Small Business

This section lists our small business prices.

Entity Formations

This section lists our prices for forming various entities such as LLCs, Limited Partnerships, and Non-Profit Corporations. Due to the popularity and flexibility of LLCs, this office rarely forms For-Profit Corporations anymore. However, prices for For-Profit Corporations are typically in-between a simple and complex LLC formation price.

LLCs

The main expense for most LLCs is a $325 filing fee to the Secretary of State of Texas. The distinction between simple and complex typically revolves around the number of owners, the various degree of control they have, and whether the work is typical and usual. With more owners and unequal control among those owners, the complexity increases.

All of our entity formations come with attorney consultation, customized certificate of formation, operating agreement, organizational meeting documents, instructional letter, detailed signature instructions, and review of signatures. FEIN numbers can be obtained by the client with the IRS online, by the client's CPA, or with flat fee per FEIN plus expenses to this office. Registered agent service managed by the law office is a flat fee annually plus a small fee for any received service of process.

Package	Simple	Complex	Anonymity Features
Texas Traditional LLC	$795 + expenses	$1,795 + expenses	$2,795 + expenses
Texas Professional LLC	$995 + expenses	$1,995 + expenses	N/A
Texas Series LLC	$1,195 + expenses + fee per series	$2,195 + expenses + fee per series	$3,195 + expenses + fee per series

For series LLCs, the fee per series, includes preparation and filing (but does not include filing fees payable to the Secretary of State) of 1 Secretary of state Assumed name Certificate for each series using a number or letter system of attorney's choice, modification of the Company's Operating Agreement to document each series, and assumes the series will be owned and governed the same as the company at large. Additional attorney's fees apply for any customized simple series sub operating agreement with different management or members. The fee per series for all series created at formation for 5 or fewer series is $50, 6--10 is $45, and 11+ are $40. For any series created after formation, it is $100 per series plus filing fees, assuming this law office originally created and documented the TX Series LLC. If we did not originally create and document your TX Series LLC, then the fee per series will need to be custom quoted.

The following company agreement forms are for existing LLCs that wish to replace an existing company agreement or for those LLCs with no company agreement. IMPORTANT: simply upgrading a company agreement is not enough to upgrade an existing traditional LLC to a series LLC and will not provide the extra series protections. This is one reason we prefer to always form series LLCs from scratch instead of converting a traditional LLC to a series LLC.

Further, the below prices do not include any securities exemption work; these are for the operating agreements alone.

Note: if you are hiring our firm for the formation, you will not need one of these a la carte agreements, as the company agreement is included in the formation price.

'A la carte' LLC Agreements	Simple	Complex
Member Managed Traditional LLC Agreement	$695	$1,695
Manager Managed Traditional LLC Agreement	$695	$1,695
Member Managed Series LLC Agreement	$1,095	$2,095
Manager Managed Series LLC Agreement	$1,095	$2,095

Non Profit

Package	Price
Non-profit 501(c)3 Corporation (entity only)	$795 + expenses

Non-profit 501(c)3 corporations typically have a small filing fee of $25 to the Secretary of State. However, if a tax clearance letter is desired (it most likely will be), the client will need to hire a CPA, tax attorney, or Enrolled Agent to file an application with the IRS to receive the tax clearance letter. The filing fee to the IRS for the tax-clearance-letter application is typically in the $400 range for most non profits and is not included in the above prices. The tax professional's fees will also need to be paid directly to the CPA by the client. This office will not procure the tax clearance letter for the entity.

Limited Partnerships

Limited Partnerships have a $750 filing fee to the Secretary of State. Because a General Partner has no liability shield in a Limited Partnership, we recommend that the General Partner be an LLC or other entity with a liability shield.

Package	Simple	Complex	Anonymity Features
Texas Limited Partnership	$995 + expenses + an LLC package for the general partner	$1,995 + expenses + an LLC package for the general partner	$1,995 + expenses + 1 traditional LLC package with Anonymity features for the general partner

