It is not often that the words “new” and “exciting” appear in the same sentence with “Ohio Secretary of State.” But over the past few weeks, the Secretary of State has initiated online filing for certain business documents, and more types of documents are scheduled to be added shortly.
Online filing is now available for Articles of Organization for Limited Liability Companies. There are several advantages to online filing. First, your attorney can file for your LLC without needing handwritten signatures from you. Second, there is no delay or cost in snail-mailing documents to Columbus, and no risk that the documents will get lost either in the mail, or in the Secretary of State office. Most valuable to the average business filer, though, is the speed with which the electronic filings are processed. My first filing was processed in less than 24 hours, without my client having to pay additional fees for “expedited service.” Though the Secretary of State doesn’t guarantee this speed if you don’t pay the expedited service fees, the speed of my first filing speaks for itself. In order to take advantage of online filing, the filer has to have an account with the Secretary of State’s office, and all filing fees must be paid by credit card.
Anyone may file their articles electronically (or conventionally). But filing Articles of Organization is not the same as setting up a company, just as getting a birth certificate for a newborn is a formality that actually has little to do with the health and wellness of that precious baby. Your business attorney is a trusted advisor who can not only file your Articles of Organization, but will give thought to your particular business and guide you through all of the business aspects of starting your newborn company on the path to vigorous success. The business attorneys at Petronzio Schneier welcome the opportunity to discuss your new business with you.
Written by Nancy Heller