reusable client contract.
Read the guide →Employee or contractor: classify right
Get the classification right; misclassifying is expensive.
Read the guide →Find a small business lawyer you trust
Use referrals, bar directories, and industry groups.
Read the guide →Gather LLC documents your bank needs
Collect the LLC articles, agreements, and licenses banks ask for.
Read the guide →Get business insurance before day one
Cover liability and property risks before serving customers.
Read the guide →Get food service licenses fast
Clear health department and food handling requirements.
Read the guide →Get your moving transport licenses
Clear the road-transport rules movers must meet.
Read the guide →Workers' comp insurance from day one
Required in most states from employee number one.
Read the guide →Get your cosmetology license first
Meet the licensing rules for salon services.
Read the guide →Get your real estate license faster
Complete the coursework and exam your market requires.
Read the guide →Get your salon license before opening
License the premises with the state board — separate from any stylist's personal license.
Read the guide →Hang required labor law posters right
Federal and state labor notices where staff can see them.
Read the guide →Have a lawyer review your lease first
Personal guarantees and CAM clauses bite later.
Read the guide →Interview lawyers before you hire one
Many offer a free consult; ask about businesses like yours.
Read the guide →Legal work you should never DIY
Equity, employment disputes, and IP fights need counsel.
Read the guide →Find your business tax form first
Schedule C, 1065, or 1120-S decides everything downstream.
Read the guide →Scope your startup legal needs first
Formation, contracts, IP, employment — scope drives who you hire.
Read the guide →Prep for legal meetings, cut fees
Organized facts and documents cut billable hours.
Read the guide →Add the legal pages your SaaS needs
Privacy policy, terms, and a working way for users to reach you.
Read the guide →Register as an employer before day one
EIN, state withholding, and unemployment accounts.
Read the guide →Register your business, shield your home
Choose a legal structure and register your business name.
Read the guide →Book an annual legal checkup, stay safe
Review contracts, policies, and compliance once a year.
Read the guide →Sign an engagement letter before work
Scope, fees, and communication expectations in writing.
Read the guide →Lawyer fees explained: hourly vs flat
Hourly vs flat fee vs retainer; ask what each covers.
Read the guide →Decode the term sheet before you sign
Valuation, dilution, control — lawyer before signing.
Read the guide →Use contract templates, save legal fees
Standard contracts from templates; lawyer reviews the exceptions.
Read the guide →Verify zoning before you sign the lease
Confirm your use with city planning BEFORE you sign.
Read the guide →Every guide here is a checkbox in the app.
Join the waitlist and work through them with an AI coach on your side.
Start for free →Free plan available · No credit card required
Across the site
More on Legal across the site
Case studyOprah WinfreyHarpo ProductionsCase studyReginald F. LewisTLC Beatrice InternationalNewsAEWV minimum pay rises to NZD $23.95/hr from 1 April 2026Any founder hiring a migrant through the AEWV scheme must ensure offer letters and job ads meet the $23.95/hr floor from 1 April 2026 or risk visa refusal. Budget wage costs against the new rate before advertising, and note the reduced 2-year work-experience requirement makes overseas hires easier than in prior years.NewsCourt strikes down $100,000 H-1B fee; First Circuit lets ruling stand (July 2026)If you were holding off on sponsoring an H-1B hire because of the $100K sticker shock, that barrier is lifted for now — petitions previously stalled by the fee can move forward. But this is mid-appeal and could reverse, so if you have a strong overseas candidate, moving sooner reduces your exposure to a fee that may snap back if the government wins.NewsDelaware C-corps must file the annual report and franchise tax by March 1, 2026If you are a Delaware C-corp (the default for VC-backed startups), calendar March 1 and compute tax with the Assumed Par Value Capital method, which usually produces a far smaller bill than the default Authorized Shares estimate. Lost good standing can stall a financing or M&A closing until it is cured.NewsDOL proposes narrower joint-employer liability ruleIf you use a staffing agency, run a franchise, or rely heavily on subcontractors, joint-employer status determines whether you can be held liable for another company's wage-and-hour violations. A narrower test generally reduces your exposure, but the rule is only proposed — watch for the final version before assuming it applies. Review your staffing and franchise contracts