Secretary of State Filing Services
 Michelle Dodd One Legal Manager, Sacramento Michelle Dodd handles One Legal's Secretary of State filings from the company's Sacramento branch office. Michelle shares her insight into this little known area of filing.
Q. What is Secretary of State Filing?
A. Typical filings with the state include business documents such as LLC, Corporation and LP submissions, UCC Filings, Notary, Statement of Officers, Amended Articles, etc. A list of filings is available at http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/business.htm.
Q. What Secretary of State services does One Legal provide?
A. We will file virtually all Secretary of State documents for our customers. Our branch is located in close proximity to the state office, so it's even possible for us to drop off documents on the same day. Remember, though, that filing documents with the state is not as fast as it is with typical court filings.
Q. What is the price to file with the state?
A. Pricing really varies by document, so give us a call if you have questions about a filing. One Legal service fees are typically $79.50 for the state filings.
Q. What is the average turnaround time for a state filing?
A. The average turnaround time is 7-10 days as opposed to 1 day for a court filing. This is surprising to many of our first-time customers, but filing through us is still faster than sending documents by mail - which can take up to 8-10 weeks.
Q. Is expedited service available?
A. Yes, in some instances One Legal can provide expedited service which is also known as pre-clear filings. This is a 24-hour turnaround and the Secretary of State will charge between $350 to $500 in fees, depending upon the document type. However, One Legal's fee remains the same for expedited service. Customers can contact our office directly to find out if expedited service can be provided on any given day.
Q. Why do state filings take so much longer to process?
A. The state is inundated with filings and there is a backlog. Some people will wait at the counter to file their own documents. However, it could be a 4-5 hour wait time and there's no guarantee that the documents will get dropped off that day.
Q. What tips do you have for customers to make sure their state filings are successful?
A. First, be sure to go over your documents carefully to ensure there are no mistakes or omissions. Otherwise, even a minor issue such as a missing comma can cause your documents to be rejected. And because you won't be notified of the rejection for 7-10 days, you'll have to re-submit it, delaying the filing approval for up to a month!
Q. How do I place a Secretary of State order with One Legal?
A. Placing an order is the same as with any court filing order. First, log into our system at www.onelegal.com. When you reach the Place Order tab, simply select 'California Secretary of State' location from the pull-down menu.
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