Other Formation Related Services

Package	Price
Small Exempt Private Offerings With Securities Regulation Issues	$325 an hour + expenses, can range from $500 to $10,000+ depending on the nature and extent of your securities regulation issues. Hours worked depend on issues involved and complexity of maintaining exemption. Many TX entities won't need this, but some will, particularly limited partnerships and manager-managed LLCs with owners residing outside of TX as well as bringing in any arms-length investors or a large number of investors. May involve notice filings in more than one state and may involve hiring legal counsel in other states to comply with other state's exemptions.
Annual Review Package (lawyer prepared annual minutes, annual meeting paperwork, and 30 minute lawyer consult on state of entity)	$245 + expenses
Simple Buy-Sell in Certificate of Formation for entity	add $75 to formation
Complex Buy-Sell	$695 for initial form drafting + hourly work for negotiation and excessive changes
Law Office obtain FEIN number	$100 + expenses (expenses usually zero or less than $3 if obtainable through web)
Registered Agent Service managed by law office	$240 per year + small fee for each receipt of service of process

Contracts

Please note that our Contract reviews do not involve re-writes or editing. Contract drafting assumes that the final form is typical, common, and usual; customized or unusual requirements may incur additional attorney's fees or may only be priced at an hourly rate and not a flat fee. Contract drafting nor contract review prices do not include correspondence with third parties nor any negotiation, and any such correspondence or negotiation is billed at the law office's usual hourly rate.

Whether a contract drafted is simple, intermediate, or complex depends on (a) the inherent length and complexity of the contract; and (b) the dollar value of the contract. For example, a contract for the lease of $50,000 of equipment would have a $50,000 contract value. Simple contracts are typically for values of $0 to $50,000; intermediate are typically for values of $50,001 to $250,000, and complex are typically for values beyond $250,001.

Finally, please note that if this prices page lists prices for specific kinds of contracts (for example, a resiential real estate sales contract), then that price applies over these following prices.

Package	Simple	Intermediate	Complex
Contract Drafting	$345	$645	$1,445
Contract Review	$299	$599	$1,095

Collections

The law office bills for collections two ways: (1) hourly; and (2) contingency.

In an hourly arrangement, the law office bills its normal hourly rate plus all actual expenses incurred, whether or not any money is collected.

In a contingency arrangement, the law office bills for all actual expenses incurred, whether or not any money is collected. However, the law office is only paid attorney's fees based off of the amounts of money collected, according to the following table of percentages. The contingency fee is calculated before expenses are deducted.

Hourly arrangements are typically applicable if (1) contested matters; (2) low chance of collection but client wants to proceed regardless; or (3) the client anticipates an hourly fee being less attorney's fees than in a contingency representation.

Not all matters may be accepted for either contingency or hourly collections.

Dollar Amount	% Before Lawsuit	% After Lawsuit	% After Trial on the Merits
$0 to $500	40	45	50
$501 to $50,000	30	35	40
$50,001 to $500,000	25	30	35
$500,001 and up	20	25	30

Real Estate

Deeds

Listed below are our prices for deed preparation. Simple deeds do not contain subject-to language, assumption language, detailed exceptions or reservations, or other complex clauses and or customizations. If a deed is described with a metes and bounds description instead of a lot and block description, there is an additional fee per deed to cover our time having to manually type and verify the metes and bounds description.

Residential or commercial in the prices refers to the actual kind of land. A single family home will be under residential even if used for commercial purposes, while a warehouse is going to be commercial. Multifamily residential property larger than a 4-unit property is considered commercial.

Service	Simple	Complex
Residential General or Special Warranty Deed	$195 + expenses	$295 + expenses
Residential Deed With No Warranty	$195 + expenses	$295 + expenses
Commercial General or Special Warranty Deed	$295 + expenses	$395 + expenses
Commercial Deed With No Warranty	$295 + expenses	$395 + expenses
Lady Bird Deed with no trust	$395 + expenses
Lady Bird Deed with Lady Bird Trust as Remainder	$795 + expenses
Additional Fee per deed for metes and bounds description	$75
Filing Any Document in Land Records (per document)	$40 + expenses (local clients usually file on their own)
Filing Any Document Electronically with the Texas Secretary of State (per document)	$15 + expenses
Filing Any Document Non-Electronically with the Texas Secretary of State (per document)	$30 + expenses

Leases

Please note that the below prices are for the documents only and do not include representation of you or any other services. Residential leases are assuming that the tenant is the actual final occupying tenant and not the Tenant/Landlord of a Sub-tenant. Simple versus complex depends on the client's specifications as well as the total gross rents of the lease. If total gross rents of the lease exceed $25,000, it will be charged the complex price.

The UCC filing statement is a document used to perfect security interests in personal property. Many of the leases below contain security agreements that create a security interest in favor of the landlord; but, without filing the UCC financing statement, that security agreement is many times not "perfected", which is a pre-requisite for foreclosing on the tenant's personal property.

