Here in New York, we are often given mixed blessings. One of these mixed blessings is the way the LLC law was written. In general the law is very good, very broad, very useful (both for New Yorkers and for non-residents who can use a New York LLC as an offshore company) and not too expensive. In exchange for these good features, we are cursed with the publication rule. Rather than simply use a website to announce new formations, the state was rather unduly influenced by lobbyists from the NY Law Journal and other publications and said that we should go back to the 19th Century and require the newly formed company to publish a notice of formation in two newspapers in the same county for six consecutive weeks then file proof of this filing with the Secretary of State (with a fee, of course). If this isn’t anti-small business I don’t know what is, but there you go.

It should be noted, at this point, that my firm profits from this law, by assisting companies with their publication requirements. However, we are in the company formation business for the long term, and profiting from short term gain while discouraging companies from forming in the first place is bad in the long run.

There’s a solution, though, at least for those whose office is in Manhattan and stuck with paying astromonical fees to the Law Journal (and NY County Clerk’s office ALWAYS sends you to the Law Journal): buy a shelf company set up in a different county and whose publication has already commenced for at least a week. After that point, the company can change its address (and its county, its name and its owner(s) to wherever it would like without affecting its publication obligation. We now offer a shelf company package that includes a pre-set up LLC, and we’ll change the name, address and county to whatever you need, for less than the cost of publication alone in Manhattan. (Publication in Manhattan ranges from $1250 to $1650; our package is $1200)

To learn more about the New York Total Package, go to New York Total Package or call us at (800)888-4360.