Jan 5, 2023 — Legal Service — Eric Giguere
We needed a reliable system to filter out poor services before we could make our decision about which companies should be included on our exclusive list. We have developed a unique method to assess each candidate based on different aspects of the service. Here's what we base our online legal services reviews on.
We pay attention to the whole range of services offered by the company. Can it help you to set up a company or draft a will? Is there a consultation with a lawyer included in this package? Are they worth the price? We assess the overall quality of services and point out any shortcomings.
These companies are not unusual to specialize in a particular area of trade. Maybe the website only offers high-quality documents online, while you manage the rest. You might find it helpful in guiding you through the LLC formation process at some of the lowest prices in the industry. No matter what it may be, we will make sure to mention it in our online legal service review.
We can all agree that reputation plays an important role in choosing the right company to represent your legal needs. But, what exactly do we mean by that? We look at the company's BBB score, collect any valid complaints and listen to the opinions of users. Obviously, online reviews aren't always completely trustworthy, but they can give you a pretty good idea of what you're getting yourself into.
While customer support is an important part of every industry, this is a misperception when it comes online legal service providers. You need to feel confident that you can rely on a trustworthy partner to answer your questions and fulfill your legal requirements. We examine the efficiency of team members, their ability to respond quickly to inquiries and how friendly they seem.
At the end our reviews, we review the price and offer you the best value package. Most of these services work through subscription plans, but you might also stumble upon various additional fees, costs, and upselling options. Although limited online legal services are included in most plans, they may still be costly. We aim to give you an accurate picture of the value you get for your investment.
Lawyer Review
Payment term
one-time, monthly
Registered agent
$149.99/year
Rocket Lawyer is an all-encompassing legal service that focuses mainly on online services. The company was founded in 2008 and has since worked with more than 20 million clients, quickly climbing through the ranks. The company's service now includes customization of various legal documents and business formation (LLC and corporate) as well as consultations with attorneys on any topic. The company has a large network of highly qualified lawyers that can provide quick answers to your questions at a fraction of the cost of traditional lawyers.
If you're in need of high-quality customizable documents, Rocket Lawyer.com has an extensive library covering everything from business management and real estate to personal matters and last wills. Premium members have access to the best online legal documents. It's easy to personalize, download and share them. RocketSign is a dedicated system that allows you create signatures and save them for later use.
The company has received glowing reviews online with an A+ score from BBB and an average score at 4.5 on different rating sites. Rocket Lawyer clients have nothing but praises for their customer service and the responsiveness to their needs. This company has a great reputation for offering excellent online lawyer services.
Rocket Lawyer LLC formation fees cost $99, but do not include key elements like EIN or registration services. Although it's a bigger commitment, a much more sensible option would be to sign up for the membership at $39.99 per month, including a free trial. The membership unlocks all documents and limited online legal consulting services. It also allows you to access business formation services. This deal is great if you need multiple things.
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Incfile Review
Registered agent:
$119/year
Incfile has one job, and instead of spreading its energy over dozens upon dozens legal services, Incfile is focused on that single task. Incfile was established in 2004 and has successfully incorporated over a quarter million businesses in all 50 States. Incfile's unique selling point is its affordable price. Incfile can help you create an LLC for free (but not the state's mandatory fee). It is able to take on some the most popular web companies, such as LegalZoom or Incfile, and steal their clients.
The catch is: Well, the company basically uses this promotion as a gateway to its more expensive packages. For the first year, this basic bundle includes Incfile registered agent services. You will then need to pay $119 each year to keep it running. You can unlock the top online legal forms, such as the operating agreement and the banking resolution, at $149. The Platinum option speeds things up and allows you to register a domain name free of charge.
No matter which package you choose, you will receive lifetime alerts about the company to your phone and email. This way, you won't miss any important deadlines. Users love and praise this level of client dedication. To claim the title as the best online legal services, however, the company must improve its customer service. Incfile lost its BBB accreditation recently due to unanswered Incfile claims. This puts a damper on the company’s otherwise outstanding track record.
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BetterLegal Review
Payment term
Monthly, annual, one-time
Registered agent
$10/month or $90/year
BetterLegal, a Texas-based online legal assistance platform, was launched in 2016. It offers business formation, registered agent, compliance and other business filing services for US entrepreneurs. Well-known for its affordable prices, comprehensive list of features, and quick turnaround times, this service provider is one of the industry's favorites.
As far as business formation services go, BetterLegal can help you create a limited liability company or a corporation. The $299 one-time fee for both services is included in the cost, along with state filing fees. The provider offers formation packages that include incorporation documentation. They also offer an EIN, creating operating agreements or bylaws, and other useful documents.
One of the things that put BetterLegal on top of the list of legal services providers is that the company also offers free website or online store creation (with inventory management), a business checking account, tax analysis, and insurance evaluation for those who use it to form their company.
BetterLegal allows you to hire a registered agent at a cost of $10 per month or $90 per calendar year. For state compliance packages, the same fees apply as for monthly and annual plans.
BetterLegal also offers research services. Permit and license search will set you back $125, while amendment or document research comes free of charge for the provider's formation customers.
