You could save hundreds of dollars by incorporating

yourself without a lawyer. How? Is it advisable

to do so?1. This is Not Legal Advice!The only ones who should be giving legal advice are

those licensed to practise law (in other words,

only lawyers). This article is not legal advice.

If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer. This article is being written simply to inform you

that it is possible to form a corporation or limited

liability company without a lawyer. 2. Why Use a Lawyer?First of all, if you make a mistake incorporating

yourself, who do you sue? You only have yourself

to blame. On the other hand, a lawyer has insurance

to cover errors and omissions. Secondly, you could benefit from the expertise of

your lawyer. Perhaps a corporation isn`t the

right vehicle for you under your circumstances.

Be aware that there can be disadvantages as well

as advantages to incorporating. Your lawyer can

consider commercial law, securities legislation,

limited liability, tax factors, estate planning,

share structure, and a myriad of other business

considerations. Sometimes the advice of a

good lawyer can save you thousands of dollars. 3. Is it Advisable to Incorporate Yourself?Is it advisable to perform surgery on yourself?

It is illegal to perform surgery on someone

else unless you are licensed to practise medicine,

but perhaps in a wilderness survival scenario,

self-surgery might be your only option. However,

is performing surgery on yourself really a good

idea in most instances?Likewise, just because it is possible to incorporate

yourself without a lawyer doesn`t mean it is always

a good idea. In some jurisdictions, only lawyers can

incorporate others. For a paralegal or other

person to incorporate a company for you could be

considered unauthorized practise of law. Thus,

it may be legal to incorporate yourself but not

others. Some factors you might consider are: Am I really

that short of cash that I can`t spend the extra

money for good legal advice that may save me

thousands of dollars? Am I confident that my

situation is one that really doesn`t need the

services of a lawyer to incorporate? Can the

money saved on legal fees be better utilized in

financing other aspects of my business?Each person will have to make their own decision

on whether or not to seek the services of a lawyer

in forming a corporation. "He who has himself as a lawyer has a fool for

a client. " I have often thought that perhaps a

law firm originated this common expression. 4. How To Incorporate YourselfMany books have been written by lawyers on how

to incorporate yourself. For example, in Canada, M. Stephen Georgas, LL. B. ,

has written books on the subject of forming

your own corporation. Published by International

Self-Counsel Press Ltd. , he has authored

"Incorporation and Business Guide for Ontario"

("How to form your own corporation

Includes tax advantages to incorporating") and

"Federal Incorporation And Business Guide"

("How to form your own Federal corporation under

The Canada Business Corporations Act"). The same publisher sells forms and minute books as

well as titles for incorporating in other provinces

of Canada. Forms, corporate supplies, name searches, and

kits are available from legal stationers and other

sources. In the United States, there are likewise many manuals

available for incorporating yourself in various

states. "Incorporating Your Business For Dummies"

by The Company Corporation and "How To Form Your

Own Corporation Without a Lawyer for Under $75. 00"

by Ted Nicholas are two such books. Sometimes helpful information on this subject is

available from federal, provincial and state

governments for free or nominal cost. You can sometimes locate incorporation manuals at

your local library for free. Be careful. Legal

manuals become outdated very rapidly. You might

consider very seriously purchasing the most

up-to-date manual available; it might also include

helpful reference material on maintaining corporate

minutes and other helpful suggestions on operating

your corporation. Buy the appropriate manual and supplies and then

follow the instructions. With a little effort, you

could save hundreds of dollars incorporating yourself

without a lawyer. For further resources on incorporation, please visit:

http://www. yenommarketinginc. com/incorporation. htmlRESOURCE BOXJ. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc. ,

http://www. popeconsultinginc. com/ has been helping

clients to earn maximum business profits for over

twenty-five years. For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www. yenommarketinginc. com/

Author:
J. Stephen Pope