Internet provides wealth of business resources

Stephen F. Aton is a Springfield attorney practicing in the areas of corporate law and taxation, and estate planning.

Over the past few years, sites on the Internet relating to law and corporate matters have proliferated greatly. Many of these databases are available without charge to the public, making it easier than ever for the public to gather information that may be of benefit personally and in business activities. Some of the more helpful sites are examined in this article.

One of the best sites for corporate law and information is the Web site of the Missouri Secretary of State. The address is www.sos.state.mo.us. The site has downloadable forms for filing documents with the Secretary of State, a listing of fees for all filings and services, and links to other Missouri business sites of interest. The Missouri corporate statutes are also accessible through this site.

Another useful feature of the Secretary of State's site is the business entity search database. You may check for the availability of a proposed corporate name and determine what businesses are currently registered. The database will provide the name and address of the registered agent, reveal whether the entity is in good standing, and provide dates for the entity's initial filing. The local Corporate Division of the Secretary of State, located in the State Office Building in downtown Springfield, also is extremely helpful with corporate filing matters.

Another valuable business and corporate site is located at www.moga.state. mo.us. This is the Web site of the Missouri General Assembly. There are links to the House of Representatives and the Senate, and search engines and bill-tracking capabilities allow users to follow the progress, or lack thereof, of any pending legislation. The bill tracking feature is very helpful in following new legislation and obtaining effective dates for new laws.

The General Assembly site also has a link to all Missouri statutes, along with a search engine to find applicable provisions. Any state statutory law is now available on-line, as well as the complete text of the Missouri Constitution.

The municipal code of the city of Springfield is accessible on-line at www.livepublish.municode.com. There is a search engine that will allow users to find ordinances by keyword or they can browse the table of contents for subject matter.

Finally, the Missouri judiciary has a site with the full texts of recent judicial opinions from the Missouri Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeal. The site, locates at www.osca.state.mo.us is kept current, making it possible to know about important new cases. It is possible to search for a party to a suit by name, or to pull up cases by keyword.

Just a few of the many available corporate and business sites have here been explored. By using several different search engines, users will discover many more. The new Web sites maintained by governmental and private entities provide the public with instant access to business news and developments.