How it works
From a single question to the bigger picture.
Start with whatever is on your mind. CounselMode helps you understand your situation, explore your options, and arrive at your attorney's office with context and a clear agenda.
From question to clarity
Start wherever you are.
- 1
Tell us what you're building.
Launching an AI app? Building a SaaS business? Starting something with a friend? CounselMode begins by understanding your situation.
- 2
Work through the questions.
Explore legal concepts, compare scenarios, and understand how different decisions affect your startup. Surface considerations you might not have thought to ask about.
- 3
Build your roadmap.
Organize your decisions, identify outstanding questions, and understand what deserves attention next.
- 4
Bring in the professionals.
When it's time to engage an attorney, arrive with context, a clear agenda, and a better understanding of your options.
Less time figuring out what to ask. More time making informed decisions.
See how it works
Start with a question.
End with a plan.
Founder
I built an AI SaaS app and I'm ready to start charging customers. Do I need to incorporate first?
CounselMode
Not necessarily, but there are several important considerations. Let's start with a few questions:
- 1Where are you operating your business?
- 2Are you building this alone or with cofounders?
- 3Are you planning to raise outside investment?
- 4Will your product handle customer data?
Your answers can affect which business structures and legal obligations are relevant.
Founder
I'm working alone in Arizona, but I might raise venture capital later.
CounselMode
That helps narrow the considerations. Let's compare operating individually, forming an Arizona LLC, and incorporating as a Delaware C-corp, across liability, taxes, administration, and fundraising flexibility.
Scenario comparison
solo · AZ · may raise VC
| Operate individually | Arizona LLC | Delaware C-corp | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal liability | No separation. Business debts and claims can reach personal assets. | Generally limits owners' personal liability for business obligations. | Generally limits stockholders' personal liability. |
| How profit is taxed | On your personal return. | Passed through to owners by default. Can elect corporate treatment. | At the company level, and again if distributed as dividends. |
| Setup and upkeep | Minimal. Local licenses may still apply. | Arizona filing, a statutory agent, and an operating agreement. | Delaware filing and annual franchise tax, plus registering to do business in Arizona. |
| Raising venture capital | No entity to sell ownership in. | Possible, though it can complicate investment terms and equity grants. | Supports preferred stock and stock option plans. |
| Ask your attorney | At what point does the risk justify forming an entity? | Would we need to convert before raising? | Are the extra state costs worth it now? |
Illustrative output for a hypothetical founder. General information, not legal advice. Your facts may change the analysis.
Built to complement counsel
Better questions.
Better conversations.
Attorneys are essential when it comes to making consequential legal decisions, preparing legal documents, and navigating complex requirements.
But you shouldn't need a legal education just to prepare for your first conversation. CounselMode helps you get organized before that meeting: explore your options, understand unfamiliar concepts, and bring your questions together in one place.
CounselMode helps you prepare for legal advice. It doesn't replace it.
Attorney-ready briefings
Organize your company background, proposed decisions, unresolved questions, and relevant considerations into a structured briefing for professional review.
- Company context
- Solo founder · Arizona · AI SaaS product · first paying customers expected · may raise venture capital
- Decisions proposed
01 Form an entity before accepting payment
02 Choose between an Arizona LLC and a Delaware C-corp
03 Assign pre-formation code to the company
- Open questions
? Is converting later costly enough to incorporate in Delaware now
? Which privacy obligations apply at launch
? Do any open-source licenses in the codebase impose conditions
- Explored
- liability · entity taxation · fundraising flexibility · IP assignment
Build something great.
Know what comes next.
From your first legal question to your first conversation with an attorney, CounselMode helps you navigate the journey.
For builders becoming founders.