• DESCRIPTION: Bylaws are rules governing the internal management of an organization, such as a business corporation. In a business situation, Bylaws are drafted by a corporation's founders or directors under the authority of its Articles of Incorporation.

Bylaws widely vary from organization to organization, but generally cover topics such as

• Title: the Corporation name and state of incorporation
• Shareholder provisions: provisions for Shareholder meetings, voting, and rights
• Board of Director provisions: powers of the Board of Directors, number and term of office for Directors, meetings, voting, and rights
• Officer provisions: the number of officers, their appointment and term, the conditions for removal, their duties and salaries
• Stock provisions: Several provisions with regard to stock in the corporation, as well as other financial matters

Bylaws are one of the internal documents of the corporation. The original document is usually kept in the corporate book in the main office of the corporation. Corporate secretary or other corporate officers have the authority to make a copy of the Bylaws, and attest that this copy is a true and exact copy of the original Bylaws of the corporation.

If your company does not have Bylaws – we can provide sample Bylaws.

• LEGALIZATION: APOSTILLE: If the document is intended for use in a foreign country it has to be legalized (another word is “authenticated”) for foreign use. This is a process in which various seals are placed on the document. The legalization procedure basically depends on one factor: whether the target country has joined the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (“The Hague Convention”). In this case the only legalization required is an Apostille certificate.  (Apostille is a French word which means a certification). A document bearing an Apostille is valid in all of the Hague countries.

• CONSULAR LEGLAIZATION: Many foreign jurisdictions have not joined the Hague Convention. If the document is intended for a non-Hague country the consular legalization will be required. Before the consulate or the embassy can stamp the document, the document has to be authenticated on the state and federal levels.

• LEGALIZATION REQUIREMENTS: For legalization we will need a copy of your company’s Bylaws accompanied by an original notarized affidavit signed by an officer of the company confirming that the attached copy is a true copy of the original document. We will furnish a sample affidavit when we process your order for the legalization.

• RELATED DOCUMENTS: Articles of Incorporation (Organization) confirm that the company was duly by law incorporated (organized), Certificate of Status (also called Certificate of Existence or Certificate of Good Standing) confirms that the company has current legal status. Articles of Amendment  (if any) reflect any amendments (e.g. change of name, change address, etc.) filed in the Office of the Secretary of State.

• For sample Bylaws go to Corporate Bylaws!