LegalZoom Reviews In 2021 [Breakdown Of Services]
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To keep our website running, we partner up with some of the companies featured in our reviews. This means that Review42.com may receive compensation from the companies we review when you sign up for a service or purchase a product using one of our links, at no cost to you. Our goal is to test, evaluate and spread the word about solutions that work. Therefore, the expressed opinions in this article are independent and unbiased. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Strengths
- 100% money-back guarantee within 60 days of purchase
- Extended customer service hours during the week and weekend
- Free business name availability search
- Comprehensive resource center
Weaknesses
- Relatively expensive when compared to its competitors
- Not well-suited for one-off legal advice
Breakdown
Articles of Organization
Starts At $79
Name Availability Search
Free Of Charge
LLC Operating Agreement
Starts At $329
Discounts
Member Discounts
Years In Business
21
Accreditation
BBB A+ Rating
LegalZoom is one of the earliest disruptors of the traditional legal services system. Since 1999 this online legal tech company has made it their mission to make legal services more accessible and affordable for middle-class Americans.
Now, with their help, you can sort out your LLC registration, draw up documents, and more without hiring a lawyer.
Here we’ve compiled a review to top all the other LegalZoom reviews you might have read.
We will cover everything you need to know before hiring their services:
- Pros & Cons
- Plans & Pricing
- List Of Services
- LegalZoom Customer Reviews
Plans & Pricing
So what does LegalZoom cost?
For your convenience, we’ve summarized the two membership plans below.
Business Advisory Plan is tailor-made to help with a business entity. Legal Advantage Plus is the go-to choice for a natural person.
| Business Advisory Plan | Legal Advantage Plus |
| Free reviews on documents of up to 10 pages | Free reviews on documents of up to 10 pages |
| Free unlimited 30-minute consultations on new legal matters | Free unlimited 30-minute consultations on new legal matters |
| 25% discount on additional consultations with an attorney and legal representation | 25% discount on additional consultations with an attorney and legal representation |
| Free tax advice | Free tax advice |
| Unlimited downloads from the legal form library | Access to a wide selection of forms |
| Annual business evaluation on the 12-month plan | Annual legal checkup to assess estate plans and make updates on the 12-month plan |
| 1 free copyright registration per month | – |
| $36/month for 6 months and $31.25/month for 12 months | $11.9/month for 6 months and $9.99/month for 12 months |
LegalZoom Services Explained
Let’s look at the main products the company has to offer. Their impressive range of features is always a point praised in the LegalZoom legal services reviews.
- Preparation of Articles of Organization: in LegalZoom LLC reviews, this service often comes out as offering best value for money, as they will assist with the preparation of articles of organization with their LLC packages (pricing starts at $79).
- They will also assist you with the filing of articles of organization if you are an LLC member.
- Surprisingly, some of their services are even free. You can sign into their site and contact them to perform a name availability search for your legal entity in any state.
- According to Legal Zoom reviews online, one of the most popular services they offer is help with creating an LLC operating agreement. The Standard and Express Gold Legal Zoom LLC packages will set you back $329 and $349, respectively, with discounts for members.
- Organizational Minutes: LegalZoom has a separate Minutes Manager service that is available via subscription. Through this comprehensive plan, you can get unlimited access to notes for your meetings, notices of meetings, etc.
- LegalZoom provides several lines of customer support, both passive and active. You can contact them via telephone or a contact form. Support is available Mon-Fri until 5 pm and weekends until 4 pm. On top of this, they have an extensive FAQ list.
- Another standout feature of the company is its free online knowledge center, which is accessible without an account. Their website also boasts an Article Center that has a variety of guides on topics like forming a partnership, the advantages of limited liability companies, or how to register an unincorporated association.
- LegalZoom has a dedicated subscription service for company alerts. You can register for their Compliance Calendar for $69 per year. This will remind you when your IRS Form 8832, or IRS Form 1065, among others, is due. Say goodbye to late fees.
- Federal Tax ID Number (EIN): Who wants to go through the hassle of getting an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)? Well, for a fee of $79, LegalZoom can sort it all out for you.
