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Online legal services: 5 platforms you should consider first

Posted by Celene Robert

October 20, 2021

Online legal services
There is no denying it any longer, the world has gone digital. In turn, our daily digital landscape created a whole new industry ripe for disruption: online legal services. 

However, with so many options out there on the market, it can seem overwhelming and frankly, a bit confusing. 

We are here to help clear this up for you by highlighting the key points of five leading virtual legal services companies, as well as what you can expect to pay to get started. So, let’s begin.

Why use online legal services?



Gone are the days of opening the phone book and hoping there is a quality, local attorney who can handle your legal needs. 

These days, small business owners have more control than ever to compare attorneys’ rates and qualifications before making a commitment to hire one. 

Additionally, online legal services make certain routine legal processes faster and more streamlined than ever before. 

In fact, you can now hire an attorney, file state paperwork for your business and complete other legal processes right from the comfort of your office (or home).

Best online legal services for small- and medium-sized businesses



There are a plethora of online legal services available to help you manage your small- to medium-sized business. But which one is best for you? In this post, we'll take a look at some of the top contenders and see how they stack up against one another. This post will cover popular choices LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, UpCounsel, IncFile and Legal Nature.

The companies listed below promise the ability to handle your business’s legal needs from start to finish, without having to hire an attorney or go through all the hassle of vetting one yourself. 

LegalZoom – Best for full-service online legal services



LegalZoom is an online legal service designed to be a “do-it-all” legal resource for your small- to medium-sized business's needs.

LegalZoom makes it very easy by providing everything you need in one place: affordable lawyers ready 24/7 regardless of whether they're affiliated with lawyer referral agencies. 

LegalZoom specializes in agreements tailored just for emerging businesses per state requirements so there are no surprises down the line if (or when) things go national.

Plus, LegalZoom offers a service where more than 1,000 pages of documents can be translated into Spanish, a very helpful benefit whether you’re running a LatinX company or are dealing with Spanish-speaking business partners. 

Services offered: 



  • Legal agreements 
  • Patents
  • Business formation documentation
  • Immigration
  • Securities and finance
  • General counsel services

Membership or pay per use:

Pay per use

Pricing: From $125 per hour; from $600 flat fee

Ready to learn more? Click here to get started.

Legal Nature – Best for startups and business formation filings



Legal Nature specializes in automating legal processes. This makes the system easier and more affordable for individuals while maintaining excellent customer service.

Legal Nature's founding members come from law backgrounds that include experience creating products for businesses, as well as one founder who worked on contracts at Microsoft headquarters. 

These experiences provide an edge when designing software like Legal Nature’s automated document generation tools or business management solutions that let you get paperwork done quickly with minimal hassle.

Services offered: 

Business formation documents

Membership or pay per use:

Pay per use and membership options

Pricing:

From $34.95 for single documents and $38.95 for monthly memberships

Ready to learn more? Click here to get started.

Rocket Lawyer – Best overall



Rocket Lawyer has built a platform that can help you find quality legal representation at any budget, and it's easy to use. With the Rocket Lawyer customer support team waiting by the phone 24/7, they ensure people have access to an attorney for just about anything.

Services offered: 



  • Legal documents
  • Attorney services
  • General attorney questions
  • Business incorporation filings
  • Business registered agent services

Membership or pay per use:

Member and nonmember plans available 

Pricing:

From $39

New member perk:

New members get a complimentary 7-day trial of the Rocket Lawyer platform, where you can have a legal will completed for free.

Ready to learn more? Click here to get started.

IncFile – Best for LLC formations



IncFile is an online legal service company that helps small businesses with the LLC formation process and maintaining compliance in each state where the business operates. 

Their services are customized based on what's right for your business, whether it be advice about how best to stay compliant or a free filing.

IncFiles offers these things at affordable prices, so you don't have to break the bank when starting up, no matter where you live. 

Services offered:

business formation documents

Membership or pay per use:

Pay per use

Pricing:

From $0 (plus state filing fee)

Ready to learn more? Click here to get started.

UpCounsel - Best for legal service rate negotiations



UpCounsel describes itself as the world’s first and only interactive lawyer matching service. Users create an account and then post a legal “job” needed to the UpCounsel marketplace. Attorneys review the job posting and reply with their offer to complete the work. 

UpCounsel advertises that users save, on average, 60% off legal services when booking through the UpCounsel platform.

At UpCounsel, they find you a lawyer with one simple question: “What kind of work are you looking for?"  Whether it's business law or family legal counsel, UpCounsel will match your needs so that communications can happen online and in real-time.

Services offered: 



  • General legal documents
  • Business formations
  • Patents 
  • Trademarks
h3b>Membership or pay per use: Rates agreed upon by the user and attorney via the UpCounsel job-posting marketplace.

Pricing:

Determined once a request is made to the UpCounsel marketplace, where attorneys will bid on your job. You only pay for the rate proposed by your attorney and that you agree to.

Ready to learn more? Click here to get started.

Final word



We hope that this was helpful in outlining the best online legal options for your small- to medium-sized business that will suit your specific needs. 

If you’re still having trouble choosing a provider, click the “learn more” links for in-depth information about each company. 

Author

Celene Robert
Celene Robert

Celene heads up the marketing at Escalon. Passionate about helping companies grow their business, she spends her days finding new ways to bring essential business services to startups, SMBs, and growth-minded companies. Based in the PNW, she’s the proud owner of 8 pairs of Birkenstocks and a sassy, cuddly cat.

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