now so you know where liability sits today.NewsEB-2 NIW green card: founder self-petition path tightens as approvals fallImmigrant founders in STEM or national-priority fields can pursue permanent residency without an employer sponsor, but should assemble a rigorous evidence package (traction metrics, funding, expert letters) given the higher bar, and budget for premium processing to compress timelines.NewsFTC pivots to case-by-case noncompete enforcement; states pass their own bansIf you're drafting employment or contractor agreements, don't rely on a blanket noncompete — enforceability now hinges on your state's law, and overbroad clauses can invite FTC scrutiny even without a federal rule. When you hire, check the specific state rules (Virginia, California, Minnesota, etc.) before including restrictive covenants, and lean on NDAs and non-solicitation clauses that hold up more reliably.NewsMost US small businesses now exempt from Corporate Transparency Act BOI filingIf you formed a US LLC or corporation, you likely dodged the federal BOI filing burden — but don't assume it's gone forever, since a final rule is still pending and could shift again. Watch state-level rules (New York already live, California considering one), and keep a clean, current record of who owns and controls your company because banks will still demand this info for accounts and loans regardless of the CTA.NewsO-1A stays the top founder visa; Entrepreneur Parole thresholds and fees riseAs a founder you may be able to self-sponsor via O-1A through your own startup — a cap-free, lottery-free route worth exploring before betting on H-1B. The same O-1 logic helps when you recruit exceptional international talent (researchers, senior engineers) without the lottery. Entrepreneur Parole remains a fallback but stays rarely granted and gives no green-card path, so treat it as a bridge, not a destination.NewsSingapore raises Employment Pass minimum salary to S$5,600 from Jan 2026Founders hiring foreign talent in Singapore must budget higher fixed salaries and factor the rising thresholds into offers, since older EP holders can fail renewal if pay lags the new floor. Plan hires and renewals around the January 2026 and July 2026 dates, and run candidates through the COMPASS points calculator early rather than assuming salary alone qualifies them.NewsTexas franchise-tax no-tax-due threshold rises to $2.65M for 2026 reportsMost small Texas LLCs and startups fall under $2.65M and owe zero franchise tax — but skipping the required PIR/OIR still triggers delinquency, penalties, and loss of good standing. Founders should calendar the May 15, 2026 PIR/OIR filing even when no tax is due, and confirm their revenue against the new higher threshold before assuming they owe.ToolClerkyClerky handles startup incorporation and legal paperwork specifically for founders raising venture capital, generating Delaware C-corp filings, founder stock, and fundraising documents. It focuses on getting the legal details right for future investment.ToolDocuSignDocuSign lets you send documents for legally binding electronic signature and track their status. It handles contracts, NDAs, offer letters, and other agreements with an audit trail.ToolLegalZoomLegalZoom helps you form an LLC or corporation and access legal documents, registered agent service, and attorney consultations. It walks non-lawyers through business formation filings.Term409A ValuationAn independent appraisal of a private company's common stock, used to set the strike price for employee stock options in the US.TermCap Table (Capitalization Table)A record of who owns what in your company: every shareholder, their share count, class, and ownership percentage.TermConvertible NoteA short-term loan to a startup that converts into equity at a later priced round instead of being repaid in cash.TermDilutionThe reduction in your ownership percentage that happens when a company issues new shares, typically to raise money or grant options.TermEIN (Employer Identification Number)A unique nine-digit number the US IRS assigns to your business for tax and identification purposes, like a Social Security number for your company.TermESOP (Employee Stock Option Pool)A reserved block of company shares set aside to grant as stock options to employees, aligning their upside with the company's success.TermLLC vs. C-CorpThe two most common US business structures: an LLC offers pass-through tax and flexibility; a C-corp is standard for raising venture capital.TermSAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity)A simple contract that gives an investor the right to future equity in exchange for cash now, converting to shares at a later priced round.TermTerm SheetA mostly non-binding summary of the key terms of an investment, used to agree the deal before lawyers draft the final contracts.