Hiring a Business Lawyer in Indiana
How to form an LLC in Indiana, 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 Indiana: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Contingent fees are allowed except where Rule 1.5(d) or other law prohibits them. The agreement must be a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is figured, including percentages on settlement, trial or appeal, which expenses come out of the recovery and whether before or after the fee is calculated, and any expenses the client owes whether or not they win; at the end, the lawyer gives a written statement of the result and the client's share. Indiana bars contingent fees for criminal defendants and domestic relations fees contingent on securing a dissolution, on the amount of maintenance, support or property settlement, or on obtaining child custody. A contingent fee for a post-judgment domestic relations collection action is allowed if the lawyer advises the client in writing about other collection options and otherwise complies with Rule 1.5(c). |
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Indiana rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | File Articles of Organization with the Indiana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, online through INBiz (inbiz.in.gov) or on paper. Addresses required in filings must be street addresses in Indiana where the statute requires an address. Processing times were not stated on the pages reviewed. |
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| LLC filing fee | By statute, the Secretary of State collects $75 for filing a domestic LLC's articles of organization electronically and $100 for filing in another way (paper). Source: IC 23-0.5-9-19 |
| Registered agent | A registered agent must be an individual, a general partnership, a domestic filing entity, or a registered foreign entity, and filings must give a street address in Indiana. Indiana law says there is no fee for filing a registered agent or office statement of change, and no fee for an agent's statement of resignation. |
| Annual report | Indiana requires a Business Entity Report every other year (biennial) for for-profit entities such as LLCs, due in the anniversary month the LLC was created; it can be filed up to 90 days before that month. The Secretary of State lists the fee as $31 online or $50 by mail; the statute itself sets $20 for electronic filing and $50 for paper. If the report is not filed, the Secretary of State sends at least four reminders and administratively dissolves the entity after it is five months overdue; reinstatement is possible within 5 years. |
| Operating agreement | Indiana law defines an operating agreement as "any written or oral agreement of the members" about the LLC's affairs that is binding on all members, so it does not have to be written. It is not among the filings listed in the Secretary of State fee statute. Whether an operating agreement is mandatory was not stated in the sections reviewed. Source: IC 23-18-1-16 |
| Closing an LLC | A domestic LLC files articles of dissolution with the Secretary of State. By statute the fee is $20 electronically or $30 on paper. Source: IC 23-0.5-9-22 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Indiana State Bar Association does not run a statewide referral line; it offers a Find a Lawyer directory (InBar.Reliaguide.com) and information on local resources for attorney referral. The Indiana courts' self-help site also lists Virtual Ask a Lawyer, hosted by the Indianapolis Bar Association (call or chat online). Also: https://www.in.gov/courts/selfservice/resources/ |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Indiana Supreme Court's Roll of Attorneys, maintained by the Office of Admissions & Continuing Education, can be searched by last name and, optionally, city. It shows the attorney number, name, address and phone on file with the Clerk, the date admitted to practice in Indiana, and the status of the attorney's license. You can also call Admissions and Continuing Education at 317-232-2552 to confirm license status, whether formal charges are pending and whether the lawyer has been disciplined before. Roll of Attorneys search: https://courtapps.in.gov/rollofattorneys |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievances about Indiana lawyers go to the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission (staffed by the Office of Judicial & Attorney Regulation). Submit the Request for Investigation form online, or print and mail it to 251 N. Illinois Street, Suite 500, Indianapolis, IN 46204; call (317) 232-1807 to have a form mailed. Include the lawyer's name, any court cause number, a short statement of the conduct, and copies of supporting documents. The Commission does not recover money, file criminal charges or give legal advice, and fee disputes generally fall outside discipline unless the fee is clearly unreasonable. A grievance cannot be withdrawn once filed. Disciplinary history is public once formal charges are filed; Supreme Court discipline orders since 2003 are posted online. Discipline decisions: https://www.in.gov/courts/public-records/orders/discipline |
All legal help in Indiana · 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.