- Unlike some of its competitors, the company doesn’t provide you with templates or other direct help in creating custom business forms and handbooks. However, they do provide free written guidelines on their Article Center. Besides this, they can help you create an Employee Acknowledgement Form to make sure all the new hires in your company read their handbook.
- If you are an LLC member, LegalZoom can provide you with an LLC decorative seal with your business’s name on it. This will accompany any personalized membership certificate that you might commission through your plan.
Keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list of the services and features that the company has to offer.
Ease Of Use
Certainly, one of the best parts of an online legal service is its accessibility. There is no need to make an appointment to visit a lawyer’s office and so forth. Therefore, ease of use is highlighted as a definite advantage on all LegalZoom reviews.
Overall, LegalZoom lives up to its reputation. You can sign up and register on their website in no time.
All you have to do is click on the “My Account” button on the top of the page and select the “Create an Account” option after you’ve been redirected. Once this is done, it’s as easy as entering your email and creating a password. And voilà!
With an account, you can choose the services you want to use, as well as sign into their nifty mobile phone application, which is both pleasing to the eye and user-friendly. The app gives you quick access to a variety of services:
- accessing your digital documents
- track the progress of your LLC registration
- contact customer support
- consult an attorney
- start a tax consultation
Privacy & Security Policy
Thankfully LegalZoom is committed to keeping their clients’ personal information safe. They take precautions with both your digital info and paper records. To this end, they use TLS encryption to send and store all their data safely.
On top of this, LegalZoom only uses UPS or other professional delivery services when sending your documents to you.
Pros & Cons
100% money-back guarantee within 60 days of purchase
Free business name availability search
Extended customer service hours
BBB accreditation with A+ rating
Rich resource center
Offers only subscription-based services
No specific plan for publication services
Relatively expensive among competitors
LegalZoom Alternatives
Generally, it’s a good move to explore your options before settling on a legal service, especially if you’re interested in once-off services.
Rocket Lawyer is probably LegalZoom’s closest competitor. Or else you can consider other options, like ZenBusiness or Corporate Creations.
LegalZoom Company Reviews & Ratings
We’ve gone the extra mile to help you make your choice by sifting through 262 LegalZoom BBB reviews from the last 3 years. Once again, the company stands out for its long legacy as it has been accredited with BBB since 2001. Currently, they sport an A+ rating.
Of these Legal Zoom ratings, a respectable 24 are five stars.
On the other hand, they have had 387 complaints. But of these LegalZoom complaints, 107 have been resolved, and 280 have been answered.
To Wrap Up
All in all, LegalZoom is a fantastic choice for any business entity that is looking for long-term support and guidance. Their Legal Advantage Plus and Business Advisory Plan both offer value for money.
One thing that is noticeable in all the LegalZoom reviews is their amazingly long list of services. Whether you need help with your Form K-1 or personal liability issues, they’ve got your back.
And to top it all off, they even offer some free services like name availability search.
FAQ
Does LegalZoom offer any discounts?
Yes, members of the Business Advisory Plan and Legal Advantage Plus get a 25% discount on attorney consultations that exceed their package. They can also get 10% off on certain legal documents.
What is LegalZoom Refund Policy?
And if you’re not happy? Then LegalZoom offers a 100% money-back guarantee within 60 days of purchase. LegalZoom reviews show that it responds to complaints and does give refunds when justified.
Does LegalZoom offer publication services?
A published notice of incorporation is required in several states, e.g. Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, LegalZoom doesn’t have a specific package for publication services. Their Business Advisory Plans and some of their separate services, however, have options for copyright applications in case your business needs to protect its intellectual property or register a trademark.
What is LegalZoom’s BBB rating? Is it accredited?
LegalZoom first received its BBB accreditation in 2001. Today, the company can proudly say it has an A+ rating.
What online legal services provider is better than LegalZoom?
This is no easy question to answer. It depends on what you are looking for. LegalZoom offers a comprehensive range of subscription-based legal services. However, if you are looking for one-off help, you might be better off with one of their close competitors, for example, Rocket Lawyer.
Which is better: LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer?
These two online legal service providers are virtually on the same level. As we’ve said, Rocket Lawyer even has an advantage over LegalZoom in some regards. For example, it doesn’t require a subscription. But it is difficult to beat LegalZoom’s wealth of experience and resources.