Hiring a Business Lawyer in Idaho
How to form an LLC in Idaho, the state fees and yearly filings, how to check a lawyer's license, and the state bar's fee rules. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Idaho: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Contingent fees are allowed except where Rule 1.5(d) or other law prohibits them. A contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client and state how the fee is figured, including the percentage(s) the lawyer gets on settlement, trial or appeal, the litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It must clearly tell the client about any expenses the client must pay whether or not the client wins. At the end, the lawyer must give the client a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the client's share and how it was figured. Lawyers may not charge domestic relations fees contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, or a contingent fee to represent a criminal defendant. Idaho also requires a lawyer, on reasonable request, to give the client a free accounting of fees and costs claimed or collected. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Idaho State Bar's Fee Arbitration Program is free to clients and lawyers, and either may petition. It is not mandatory: the other side has 21 days to decide whether to sign the agreement, a mediator first tries to resolve the dispute, and binding arbitration happens only if both agree. Disputes of $2,500 or less go to one attorney arbitrator; larger ones to a panel of two lawyers and one non-lawyer. Decisions are issued within 15 days after the hearing, and the Bar has no appeal process. Source: Idaho State Bar, Fee Arbitration |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Idaho State Bar Client Assistance Fund, financed by Idaho lawyers' annual fees, can reimburse clients for all or part of losses from an Idaho lawyer's dishonest conduct (theft, embezzlement, conversion, refusing to return unearned advance fees, or borrowing with no intent to repay); malpractice alone does not qualify. The maximum on any one claim is $25,000 under Idaho Supreme Court rule. File a notarized Client Assistance Claim Form with Bar Counsel's Office no later than three years after you knew or should have known of the dishonest conduct. |
Idaho rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | File a Certificate of Organization with the Idaho Secretary of State, online through SOSBiz (sosbiz.idaho.gov), which the office calls the fastest option, or on paper by mail or in person with the $20 manual processing fee. Processing times vary and current estimates are posted on the SOSBiz "Processed Through Date" page; expedited service is typically processed within 8 business hours, and same-day requests must be received by 1 p.m. Mountain Time. |
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| LLC filing fee | The base filing fee for a Certificate of Organization – Limited Liability Company is $100. Paper filings add a $20 manual processing fee ($120 total); filing online through SOSBiz avoids that fee. The Secretary of State says some filings may be eligible for expedited service, listed on page 2 of the paper form. |
| Registered agent | Most Idaho entities must maintain a registered agent with a physical street address in Idaho (P.O. boxes cannot be the registered office). The agent may be an individual with a physical Idaho address (including yourself) or a business entity authorized to do business in Idaho with a physical address in the state. The paper form to change a registered agent or office lists only the $20 manual processing fee. |
| Annual report | Idaho LLCs must file an annual report with the Secretary of State each year before the end of the month in which the LLC was formed, starting the year after formation. It lists the name, registered agent, principal office addresses and at least one governor. Most annual reports are filed online through SOSBiz; paper forms are available only by request. The annual report fee (if any) and late consequences were not stated on the pages reviewed. |
| Operating agreement | Idaho law defines an operating agreement as the members' agreement, including a sole member's, "whether oral, implied, in a record, or in any combination thereof," so it does not have to be written. It is not among the Secretary of State's LLC filings. Whether an operating agreement is mandatory was not stated in the section reviewed. Source: Idaho Code § 30-25-102(9) |
| Closing an LLC | An Idaho LLC files a Statement of Dissolution with the Secretary of State. The paper form lists only the $20 manual processing fee (no base filing fee is listed). |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Idaho State Bar Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) is a public service of the Bar. Participating attorneys must be in good standing, have no pending public disciplinary complaints and carry professional liability insurance. "The fee for a referral is $35" (personal injury, medical malpractice and workers' compensation referrals are free), and "LRS attorneys have agreed to provide their clients with an initial up to a half-hour consultation at no fee"; later fees are negotiated with the lawyer. Start an online referral at idaho.community.lawyer or call 208-334-4500. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Idaho State Bar's Attorney Roster Search lets you look up Idaho lawyers by last name (full or partial). If you cannot find an attorney, contact the Bar's Licensing Department at (208) 334-4500. The Bar also publishes definitions of license status categories. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievances about Idaho lawyers go to the Idaho State Bar's Office of Bar Counsel. Complete the Grievance Form Packet with a signed, detailed written explanation and copies (not originals) of supporting documents, and mail it to Idaho State Bar, Office of Bar Counsel, PO Box 895, Boise, ID 83701. Bar Counsel reviews it for possible rule violations; outcomes range from dismissal (explained by letter) to private discipline or formal charges, typically in about three to four months, and you may ask for review by a three-member panel. The Bar handles ethics violations, not malpractice. Only public sanctions are posted on the Bar's Public Discipline and Other Notices page. Phone: 208-334-4500. Public discipline: https://isb.idaho.gov/bar-counsel/public-discipline/ |
All legal help in Idaho · Background guide
Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.