BetterLegal offers online legal services for Limited Liability Company owner who want to end their business entity, add, remove, or change a director, change the business name or address, get a certificate or good standing, and many other things. You should note that turnaround times and prices for these services may vary from one state to the next. If you are looking for more information about any one of these services, we recommend you visit BetterLegal.
The company also offers great support via live chat. Additionally, BetterLegal's website features a comprehensive page with detailed answers to commonly asked questions, so you can even get basic legal advice from this online source before hiring them officially. In terms of security, the company verifies all documents and refrains from sharing user information with third parties.
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Harbor Compliance Review
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Harbor Compliance Review
Payment term:
One-time or annual
Registered agent
$89-$99/year
Harbor Compliance offers a single-stop solution for all your online legal service needs. The company can provide registered agent services, including assistance with LLC and nonprofit creation, annual reports as well as foreign qualifications and documentation for fundraising compliance. Harbor Compliance is able to assist businesses of all sizes. The company has been operating since 2012 and has offices in all fifty states.
The annual reporting service is one of the top-selling products. Trusting Harbor Compliance will help you reduce your workload, ensure timely submissions and maintain control over your entity data. The yearly cost for these online legal services ranges between $100 and $175 per state, plus filing fees.
Harbor Compliance covers the entire process of business licensing. It also communicates with any government agencies on your behalf. It keeps track of your licenses and ensures that they are renewed as necessary. This service costs a lot depending on your business type. Harbor Compliance can give you a custom quote.
This online legal assistance provider can help you to get a foreign certificate for your business. Harbor Compliance takes care of the whole process - from obtaining all the required certificates from your state of formation and gathering all the needed informatio, to appointing a registered agent, filing the application, and forwarding the approved Certificate of Authority to you. Price may vary from one state, again.
Harbor Compliance's LLC formation service is fast and efficient, but the $399 fee is a bit steep. The formation package also includes a name availability check, the filing and administration of articles of organization, as well as a template for operating agreements, federal tax ID registration and registered agents services for one year.
The legal services firm allows you to apply separately for registered agents services, which will cost $89 to $99 each year.
Harbor Compliance stands out among the rest because of its proprietary compliance program. This software solution is divided into four categories: entity manager (license manager), tax manager (tax manager), and record manager (record manager). It's a smart choice for companies who know the basics of compliance but are looking for an easier way.
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LegalNature Review
Payment term:
One-time, monthly or annually
Register agent
$125/year
LegalNature.com provides a large selection of documents to individuals and businesses, as well as assistance with business formation at a very reasonable price. LegalNature.com is an online legal service platform that has been in existence for almost a decade. It has earned a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable legal companion.
The LegalNature document library can be divided into products that are for individuals, companies, and landlords. The site has everything you could need from property purchase agreements to special warranty deeds and arbitration agreements to terms of services. While the website will list the most popular ones, you can still browse through the whole selection. After you make your decision, you can follow the online wizard through the creation process. It's easy and quick, and you have the ability to view your document at anytime.
The price is probably the most attractive thing about online legal services for small-business formation. LegalNature LLC's creation fee of $39 is one of the best options available. It is easy to apply. You just fill out the necessary fields. The right side of the screen gives you a quick overview of all features. There are no hidden fees, and the company will constantly remind you to review your choices.
The documentation library prices are more expensive. You will be paying $84 for the Standard package if you opt to have an annual plan. If you opt to pay monthly, however, you will be charged $38.95 per calendar month. Various online legal forms reviews mention this annual discount of over 80% as a peculiarity.
You can only use one type of document with the Standard plan. You will need to pay $499 annually to unlock unlimited options in LegalNature Pro. Of course, it's also possible to find individual prices for each document, but they don't come cheap.
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LegalShield Review
Payment term:
one-time, monthly, annually
Registered agent:
$120/year
LegalShield was established almost fifty years ago. The company's goal is to make legal assistance affordable and accessible to all through a private network of law offices. The company now partners with 39 law firm in the United States as well as Canada. It has provided online legal assistance to more than 1.7 million businesses along with more than 4.4 million individuals and their families.
You can access LegalShield's skilled attorneys by choosing a service plan, and then filling out an application form. All of its members pay a flat monthly cost for legal-services plans. These plans are available to individuals as well as business owners.
LegalShield Personal Legal Plan is $24.95 a Month. It covers you, your spouse, as well as your children. You can use it to help you with any legal problems you might encounter. This plan provides unlimited online legal services, including consultations on legal issues and representation in court. You can also review and draft contracts.
LegalShield’s small-business plans start at $49 a month. You can choose from one of three service levels depending on how many employees you have. Each level offers a wide range of features, including the ability to talk with your attorney about unlimited business-related legal matters. Other legal services available to small-business owners include drafting contracts and reviewing documents, making calls on your behalf, and defending yourself in civil lawsuits.
LegalShield stands out among the rest because it offers debt collection support. Depending on your membership level, the platform will send you between five and fifteen letters to collect debt each month. This will help to overcome cash flow issues and to recover what is due to you.
