Hiring a Business Lawyer in Missouri
How to form an LLC in Missouri, 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 Missouri: fee rules
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel refers fee complaints to the Fee Dispute Resolution Committees operated by The Missouri Bar. |
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| If a lawyer takes your money | The Missouri Bar's Client Security Fund, created in 1966 and maintained by Bar members' annual fees, can compensate clients harmed by a lawyer who has been disbarred, suspended, ruled mentally incapacitated, or has died. Fee disputes and malpractice are not covered. File within two years of discovering the loss using the Client Security Fund Claim Form on MissouriLawyersHelp.org (or request a printed copy from the fund coordinator). A committee recommends full or partial payment or denial, the Board of Governors has final discretion, and the committee aims to decide claims within a year. |
Missouri rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | A Missouri LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division, either online through the Secretary of State's business portal (bsd.sos.mo.gov) or on a paper form mailed with a check payable to the Secretary of State (PO Box 778, Jefferson City, MO 65102). Under RSMo 347.039 the articles must state the LLC's name, its purpose, the registered office address and registered agent, whether it is managed by managers or by members, the events on which it dissolves or the number of years it is to exist (which may be perpetual), and the name and physical address of each organizer. The pages read do not state a typical processing time. |
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| LLC filing fee | The fee for filing Articles of Organization (a Certificate of Limited Liability Company) for a Missouri LLC is $50.00 when filed online and $105.00 on paper. The Secretary of State's fee schedule PDF is headed "June 30, 2015" and carries a 01/2025 revision mark; it says electronic payments incur an additional small convenience fee. It also states that active-duty military in Missouri, including the Missouri National Guard, may create new businesses without paying a filing fee (Startup for Soldiers). |
| Registered agent | Each LLC must continuously maintain a registered office in Missouri and a registered agent, who may be an individual Missouri resident whose business office is the registered office, or a domestic or foreign corporation authorized to do business in Missouri whose business office is the registered office. The agent or office address is changed by filing a statement with the Secretary of State; the fee to change the registered agent, office address, or both is $10.00. |
| Operating agreement | Missouri law states that the member or members of an LLC shall adopt an operating agreement, which may contain any provisions not inconsistent with law about the conduct of the LLC's business, management, member classes, voting, transfer restrictions, allocation of income and losses, and tax elections. The statute section read does not say whether the operating agreement is filed with the state. Source: RSMo 347.081 |
| Closing an LLC | The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists a $25.00 fee for a Notice of Winding Up of a Limited Liability Company and a $25.00 fee for Termination of a Limited Liability Company. A foreign LLC files a Certificate of Withdrawal, also $25.00. RSMo 347.141 sets out how a dissolved LLC may give written notice to known claimants and the deadlines for claims. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Missouri Bar offers LawyerSearch, a directory of lawyers who have chosen to be listed, searchable by area of practice or Missouri county, with optional language-assistance filters; it is not described as a referral service, and "Inclusion on this list does not constitute an endorsement by The Missouri Bar of particular attorneys." In the St. Louis area, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis sponsors a Lawyer Referral and Information Service (bamsl.org). Missouri Bar phone: (573) 635-4128. BAMSL LRIS described at https://www.moept.uscourts.gov/lawyer-referral-and-information-service |
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| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints about Missouri lawyers go to the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel (OCDC) in writing, using the online form, a printed or fillable PDF form, or a letter, one complaint per attorney (OCDC cannot investigate law firms). Mail: OCDC, 3327 American Ave, Jefferson City, MO 65109; phone 573-635-7400. Include the lawyer's name and address, the legal matter, any court and case caption, a detailed statement of facts, and documents such as fee agreements and proof of payment. There is no cost. Staff Counsel reviews complaints in order and tries to respond in writing within about four weeks; if a file is opened, the lawyer is usually notified and may respond, and you may reply. OCDC cannot give legal advice or recover money for you. A list of public discipline imposed since January 1, 2006 is posted by the Missouri courts. Public discipline list: https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=109856 ; disciplinary certificates: https://mochiefcounsel.org/obtaining-disciplinary-certificates/ |
All legal help in Missouri · 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.