Editorial standards

Who we are

We are an independent editorial team researching what business legal work really costs. We have no law firm sponsorships, referral fees or lead resale. We are not a law firm. Our purpose is to help readers understand a budget, not to sell or arrange legal services.

How we build estimates

We use published government filing fees from the United States Patent and Trademark Office and state secretaries of state, alongside published law firm and filing service pricing and practitioner reported rates. We distinguish fixed government fees from variable service costs. We model totals as ranges, not quotes, and show the assumptions and exclusions that affect them.

Our methodology explains how those inputs become estimates. Fees change, and readers should confirm the current schedule with the relevant authority before paying.

How often we update

Every page is reviewed at least quarterly, every 3 months, and dated. Government fee changes are updated as soon as they are announced. Reviews cover the figures, source links, assumptions and explanations, not just the date shown on the page.

Corrections

Readers can report an outdated figure through the contact page. Please include the page, the figure and a source for the correction where possible. We review and update within 14 days. When a figure changes because of a correction, we note the change rather than silently rewriting it.

Independence

No advertiser, law firm or filing service influences any estimate. Display advertising does not buy coverage, a recommendation or a more favourable range. We do not sell reader details, accept referral fees or match readers with attorneys.