In addition to providing legal services to business owners whose companies already are up and running, LegalShield can also help you form an LLC, partnership, sole proprietorship, corporation, or non-profit. LegalShield has a large online library that can be used for free. This is in addition to their affordable company-formation services.
LegalShield was created to support your business throughout its life. It offers several add-ons such as identity theft protection, website builders tools and workflow management tools.
LegalShield was accredited by the BBB in 1995. It also holds an A+ rating. In addition to expressing support for its comprehensive service plans, users praise the site's multi-channel customer support.
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Nolo Review
Payment term:
One-time, monthly and annually
Registered agent
$150/year
Founded in 1971 by two attorneys, Nolo is one of the oldest and most reputable brands in the legal services market. The company has evolved into a virtual legal assistance platform that offers access to a huge library of legal forms, software solutions, books, and ebooks. Legal professionals have authored all information on Nolo's site. The site attracts over a million visitors every month as it is considered one of most popular platforms for legal assistance.
Nolo is a free library that provides legal information. Advanced resources such as business books, ebooks, and software solutions will cost you from $25 to $40 per item. As one of the best online lawyer services sites, Nolo also offers custom legal forms starting at $9 per item (or $30 and up for a year of unlimited changes).
The platform also allows you to find an attorney through its extensive lawyer network if you decide not go ahead with legal proceedings.
Nolo is also available to assist you in starting a business. The service cost for forming an LLC is $99 (or $299 if expedited filing is required) and state filing fees. The company can also assist with the formation and management of nonprofits and corporations. These services are offered by third-parties, and start at $99 plus state filing fee.
Nolo has been described as a "legal encyclopedia" and is widely regarded as one of best websites for legal advice. Because the product base can easily be filtered by topic and type, while the network is searchable by practice area and state, it is easy to find the right expert and resource.
This online legal service provider is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating. Nolo reviews online show that it can be used as an all-in-one solution for many different legal issues. Clear language is used to provide high-quality legal forms as well as educational resources.
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LegalMatch Review
Payment term:
Monthly, annually, or one-time
As you have probably guessed from its name, LegalMatch is a platform designed to match individuals looking for legal counsel with the right attorneys. If you're looking for online legal services in your area or city, LegalMatch is a great choice. LegalMatch has been in operation for over two decades. It has helped more than four millions people share their cases with legal counsel.
Here's how to find a lawyer through this platform in three simple steps:
First, you'll need to post your case. First, choose a legal category. You have the option of choosing from family, criminal defense; business; personal injuries; employment; immigration trusts estates wills and wills as well as intellectual property. Next, you'll need to fill out a 15-minute questionnaire to describe your case. The platform will then automatically match your case with top lawyers in the area. In a matter days, interested lawyers will start to send you responses.
Second, you can compare the offers using estimated fees, client reviews, and background information about other online lawyers who would be willing to work with your case.
The third step is to shortlist your top responses and meet with lawyers to discuss the initial consultations. This will ensure that you are making the right decision.
LegalMatch offers a completely free service to help you find an attorney. Those seeking legal counsel are under no obligation to hire any of the attorneys they've been matched with through the platform.
LegalMatch is an excellent choice for people who need to obtain small-business or personal legal services quickly. The entire process takes less than 24 hours.
LegalMatch verifies all attorneys before you get to speak with them. LegalMatch's vast lawyer network can be searched by state and practice area.
Lawyers have their own pricing structures. Hourly rates will vary depending on the type and level of legal service you are seeking.
LegalMatch offers an extensive online law library that will help you better understand legal issues. It contains thousands of articles with up-to-date information about more than 220 legal topics.
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Review of UpCounsel
TrustPilot
Not rated
Payment term
One-time or hourly
UpCounsel was founded in 2012 and is an online marketplace that offers legal services. The company was established to assist small-business owners and entrepreneurs in finding and hiring legal professionals. It is well-known for providing high-quality, affordable legal assistance. UpCounsel started out only working with clients in California. Nowadays, the company has one of the largest lawyer networks in the country and offers its services nationwide.
UpCounsel can be set up quickly and easily. You will need to provide information about your company and legal requirements at the beginning. The online lawyer service platform will never share your data. UpCounsel’s proprietary algorithm will begin matching you with highly qualified lawyers, as soon as the job is posted. Custom proposals will start arriving in a few hours. You'll then be able to look at the offers and make comparisons based upon their hourly rates as well as reviews from previous clients and the experience of each lawyer. You'll also be able to schedule free phone consultations with the attorneys whose profiles you like the most.
Should you decide to hire one of the professionals you've been matched with after reading through online attorney reviews, you'll be able to do so with a single click. You can choose to reject any of the suggestions or simply walk away.
UpCounsel's legal professionals negotiate their fees and have unique pricing models. UpCounsel will assess your case and charge you a 5% administration fee.
Below is an estimate of the cost of common business legal services that UpCounsel may charge.
UpCounsel's marketplace for legal services offers many free legal forms, online resources, as well collaboration tools. Should you have problems or need advice, you can get in touch with UpCounsel's customer support team 24/7.
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