How do you place a legal notice classified ad in the newspaper? Running a legal notice classified ad in the newspaper can seem complicated due mainly to the legal jargon surrounding this process.
It’s also becoming more challenging to find newspapers in 2024 that still accept legal notices, as many newspapers have gone under or no longer have the staff required to sustain the legal notice department.
This article breaks down everything you need to know in simple terms to publish a legal notice at the lowest cost.
A legal notice is a general term used to describe a variety of court-mandated public advertisements published in newspapers. The first thing you’ll need to know to communicate with the newspaper is what legal ad you need to publish.
There are many different types of legal ads, with different costs to advertise.
The most common type of legal notice in New York is an LLC formation notice. The State of New York requires limited liability corporations to run an ad informing the public on the formation of the new corporation.
There are also FCC, SLA liquor licenses, sidewalk cafe notices, name change notices, divorce notices (also known as dissolution of marriage notices), and probate notices.
Based on the type of legal notice you need to have published, contact the local newspaper in the county where the ad needs to appear, which has a history of regularly publishing legal ads.
Explain to the newspaper representative what kind of legal notice you need to have published, i.e. I need to publish an LLC Formation notice. Make sure the newspaper is approved by the county clerk to run the type of notice you have.
Also, let the rep know how many times the ad must appear and send them a copy of the ad or give them the word count so they can provide an accurate quote. Most legal notice ads are charged based on a line rate or how many lines of space it takes up in the newspaper.
You also need to confirm with the rep if the ad needs to run in a daily, or weekly newspaper, or both.
Does the ad need to appear in a paid subscription newspaper, or can it run in a free newspaper like the Metro?
Usually, insurance and bank-related notice ads need to run in a paid daily newspaper.
Once you’ve provided these details to your newspaper classified ad rep, they should be able to tell you the cost.
In some cases, you’ll need to provide the ad’s content to get an exact quote because your rep needs to know how much space the ad will take up.
Different types of legal ads have different rates. Some legal notice ads are a flat fee, and some will depend on the number of words and space the ad occupies in the newspaper.
For example, a sidewalk cafe or name change notice may cost less than a hundred dollars, whereas an LLC formation notice in a daily newspaper could run upwards of a thousand dollars or more.
Once the ad copy is finalized, the run date confirmed, and payment is made, your newspaper classified ad rep will create an affidavit and have it notarized.
A copy of the legal ad from the newspaper, along with the affidavit, is then mailed to the advertising client. A scanned copy may also be sent as a back and proof of publishing.
For more examples of the cost to publish legal notices in New York, view our post How Much Does It Cost to Put a Legal Notice in the Newspaper?
The most important thing you need to ensure when placing a legal ad is whether the newspaper where you run the notice meets the legal requirements as mandated by the court.
But once you have established the newspaper you’re working with meets your needs, it’s important not to pay more than you need to. You might be surprised at how expensive some newspaper legal notice advertising can be.
If you pick up the phone and call the big newspapers in town, you’ll probably spend more than you need to.
The major newspapers are usually more expensive because they have a high circulation. But you may not need to run your legal ad in a big newspaper. Often, smaller newspapers are where the bulk of legal ads get placed because the smaller newspapers cost a lot less.
Your goal as a legal notice ad buyer is to 1.) meet the legal notice requirement by placing it in the right kind of newspaper. And 2.) get the ad at the lowest cost.
Remember, legal ads are required advertising, so as long as a paper meets the courts’ criteria, you don’t need to be concerned with the size of the circulation or readership.
For a list of the most common types of legal notices, visit this article.
Since legal notices are usually issued at the state or provincial level. Read our post, Best Newspapers in New York for Legal Notices, for a list of some of the more affordable newspapers in New York accepting legal notices.
Finding the right newspaper that meets the legal requirements at the lowest cost could take you some time.
Don’t just call the first newspaper that comes to mind. You could save hundreds of dollars if you find a smaller paper that can satisfy the requirements.
Check out our list of the best newspapers in New York for legal notices. For a more complete list of newspapers that take legal notices by county.
Remember to make sure the newspaper meets the courts ‘ legal requirements. Nothing is worse than spending your time, energy, and money on a legal notice that the court rejects.
If you are pressed for time and don’t want to call around town and wait days for people to get back to you, and if you want to save hundreds of dollars on the cost of your legal notice ads, contact us by filling out the form below.
