How should I think about legal costs before I raise or spend investor money?

Work that's repeatable and largely within the attorney's control — like formations or standard filings — can often be flat-fee. Work with variables no attorney controls, like a negotiation or a financing that changes as investors negotiate terms, is better estimated than guaranteed.

How do I avoid a surprise legal bill during a raise?

Ask upfront what's included, whether the fee is fixed or hourly, what assumptions support the estimate, and what would change the cost — and expect to be told before a scope change shows up on the invoice.

Is the cheapest legal option always the right call during a raise?

No — match the resource to the risk. Routine work can go to a cost-conscious option, but a financing, tax, or regulatory matter may be worth deeper expertise, which isn't inconsistent, it's proportionate.

Stage 4

Raise Ready

Are we ready for investors?

A SAFE is a security. So is a convertible note, and so is the friendly check from someone's uncle. Your obligations are getting more complex. You don't want to spend the investment on legal. But if this isn't done right, you've got a lot of headaches down the road. We can help.

Financing

Is this you?

Someone offered us a check
We're doing a SAFE
We got a term sheet
We're applying for a grant

What we do at this stage

Flat attorney fees. Filing fees, where a state charges them, are listed separately.

Advice & Counsel Session $500

Not sure what you need yet? Start with real advice.

A one-on-one session with an attorney — no document prep, just a straight answer to your specific question.

Direct conversation with a licensed attorney
Review of any documents you already have
Plain answers to your specific questions
No obligation to buy anything afterward

Good fit if:

Not sure what stage you're in
Want advice before you commit to anything

Not yet if:

You already know exactly what to file
You're ready to just get it done

Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.

Get Started

SAFE Note for Early Pre-Seed Funding $2,500

Take the check the right way, with a real SAFE note.

Standard SAFE note preparation for your pre-seed raise, drafted and reviewed by an attorney before you sign.

Post-money SAFE note drafted for you
Valuation cap and discount terms set correctly
Reviewed against current market standards
Ready to send to your investor for signature

Good fit if:

An investor is ready to write a check
You want the industry-standard instrument

Not yet if:

You already have a signed term sheet
You're not yet talking to investors

Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.

Get Started

SEC Exemption Filing $1,000

File the SEC paperwork your raise actually requires.

Regulation D or another SEC exemption filing, handled correctly so your raise stays compliant.

Regulation D exemption filing prepared
Form D filed within the required window
Confirms which exemption fits your raise
Reduces risk at your next financing or exit

Good fit if:

You've accepted your first investor check
You want your raise properly documented

Not yet if:

You haven't received any money yet
You're still deciding SAFE vs. note

Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.

Get Started

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Compliance Evaluation - Basic Level $5,000

A foundational review of your data practices and obligations.

We assess what data you collect, where it lives, and what regulations actually apply to your business.

Review of your current data practices
Assessment of applicable regulations
Identification of key compliance gaps
Findings delivered in plain language

Good fit if:

You collect meaningful user data
An investor or partner is asking about compliance

Not yet if:

You collect no user data
You need a full remediation roadmap (see Enterprise Level)

Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.

Get Started

Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Compliance Evaluation - Enterprise Level $15,000

A full audit before diligence catches you off guard.

A comprehensive review of your entire data lifecycle, with a prioritized roadmap to fix what's exposed.

Full audit of your entire data lifecycle
Prioritized compliance remediation roadmap
Built to withstand investor diligence
Delivered by attorneys, not a checklist tool

Good fit if:

You're heading into a priced round
An investor's diligence team is asking questions

Not yet if:

You need a first pass, not a full audit (see Basic Level)
You haven't started fundraising yet

Like everything at GoLong: a real attorney, a flat fee, no upsell.

Get Started

Frequently asked questions

How should I think about legal costs before I raise or spend investor money?

Work that's repeatable and largely within the attorney's control — like formations or standard filings — can often be flat-fee. Work with variables no attorney controls, like a negotiation or a financing that changes as investors negotiate terms, is better estimated than guaranteed.
How do I avoid a surprise legal bill during a raise?

Ask upfront what's included, whether the fee is fixed or hourly, what assumptions support the estimate, and what would change the cost — and expect to be told before a scope change shows up on the invoice.
Is the cheapest legal option always the right call during a raise?

No — match the resource to the risk. Routine work can go to a cost-conscious option, but a financing, tax, or regulatory matter may be worth deeper expertise, which isn't inconsistent, it's proportionate.

Reading for this stage

Written by the attorneys who do the work. Free, and no form to fill in.

SAFEs, Convertible Notes and Priced Rounds: A Primer on How Startups Raise Early Money
The three instruments, what each one costs you, and when to use which.
Understanding SAFE Notes Under Regulation D
The securities rules that apply even to a friendly check.
Whose Lawyer Is It Anyway? When Your Investor Tells You to Use Their Law Firm
Who that lawyer actually represents, and why it is not you.
Employee or Independent Contractor? How Startups Get Worker Classification Wrong and What It Costs
One of the most common questions that come up us in advising new startups about how to scale comes when they are looking to onboard a team. No one wants to pay employment taxes, and its common to…

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