Hiring a Business Lawyer in Wisconsin
How to form an LLC in Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Wisconsin SCR 20:1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated, and clearly notifying the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. SCR 20:1.5(d) bars contingent fees in any action affecting the family (including divorce, legal separation, annulment, paternity, support and maintenance, custody and placement, property division, termination of parental rights and adoption), except to collect past-due support, maintenance or property division, and for representing a defendant in a criminal case or any proceeding that could result in deprivation of liberty. Source: Wis. SCR 20:1.5(c)-(d) |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The State Bar of Wisconsin's Fee Arbitration Program may be available when you and your lawyer disagree about the amount charged for legal representation, including costs or expenses. The panel's decision is final and binding, subject only to appeal rights under Chapter 788 of the Wisconsin Statutes; having a lawyer at the hearing is optional. A nonrefundable application fee of $35 to $150 per party applies. Contact feearb@wisbar.org; the Office of Lawyer Regulation does not handle fee disputes. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Wisconsin Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, administered through the State Bar of Wisconsin, may reimburse clients who suffered financial loss due to the dishonest conduct of their attorney, up to the Fund's maximum amount. The committee meets three times a year and sets application deadlines for each meeting. File through the State Bar's File a Claim page; an informational brochure is available in English, Spanish and Hmong. Contact WLFCP@wisbar.org. |
Wisconsin rules to know first
| How to form an LLC | File Articles of Organization with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, online (Business Entity File Online / One Stop Business Portal) or on paper using DFI forms. For expedited service on paper, mark the request "FOR EXPEDITED SERVICE" and include the $100.00 fee; expedited requests are acted on by the close of business the following business day. Standard processing times were not stated on the pages reviewed. |
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| LLC filing fee | The Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) lists LLC organization at $130.00 via online filing and $170.00 otherwise (paper). Expedited processing (next business day) is an additional $100.00; in-person counter service within four hours is $250.00 and within one hour is $500.00. |
| Registered agent | The registered agent is a person (individual or existing entity) resident in Wisconsin, designated to receive official communications such as service of process, annual report forms and tax forms. It may be an officer or employee of the LLC or someone else, such as an attorney. The physical address of the agent's business office is the registered office. A statement of change of registered agent or office costs $10 by statute (DFI lists $10.00 online and $25.00 on paper); the agent can also be changed on the annual report. |
| Annual report | A Wisconsin LLC files an annual report with DFI each year after the year it registered, during the calendar quarter in which its registration anniversary falls (due March 31, June 30, September 30 or December 31). The fee is $25.00 online or $40.00 on paper. Foreign LLCs file during the first calendar quarter (due March 31); fee $65.00 online or $80.00 on paper. An LLC that does not file becomes delinquent and, if not cured for an extended period, risks administrative dissolution. |
| Operating agreement | Wisconsin law defines an operating agreement as the agreement of all the members, including a sole member, whether oral, implied, in a record, or any combination. No requirement to file it with DFI was found. Source: Wis. Stat. § 183.0102(13) |
| Closing an LLC | A Wisconsin LLC files a statement of dissolution or statement of termination with DFI; the statutory fee is $20. DFI lists dissolution/termination at $20.00 online and $35.00 on paper. A foreign LLC's statement of withdrawal or cancellation costs $40. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The State Bar of Wisconsin's Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) connects the public with a trained legal assistant (not legal advice) who assesses your situation and points you to the most appropriate resource; if you need an attorney, LRS refers you to one in your area interested in your type of legal issue. Referred attorneys agree to charge no more than $20 for the first 30-minute consultation; regular fees apply after that. Phone: (800) 362-9082. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Wisconsin Court System's Lawyer Status and History site lets the public search Wisconsin lawyers by name, State Bar number, law firm, city, state, law school or graduation year; the Office of Lawyer Regulation lists it for lawyer status and history. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievances against Wisconsin lawyers go to the Supreme Court's Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). File by phone at (608) 267-7274 or (877) 315-6941, option 1 (not available to incarcerated persons); by mailing a letter or the LR-004 grievance form to Office of Lawyer Regulation, P.O. Box 1648, Madison, WI 53701-1648; or by emailing the form and documents to olr.intake@wicourts.gov. Grievances are against individual attorneys, not firms. OLR's preliminary evaluation may forward the matter, resolve a minor dispute, close it, or refer it for investigation, diversion or a consent reprimand; investigated matters can go to the Preliminary Review Committee, which can authorize a complaint in the Supreme Court. Some cases take 30 to 90 days, complex ones one to two years. You generally cannot learn whether grievances were filed, but OLR will disclose public discipline and formal complaints filed with the Supreme Court. |
All legal help in Wisconsin · 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.