Best Online Legal Services for Small Businesses

Online Legal Services for Small Businesses Reviews

We gathered a list of the most reputable online legal services and narrowed it down to the best five for small businesses. We examined factors such as customer reviews, features, reputation, and pricing transparency. Check out our methodology section to learn more about how we determined our list.

LegalZoom – Best for General Business Legal Needs

LegalZoom helps you kickstart your business fast and affordably. It offers a wide range of legal services for businesses. LegalZoom ensures that you can register your business as a limited liability company (LLC), corporation (C Corp or S Corp), nonprofit organization, sole proprietorship, or as a Doing Business As (DBA) entity. From there, it helps you run your business, providing advice from compliance coverage to dissolution. Additionally, with LegalZoom, you can protect your business. They will help you register a trademark and monitor it, ensuring it remains protected.

LegalZoom designs legal solutions to meet your business’s needs. It provides step-by-step tools and expert guidance from attorneys, each with an average of 17 years of experience practicing law. The service includes a personalized dashboard that you can access 24/7. Additionally, LegalZoom offers upfront, flat-fee pricing, ensuring you’re never surprised by unexpected costs and can easily plan your budget.

Get Started Visit LegalZoom’s website

LegalZoom features

• Business Licenses – LegalZoom helps you find the right licenses and permits to legally operate your business while meeting ongoing requirements. They offer business license reports and management, compliance filings, and a full-service solution option.
• Business Formation Aid – Whether you’re looking to form an LLC, 501c3, BDA, or a Corporation, LegalZoom has services available to you.
• Intellectual Property Protection – LegalZoom ensures your business remains protected through trademark registration, trademark search, trademark monitoring, provisional patent filing, and copyright assistance..
• Compliance Management – Throughout every step of the legal process, from registration to management, LegalZoom ensures you remain aware of laws and regulations, giving you expert advice to remain compliant.
• Reporting – LegalZoom offers an annual report service, since most states require businesses to file ongoing reports.

How LegalZoom pricing works

Since LegalZoom offers a wide range of services, there is no single pricing plan. You pay for the service you need, and payment can either be a one-time payment or a yearly fee. For instance, the business license service is an annual service, starting at $99 per year. However, you can choose the Compliance Concierge, which offers unlimited handling of your compliance needs, from start to finish, by a trained & dedicated concierge. This is $999 a year.

For business formation, specifically forming an LLC, the basic plan is $0, plus state filing fees; the Pro plan is $249, plus state filing fees; and the Premium plan is $299, plus state filing fees. However, should you wish to form a nonprofit corporation, the Economy plan is $99, plus state filing fees; the Standard plan is $239, plus state filing fees; and the Express Platinum plan is $359, plus state filing fees.

What markets does LegalZoom serve?

LegalZoom helps businesses and individuals with their legal problems. Whether you’re looking for advice on forming a business, registering a trademark, or finding an attorney, LegalZoom can help you by providing legal representation for your business, no matter the size.

Read our full LegalZoom review

Rocket Lawyer – Best for Legal Document Creation

Rocket Lawyer focuses on helping you create and sign all the legal documents your business needs, from NDAs to LLC operating agreements. Rocket Lawyer offers affordable legal advice. It lets you speak with real lawyers easily, answers any legal question, and reviews documents.

In addition to providing various business contracts, Rocket Lawyer helps you register your business, including an LLC, a corporation, and a non-profit organization. You can file annual reports with them, register DBAs, and maintain business compliance with registered agent services. The provider also aids with trademark registration, copyright protection, and NDA creation.

Rocket Lawyer features

• Business Formation Aid – Rocket Lawyer helps you start an LLC, corporation, or non-profit when you sign up for their membership.
• Intellectual Property Protection – Rocket Lawyer provides trademark services as an additional service.
• Compliance Management – You can speak with legal experts and get information on various business topics, helping you stay compliant.