The personal guaranty form is for adding third parties who will guaranty performance under a lease. This is commonly referred to as a "co-signer" by lay people. Lawyers and courts will call them "personal guarantees" and "guarantors". Recommended if your tenant is an LLC or other limited liability entity.

Residential or commercial in the prices refers to the actual kind of land. A single family home will be under residential even if used for commercial purposes, while a warehouse is going to be commercial. Multifamily residential property larger than a 4-unit property is considered commercial.

Service	Simple	Complex
Residential Lease	$445	$645
Commercial Lease	$645	$845
Commercial Lease Triple Net	$695	$895
Hunting, Agricultural, or Grazing Lease	$645	$845
Equipment Lease	$395	$595
Sub-lease	$295	$495
Assignment of Lease	$295	$495
Prepare and file UCC Financing Statement (Secretary of State only)	$45 + expenses
Add Personal Guaranty / Cosigning form to any lease	$25

Sales Contracts

Please note that the below prices are for the documents only and do not include representation of you or any other services. TREC stands for Texas Real Estate Commission. TAR stands for Texas Association of Realtors. Review means that we read and provide comments and constructive notes but we do not re-write the contract. Price refers to the highest anticipated sale price of the property or its most recent appraised value according to the applicable county appraisal district, whichever is higher. The TREC Residential Earnest Money Contract line is for this office to prepare a TREC contract but does not include special addenda or other customizations.

Residential or commercial in the prices refers to the actual kind of land. A single family home will be under residential even if used for commercial purposes, while a warehouse is going to be commercial. Multifamily residential property larger than a 4-unit property is considered commercial.

Service	Price under $500,000	Price over $500,000
Draft TREC Residential Earnest Money Contract	$295	$495
Residential Promissory Note	$295	$395
Residential Deed of Trust	$295	$395
Commercial Earnest Money Contract	$695	$995
Commercial Promissory Note	$395	$595
Commercial Deed of Trust Real Property only	$395	$455
Commercial Deed of Trust Real Property + Security Agreement	$425	$485
Residential Lease-option or Lease-purchase	Not offered due to Property Code Section 5.061 et seq.
Review TREC or TAR Residential Earnest Money Contract	$225	$325
Review TAR Commercial Earnest Money Contract	$295	$495
"AS-IS" addendum to TREC or TAR contract	$225
Special Power of Attorney for Real Estate	$225

Other Documents

Affidavits of heirship assume that no investigation is needed and that the client provides the attorney with all necessary information. The price for the land trust for anonymity purposes includes the trust as well as two deeds to effect the transaction. For each other parcel to be placed in the land trust, two deeds will be needed.

Lien removals on homesteads may be subject to a title company's acceptance and do not include any litigation regarding the lien; the below price is for the statutory homestead affidavit in the Property Code, not for a lawsuit adjudicating the lien. Expenses are typically around $100 per lien for this process as there is significant certified-postage required.

Service	Price
Special Power of Attorney for Real Estate	$225
Affidavit of Heirship (no deed)	$495
Affidavit of Heirship (with deed from heirs)	$695
Simple Partition Agreement between Spouses	$395
Land Trust for owning real estate with anonymity (includes deeds for one parcel of real estate)	$995

Evictions

We are not currently accepting TX eviction cases.

Estate Planning Prices

Wills and Living Trusts

This section discusses the prices for wills and living trusts for small estates that don't need formal estate-tax planning. As of 2016, the first $5,450,000 of an individual's estate is exempt from the estate tax. Because of this large dollar amount, most Texans won't need to implement estate-tax planning. Accordingly, I am using the word "small estate" to mean an estate that doesn't need estate tax planning.

Simple packages assume that the division of property is typically outright to the spouse first, and then to all children equally if the spouse pre-deceased you. Complex packages include different distribution schemes, non-standard trusts, and handle other complex matters. The most common reason for a complex package is a mixed marriage where at least one spouse has children from more than 1 marriage.

Package	Indvidual	Spouses
Simple Will Package for small estates	$495 + expenses	$695 + expenses
Complex Will Package for small estates	$695 + expenses	$895 + expenses
Simple Living Trust Package for small estates	$995 + expenses + transfer	$1,195 + expenses + transfer
Complex Living Trust Package for small estates	$1,395 + expenses + transfer	$1,595 + expenses + transfer

Estate Tax Planning

For Spouses

This section discusses the prices for wills and living trusts for estates that do need formal estate-tax planning. As of 2016, the first $5,450,000 of an individual's estate is exempt from the estate tax. Because of this large dollar amount, most Texans won't need to implement estate-tax planning. But, for those individuals whose net worths are in the $3,000,000+ range, estate-tax planning is typically necessary.

