Incorporation in California

Find the right Business Incorporation attorney in Lafayette, CA

California law allows a business to incorporate and be identified as its own legal entity. After incorporation, buying and selling property, agreeing to contracts and exercising legal rights are considered acts of the business itself and not its owners. In California, the process of incorporation is begun by filing with the Secretary of State in accordance with specific guidelines.

Benefits of Incorporation in California

Benefits of incorporation are many. The primary benefit is that the liabilities of the business can only be satisfied by the assets specifically invested into the company by the owners. With unincorporated businesses, personal property of owners can be liquidated in order to fulfill the liabilities of the business. A corporation might also find it easier to finance itself through loans, allowing creditors in the Lafayette area to evaluate their investment by assessing the corporation rather than the individual credit-worthiness of its owners. Finally, the ownership stake in a corporation can be apportioned into uniform slices, known as "shares" of stock. This makes it possible to sell ownership investments in more manageable slices.

Costs of Incorporation

Along with a possible fee to apply for incorporation in California, there are other costs that corporations incur. The most important is that a corporation is taxed as its own entity. The individual incomes of owners who are paid disbursements from the corporation's earnings are still taxed as well. This is called double taxation, but it may be avoided with proper planning and assistance from a local Lafayette lawyer.

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Life in Lafayette

Lafayette, California is a city in Contra Costa County, and is part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It currently has a population of about 25,000 people.

Lafayette, California is known for its pastoral hills, and upscale lifestyle. It is also known for a controversial long-term protest. In 2006, residents began placing thousands of crosses on the side of a hill, to memorialize the U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq, and to voice opposition to the war there.

Many successful upper-middle class professionals live in Lafayette, California. These include many accomplished attorneys. A large portion of these attorneys work in San Francisco and other larger cities. The presence of a commuter rail station makes this a very convenient arrangement, attracting attorneys who want the best of both worlds (the excitement and opportunity of a big city, and the quiet solitude of a small town) to Lafayette, California.

If you live in Lafayette, and need an attorney, you're in luck. There are many accomplished and competent attorneys in Lafayette, California who can help you with whatever legal problem you may be facing.

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