How Rocket Lawyer pricing works

Rocket Lawyer has two membership plans: RocketLegal and RocketLegal+, which come with a 7-day free trial and are billed monthly once the trial completes. The Basic plan costs $39.99 per month, and the Plus plan costs $19.99 per month, billed annually at $239.88. Both allow you to make unlimited documents, sign documents securely, and ask any legal or tax questions.

It then offers Pro Services, which cost full price on the Basic plan and half price on the Plus plan. These services let you consult and work one-on-one with a legal professional, get tax preparation help, business registration aid, trademark assistance, and compliance support. Each of these services has an individual cost, and some come with state fees.

What markets does Rocket Lawyer serve?

Rocket Lawyer serves businesses of all sizes that are looking for legal support, especially for document creation.

Bizee – Best for Straightforward Business Formation

Formally known as Incfile, Bizee helps you start and manage your business with confidence. Bizee helps you form an LLC, S or C corporation, and a nonprofit organization. Bizee services help you establish a virtual address, EIN / Tax ID, an Assumed Business Name (DBA), trademark registration, and more. It also provides various guides for starting a business, ensuring you have all the knowledge and aid you need to form a business in your state.

Bizee helps limited liability companies with all legal topics, including flexibility and operational ease, ownership and management, taxation advantages, compliance requirements, liability protection, financing options, and more.

Bizee features

• Business Licenses – Bizee researches business licenses for you, simplifying the complex considerations you have to make, ensuring you choose the correct ones for your business.
• Business Formation Aid – Bizee helps you start four types of businesses: LLC, S corporation, C corporation, and a nonprofit. It simplifies compliance, safeguards personal assets, eases management, and makes tax flexible.
• Intellectual Property Protection – With expert legal support, you can protect your brand through hassle-free trademark registration. Bizee also offers liability protection, which helps safeguard your personal assets from business liabilities.
• Compliance Management – No matter what type of business you’re forming, Bizee simplifies compliance in every state.
• Reporting – Reporting is important for all business entities. Bizee helps you file annual reports to ensure compliance.

How Bizee pricing works

Bizee has three plans available for small businesses: Basic, Standard, and Premium.

The Basic plan is $0, plus state fees; the Standard plan costs $199, plus state fees; and the Premium plan is $299, plus state fees. Each plan is a one-time payment, and state fees differ depending on what type of business you’re forming. Add-ons can be chosen for each plan, ranging from $30 to $150. Costs for other services may differ depending on which state you’re located in.

What markets does Bizee serve?

Bizee serves entrepreneurs who are looking to start a business or business owners who are growing their businesses and need expert legal advice. They specialize in business formation on a state-by-state level; however, they provide legal services to help you manage your business as well.

LegalShield – Best for Prepaid Legal Services

LegalShield provides businesses with access to a wide range of lawyers and attorneys. It ensures you have answers to everyday legal issues, simplifying the fine print and protecting you from compliance issues. You can get consultations on an unlimited number of issues, protect your business through one service, securely store your legal documents in one place, and connect instantly with attorneys, with 24/7 access in case of emergencies.

LegalShield helps both businesses and individuals. For businesses, services include debt collection, business licenses, civil litigation, contracts & agreements, employment issues, and intellectual property advice. LegalShield allows you to work with real lawyers, providing expert advice on various matters, including reviewing documents, starting or defending against lawsuits, hiring and firing employees, obtaining business licenses and permits, navigating bankruptcy, and more.

LegalShield features

• Business Licenses – LegalShield helps you identify and apply for the right business licenses and permits your company needs to operate successfully.
• Intellectual Property Protection – Helps you learn about and access protections for your intellectual property through trademarks, copyrights, and patents.
• Compliance Management – No matter the legal issue, LegalShield works with you to ensure your business remains compliant. With access to a large network of lawyers and attorneys, you won’t have to worry about potential compliance infractions.

How LegalShield pricing works

For small businesses, LegalShield offers three pricing plans: Essentials, Plus, and Pro.