Simple packages assume that the primary beneficiary of your estate is the spouse first, and then to all children equally if the spouse pre-deceased you. Complex packages include different distribution schemes, non-standard trusts, life-time GST trusts, and handle other complex matters. The most common reason for a complex package is a mixed marriage where at least one spouse has children from more than 1 marriage.

Note, all of these packages assume that the client is married. If the client is not married, then the recommended tax planning is different and implements different strategies, mainly, by getting assets out of the client's name before death. However, a single person may implement certain generation skipping transfer tax strategies to avoid and/or lessen the generation skipping transfer tax. Please skip to the "For Unmarried Persons" subsection below.

Package	For Spouses
Simple Tax Planning Will Package	$1,295 + expenses
Complex Tax Planning Will Package	$1,795 + expenses

For Unmarried Persons

The typical estate tax plan is centered around planning with spouses. However, unmarried persons can implement complex generation skipping transfer tax planning in their will or living trust. The price below is for such a complicated generation skipping transfer tax will or living trust package.

Package	For Unamrried Persons
GST Tax Planned Will Package	$1,495 + expenses

Other Trusts

This section discusses our prices for various trusts. A 2503(c) trust is an alternative to a UTMA or TUTMA account.

Life insurance trusts are designed to own a life insurance policy on you or your spouse, but to not be counted against your estate for estate tax at your death. They are wonderful ways to shift wealth to the next generation and beyond, particularly if you are able to be insured.

The other investment trusts are what you think of when you hear someone say "trust fund". They are designed to own and manage and invest appreciating assets for the benefit of your child, grandchild, or a non-family member.

The qualified income trust is used to help qualify for governmental services, particularly for Medicaid services in states like Texas where there is an income cap.

Package
Section 2503(c) trust for minor	$995 + expenses + transfer
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust	$2,495 + expenses + transfer
Irrevocable Investment Trust for children (but not grandchildren)	$1,995 + expenses + transfer
Irrevocable Investment Trust for one child or one grandchild	$1,895 + expenses + transfer
Qualified Income Trust (for Medicaid qualification)	$595 + expenses + transfer

Special Needs Planning

This section discusses prices for special needs planning. Special needs planning is typically accomplished by leaving assets in a special kind of trust called a "special needs" trust, instead of leaving assets outright to the individual with special needs. This is important, because if assets are left outright to an individual who is receiving government benefits, it may disqualify that individual from those benefits. On the other hand, you want your loved one to get the best care and have the best opportunities after you are gone. A special needs trust balances these needs by making any use of assets for the individual with special needs discretionary and by placing certain restrictions on what the money can and can't be spent on.

We typically do special needs planning two ways: (1) is by creating a special needs trust with your will or living trust, that will come into being at the time of your death; and (2) by creating a trust now before your death. Typically, the first scenario is what we implement. However, the second scenario might be appropriate for non-children, or for persons that you want your assets to go to work for them now, instead of at your death. For children, it usually makes sense to create the trust at your time of death (or rather, at the time that the individual with special needs inherited any assets) as opposed to creating and funding a trust now before your death.

Please note, if you wish to create a special needs trust for your spouse it must be via will instead of via living trust.

Package
Special Needs Provisions added to any Will or Trust package	$245 per person with special needs
Standalone 3rd Party Settled Special Needs Trust for single person	$995 + expenses + transfer

Other Documents

This section shows prices for standalone documents for estate planning. Note, many of the documents below are already included in a will or trust package above; these prices are intended for when a client wants to pick and choose specific documents, or if only a certain document needs to be updated.

Package
Financial Power of Attorney	$125
Medical Power of Attorney	$125
Advanced Directive to Physicians (Living Will)	$95
Declaration of Guardian	$125
Declaration of Guardian for minor children	$125
Simple Codicil to Will (minor changes only)	$225
Complex Codicil to Will	Typically we recommend re-drafting the will entirely if many changes desired
Affidavit of Heirship	See real estate section.
Lady Bird Deed	See the deeds section

More complicated options are available; but, because of their complexity, the law office bills such work by the hour and typically charges a rate of $295 per hour.

