LegalZoom is an online legal service designed to be a one-stop shop for a small business’s legal needs.
With LegalZoom, you can:
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File business formation paperwork.
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Create custom legal documents with e-signature.
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Register a trademark or apply for a patent or copyright protection.
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Consult with an attorney and get legal documents reviewed.
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Get business tax advice.
LegalZoom’s main clientele is small businesses without in-house legal departments or lawyers.
LegalZoom offers a wide range of legal services. Some of its more popular offerings include LLC formation, trademark registration, registered agent services and access to a business attorney.
LegalZoom trademark registration
Using LegalZoom for trademark registration costs $899 plus federal fees. While it’s not inexpensive, you’ll get an experienced attorney walking you through each step of the process, and even a prediction of how likely your application is to be approved.
LegalZoom registered agent
LegalZoom Business Attorney plan
One of the standout features of LegalZoom is the comprehensive business legal plan, called the Business Attorney Plan, that offers regular access to an attorney.
Just like competitors, the business legal plan includes phone consultations with an attorney and document review. However, LegalZoom also includes an annual business evaluation to ensure you’re in compliance with relevant laws, which many competitors do not offer. It also includes one copyright registration per month, an excellent deal for artists, musicians and other creative freelancers and businesses.
Here is the cost for a few services on LegalZoom:
|
Service |
LegalZoom Cost |
|---|---|
|
Business formation |
LLC: $0 + state filing fees. S-Corp & C-Corp: $149+ and state filing fees. Nonprofit: $99+ and state filing fees. |
|
Registered agent service |
$249 per year. |
|
Legal forms |
Single form: $59. |
|
Business Attorney Plan |
$39.09 per month for 1-year plan. Includes:
|
|
Trademark registration |
$899 and federal filing fees. |
|
Copyright application |
$114 and federal filing fees. |
|
Initial patent application |
$299 and federal filing fees. |
The business formation prices listed in the table are starting prices.
LegalZoom also offers packages with added features, such as a website or expedited filing. Select your business type in the dropdowns below to see pricing tiers:
LLCs
LLC business formation packages:
|
Package |
Price |
Features |
|---|---|---|
|
Basic |
$0, plus state filing fees. |
|
|
Pro |
$249, plus state filing fees. |
Everything that’s included in the Basic plan, plus:
|
|
Premium |
$299, plus state filing fees. |
Everything that’s included in the Premium plan, plus:
|
Corporations
Corporation business formation packages:
|
Package |
Price |
Features |
|---|---|---|
|
Economy |
$149, plus state filing fees. |
|
|
Standard |
$329, plus state filing fees. |
Everything included in Economy, plus:
|
|
Express Gold |
$349, plus state filing fees. |
Everything included in Economy and Standard, plus: |
Nonprofits
Nonprofit formation packages:
|
Package |
Price |
Features |
|---|---|---|
|
Economy |
$99, plus state filing fees. |
|
|
Standard |
$239, plus state filing fees. |
Everything included in the Economy package, plus: |
|
Express Platinum |
$359, plus state filing fees. |
Everything included in the Standard package, plus:
|
Pros
60-day money back satisfaction guarantee.
Customer support available seven days a week.
Competitive pricing with free LLC formation option.
Free document review using Doc Assist, an AI-powered platform that summarizes documentation.
Cons
There are no free trials available for flagship services.
LegalZoom may try to upsell you to a more expensive product during registration.
LegalZoom customer reviews
LegalZoom is a legitimate legal services platform but it gets mixed online reviews. Here’s how it stacks up:
In positive reviews, users said that LegalZoom was able to get them the legal information they needed quickly and for a fraction of what they would have paid at a law firm. People liked that LegalZoom offered a whole menu of legal services, so it was easy to get multiple things done during one visit to the website. Many reviews highlight how quick and easy it is to set up an LLC, and praise the customer support.
Negative reviews describe issues with recurring billing and subscriptions, delays in receiving refunds, surprise renewals, annoying upsells and unexpected changes to their account.
Alternatives to LegalZoom
If you don’t find what you need with LegalZoom or are wondering if there are lower-cost alternatives, view our recommendations below. There are dozens of online legal services, each with their own pros and cons.
Best for: Ongoing legal help.
If you think your small business will need legal help on multiple issues or on multiple occasions over several months, then you might consider Rocket Lawyer. Rocket Lawyer offers many of the same services as LegalZoom, such as business formation and a legal form library.
Like LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer also offers business legal plans. Prices start at $34.99 per month or $199 per year.
With the Rocket Lawyer Standard plan, you get two “ask a pro” questions, unlimited legal reminders and access to Rocket Copilot AI, an instant-answer platform for contract reviews and legal questions.
Rocket Lawyer plans do not include tax advice (though you will get a 10% discount on tax prep and filing from Taxfyle) or copyright registration. If you are looking for those, LegalZoom may be a better fit.
Best for: Low-cost business formation.
If you’re just looking to incorporate a new business, Bizee is another service to consider. Bizee stands out as a solid legal services pick because of its affordable pricing.
Like LegalZoom, Bizee’s basic plan includes free LLC formation (though you’ll still have to pay filing fees with your state), with two higher tier plans available beyond that. Bizee also offers a free filing option for corporations and nonprofits. Its paid plans are cheaper than the corresponding LegalZoom offerings.
Best for: Complex legal issues.
UpCounsel is a legal website that connects you with an experienced business lawyer. Unlike LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer, UpCounsel’s business model is not low-cost business formation services or monthly memberships.
It focuses on more complicated situations, such patents, securities, immigration and general counsel services. UpCounsel has a network of business attorneys hailing from top law firms, Google, Apple and other leading companies.
Given their background and level of experience, UpCounsel attorneys charge more for their services. The price range is approximately $200-$550 per hour for general counsel, although there are some fixed fee arrangements.