The Essentials Plan starts at $49 per month, which includes 10 letters or phone calls per year, 10 document reviews per month, and 5 collection letters per month (some restrictions apply). The Plus Plan starts at $99 per month, and it doubles most of the benefits from the Essentials plan. Finally, the Pro Plan starts at $169 per month, and it doubles what’s in the Pro plan.

What markets does LegalShield serve?

LegalShield offers services for small businesses, estate planning, family law, employment law, and renters. For small businesses, LegalShield is best for those needing access to a large network of lawyers and attorneys throughout the year.

US Legal Forms – Best for Unlimited Legal Forms

US Legal Forms is exactly what it sounds like. It provides legal documents for individuals, attorneys, and small businesses. The business forms they offer help you start, manage, and run a business. US Legal Forms provides a high level of service from professionals, helping you find the right form for your needs. You can upload and edit documents from the cloud, helping you manage, refine, and enhance all your legal documents.

Some of the many business forms you can find from US Legal Forms include annual minutes, articles of amendment, buy/sell agreements, bylaws, confidentiality agreements, corporate records, dissolve limited liability company, dividends, employment forms, independent contractors, llc forms, member certificates, mergers and acquisitions, trade name, pre-incorporation agreement, stock warrants, and much more.

Get Started Visit US Legal Form’s website.

US Legal Forms features

• Business Formation Aid – US Legal Forms helps you form a business by providing you with state-specific documentation.
• Compliance Management – By properly filling out the legal documentation, you can ensure all your agreements are compliant with laws and regulations.
• Legal Documentation – US Legal Forms specializes in providing legal documents for practically any situation in any state, serving individuals and businesses. You can search through more than 85,000 legal forms, and with a monthly subscription, you earn unlimited access to all of these documents.

How US Legal Forms pricing works

US Legal Forms offers two pricing plans. The Basic plan starts at $8 a month when billed annually. It provides access to over 85,000 US legal documents, forms for personal planning and everyday situations, business forms, corporate management forms, and banking-level data security.

The Premium plan starts at $15 a month, billed annually. It gets you everything in the Basic plan, plus document management, eSignature, 50% off business/legal entity formation, and completion services for Last Will, Power of Attorney, and Living Will/Health Care Directives.

What markets does US Legal Forms serve?

US Legal Forms serves individuals and businesses, offering access to all kinds of legal forms, ensuring you remain compliant and secure, no matter what legal complications arise.

Read our full US Legal Forms review

Compare the best Online Legal Services for Small Businesses side-by-side

What are Online Legal Services for Small Businesses?

Online legal services offer small businesses an affordable way to navigate legal business issues. Often, online legal services offer expert legal advice from real lawyers, assist with business formation, ensure compliance, and provide support with contracts.

These services provide customizable legal documents, templates, and connections to legal professionals. They provide an affordable alternative to traditional legal assistance, either through membership plans or on a pay-as-you-need basis.

Generally, online legal services can be used by anyone in need of legal help. From the individual to the mega-corporation, these service providers offer legal aid for all occasions. The companies on our list are best suited for small business owners, start-ups, businesses with limited budgets, entrepreneurs in need of legal consultations on specific issues, businesses experiencing legal changes, those looking for help preparing specific documentation, and much more.

The Importance of Small Business Legal Services for Companies

Online legal services are important for small businesses for many reasons. They offer cost-effective legal advice, making legal expertise more accessible and convenient. They help businesses with tasks like business formation, contract creation, and intellectual property protection.

They help businesses navigate the complex legal world while bypassing the high costs of traditional law firms. This allows business owners to focus on their core business needs, like operations and growth.