Probate Prices

We are not currently accepting Texas probate work.

At this time we are not accepting cases for guardianship representation.

Contingency Representation

For all contingency representation, the client is obligated to pay all court costs and incurred expenses, regardless of whether there is any recovery. Any contingency percentage for attorney's fees is computed before expenses are deducted from the recovery.

Expenses are not included in the above prices

The prices do not include actual incurred expenses for the representation. Incurred expenses include things like paper, postage, filing fees, record books, and other expenses. The law office typically charges $0.10 per page single sided or $0.20 double sided for black and white printing or photocopying, and $0.50 per mile driving in Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex; other expenses are passed through at the actual incurred price.

The prices also don't include the law office physically filing documents with the applicable county's deed records or other filing depositories. We charge $40.00 for attorney's fees plus actual expenses for any filing. Clients local to the county typically file their own documents.

The Prices are not offers to perform legal services

The prices are not offers to perform legal services; no offer is intended until the law office signs a written fee agreement and presents it to the potential client. Sometimes a person visiting this website won’t be able to be a client due to a conflict of interest or Mr. Miller’s availability or the sole discretion of this law office.

Prices assume work is typical and usual

The prices also assume that the scope of work is typical and usual; atypical or unusual requests or needs will increase price accordingly.

All entity formations assume that it will be exempt from both State and Federal securities registration requirements without any notice filing to the State of Texas nor any "Reg D" filing at the federal level. They also assume that the resulting entity will not be an Investment Company under federal law including the Investment Company act of 1940. They also assume that the entity will not be required by state or federal law to have a registered investment adviser, or a registered broker and/or dealer to advise the resulting entity. It assumes that the entity being formed will not be a "hedge fund", "venture capital fund", "real estate fund", "private equity fund" or any other "private fund" fund as defined on the current form ADV and the Dodd-Frank act. They also assume that no formal prospectus or private placement memorandum will need to be issued. Any need to issue a prospectus may increase attorney's fees and expenses in order to comply with the securities regulation laws. Any investors without a pre-existing relationship with the client may increase attorney's fees and expenses in order to comply with the securities regulation laws. Any investors residing outside of the state of Texas may increase attorney's fees and expenses in order to comply with the securities regulation laws. Too many investors may increase attorney's fees and expenses. This paragraph can typically be satisfied by having no more than 35 investors who are all Texas residents, and who are well-informed and have a pre-existing relationship with the issuer.

This law office does not handle public offerings or registration of securities under either the state or Federal level. This law office is not a registered broker or dealer of securities under any state law or federal law. All entity formation’s prices assume that no public offers or solicitations have occurred and that all owners meet an applicable state and federal exemption from securities regulation. All owners are assumed to be Texas residents.

Contract review means the law office reading an already drafted contract provided by the client for comments and analysis; but not drafting replacement text. Most work falls into the simple and intermediate categories. We prefer to not review contracts interpreted under the laws of jurisdictions other than Texas. We will never "rubber stamp" contracts not drafted by the law office. Many times client's want the "a-ok" on a contract they attempted to draft or pulled from the internet. In this instance, the review will actually cost more than having the office draft a document from scratch. Please understand that review of a third-party's document is usually more time consuming and difficult than drafting a similar agreement with the lawyer using his familiar forms as a starting point.

Contract drafting means we will draft the requested contract assuming we are competent in that specific area of contract law and we are drafting a contract to be interpreted under Texas law. It does not include any negotiation or excessive changes. Most work falls into the simple or intermediate categories. Where there is a specific contract price listed elsewhere on this page, that price controls over the generic price.

Transfer in the living trust sections refer to fees incurred for transferring assets into the trust; many assets that need lawyer assistance to transfer will increase transfer fees. For example, to put real property into a living trust, you will need a deed drafted, executed, and then properly filed in the land records. The more assets that need lawyer assistance to transfer into the trust, the more the transfer fees will be. Complex distributions or additional sub trusts in wills or trusts may increase the price accordingly.

Non-Texas legal counsel may be required for out-of-state assets

This law office is only licensed to practice in Texas; if assets need to be dealt with outside of Texas, it may become necessary to hire an out-of-state lawyer to handle the asset. The prices do not include any out-of-state lawyer’s fees or expenses. If investors reside in states other than Texas, it may be required to seek a lawyer's opinion, for each state in which an investor resides other than TX, that an entity formation is exempt from and not violating any state securities laws of that state.

Page last updated January 21, 2022