Top 9 Legal Documents You Need to Start Your Business
Starting a Business? Here’s the list of legal documents You Absolutely Need
Starting a new business comes with a lot of responsibilities besides the product creation or marketing. There are also legal responsibilities required. The paperwork is tedious and annoying, however, acquiring the right legal documents is essential, and there are list of legal documents required. They protect the business, establish relationships, set expectations, and assure legal compliance.
1. Business Formation Documents (Articles of Incorporation or Organization)
Why you need it:
You must register your business in order to operate legally. Based on the business structure, the documents filed differ. LLCs file Articles of Organization while Corporations file Articles of Incorporation.
What it includes:
Business name and address
Type of business
Names of owners or directors
These documents are the foundation of any business formation documents.
2. Operating Agreement (for LLCs) or Bylaws (for Corporations)
Why you need it:
These documents are internal governing documents and serve as rulebooks, which outline how the business is managed. They establish and clarify ownership, voting rights, and the power to make key decisions. Most states recommend having these documents, even if they are not required.
Whether working with a team or individually, securing these documents should be one of your priorities.
3. Partnership Agreement (Co-founders Only)
Why this is necessary:
If you are starting a business with a partner, you need to be equally protected. This outlines the processes for sharing of profits, various roles and responsibilities, decision making processes, and exit strategies for partners.
list of legal documents checklist? Ensure this one is on your document checklist if you are working with a partner.
4. Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Why this is necessary:
Investors, partners, contractors, and vendors will be privy to the business’s sensitive information. An NDA helps to protect your information from illegal acts and outlines the legal scope of your confidentiality.
Intellectual property is one of the most valuable assets to a new business. FAQs will be one of the documents no business will be without. Ensure this is one of the documents to protect your intellectual assets.
5. Employment Agreements & Offer Letter
Why this is necessary:
These outline essential job functions, payment, additional benefits, terms of employment, and the transfer of intellectual property. Offer letters are fairly simplistic; employment agreements are more detailed and are more binding.
Each time new employees are onboard, utilize your legal document checklist to ensure these are fulfilled and in place.
6. Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA)
Why this is necessary:
An ICA with your freelancers or contractors is critical. This provides an outline of the scope of work, deadlines, payment terms, and ownership of the intellectual property. This also protects you from being faced with misclassification.
As for any document listing these types of agreements, this will also contain legal documents affecting contracts with third parties.
7. Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement
Why you need it:
When a person assists in developing your brand, code, or content, this document protects your business from them possibly claiming ownership.
This also becomes a priority at the time of tech and creative fields so as to avoid legal issues that can arise from having no protection in place.
8. Business Licenses and Permits
Why you need them:
Your business is required to have certain licenses depending on your area or the field you are in. Health permits, sales tax registration, or anything like them are crucial and a necessity because you could face fines or have your business shut down.
Licensing will always be crucial for your legal documents checklist.
9. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service (Especially If You’re Online)
Why you need them:
These documents must be created if you have a website and/or app and they are also required if you collect any type of user data. They document what data is used for, what liability you have, and what the governing terms of the user are.
All these are documents have to be created and are very important in your legal documents checklist especially with the introduction of laws that must be complied with to protect data like GDPR, and CCPA.
✅ A Closer Look at the Top 10 of Your List of Legal Documents
Business Formation Documents
Operating Agreement or Bylaws
Partnership Agreement
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Employment Agreements & Offer Letters
Independent Contractor Agreement
Intellectual Property Assignment Agreement
Business Licenses and Permits
Privacy Policy & Terms of Service
💡 Bonus: Your Legal Documents
For all your main contracts, consult a startup lawyer to draft or review them.
Ensure that you have digital backups of every document in cloud storage.
You should re-evaluate and update your list of legal documents every year as your business evolves.
Use services like SeedLegals, LegalZoom, or Vakilsearch to automate some of the paperwork.
Set up a legal folder for your business and organize your complete list of legal documents by phases: Formation, HR, Finance, IP, etc.
Final Thoughts
Do not neglect the important legal documents. The right list of legal documents will not only ensure compliance, but will also increase investor confidence, protect your brand, and help you avoid mistakes that are expensive to remedy later. Think of legal documents as the protective layer covering your business. It is not simply a procedural requirement, but a demonstration of your preparedness as an entrepreneur.
More information contact: Harshit Consulting