Benefits of Online Legal Services for Small Businesses

Online legal services provide many benefits for small businesses in need of expert legal advice:

• Affordable Access to Legal Expertise—Online legal services are generally more affordable while offering high-quality and specialized legal expertise.
• Customizable Legal Documents and Templates—Many online legal service providers offer customizable legal documents and templates, allowing you to meet compliance rules while inputting your own information.
• Connections to Legal Professionals—Due to the nature of online services, you can often connect with many professionals who are up-to-date and knowledgeable about all types of legal matters. So, no matter what issue you’re facing, you can connect with an expert for advice.
• Protecting Intellectual Property—Protecting your intellectual property is vital. Online legal services often provide methods and advice on how to ensure your ideas and businesses are protected legally.
• Compliance and Risk Mitigation—No matter what state your business is located in, regardless of the rules you must comply with, online legal services are knowledgeable about all these issues and work to ensure your business is compliant.
• Growing with the Business—There are usually plenty of laws and regulations that growing businesses must comply with. These providers work with you to ensure you meet all rules and can successfully grow your business.

How much does Online Legal Services for Small Businesses cost?

Online legal services can vary significantly in cost. Generally, the cost will depend on what service you need and how complicated the legal issue is. When you’re seeking help starting a business, costs can range anywhere from just the state fees to $500 plus state fees.

For example, LegalZoom and Bizee offer various plans for starting an LLC, with the cheapest plan costing $0, plus state filing fees, and the most expensive plan costing $299, plus state filing fees. However, starting a corporation with LegalZoom starts at $149, plus state filing fees.

If your legal needs extend into trademark territory, you can expect to pay anywhere from $199 to $899, plus federal fees, depending on your specific needs. Similarly, patents can cost anywhere from $699 to $2,700, based on LegalZoom’s pricing.

However, if you simply want legal advice, such as with LegalShield, you’ll generally pay anywhere from $49 to $169 per month. Additionally, if you just want to be able to download and use legal documents and you want to skip consulting with a lawyer altogether, you can pay as little as $8, like with US Legal Forms.

Online Legal Services for Small Businesses FAQ

What type of lawyer do you need for a small business?

The type of lawyer you’ll need for your small business depends on the legal issue you’re facing. A good place to start is by hiring a general business attorney. These attorneys can offer legal advice on a wide range of matters, including business formation, contracts, and general legal guidance. However, as your business grows, you may need more specialized legal aid. This can include employment and labor attorneys, tax lawyers, merger and acquisition (M&A) lawyers, contract lawyers, and more.

Can I trust online legal services?

The type of lawyer you’ll need for your small business depends on the legal issue you’re facing. A good place to start is by hiring a general business attorney. These attorneys can offer legal advice on a wide range of matters, including business formation, contracts, and general legal guidance. However, as your business grows, you may need more specialized legal aid. This can include employment and labor attorneys, tax lawyers, merger and acquisition (M&A) lawyers, contract lawyers, and more.

What is a prepaid legal plan?

The type of lawyer you’ll need for your small business depends on the legal issue you’re facing. A good place to start is by hiring a general business attorney. These attorneys can offer legal advice on a wide range of matters, including business formation, contracts, and general legal guidance. However, as your business grows, you may need more specialized legal aid. This can include employment and labor attorneys, tax lawyers, merger and acquisition (M&A) lawyers, contract lawyers, and more.

How we chose the best Online Legal Services for Small Businesses

We compiled a list of 15 online legal service companies on the market and narrowed it down to 11 with a significant online presence. From there, we chose five vendors that stood out for their reputation, services, the markets they serve, and more.

Companies are then scored on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) across the following criteria, each worth 25% of our total score:

• Variety of Features: We selected vendors that offered business legal aid, either through business formation, intellectual property protection, compliance management, various reporting features, and license support. Not every company offers all services, but each one specializes in a legal area that business owners will benefit from, depending on their specific needs.
• Pricing and Transparency: We not only compared actual pricing and plans for each vendor, but we also judged companies based on whether they made their pricing readily available.
• Support System: Support is one of the most important facets of any business. We chose companies that had a good support system, which we gauged based on customer reviews on third-party websites.
• Brand Reputation: Using data gathered from hundreds of customer reviews and ratings, we were able to get a sense of each vendor’s reputation, affecting whether it earned a place on our list.