Spending money on attorneys can cost you a fortune, especially if you go with the pay-per-hour option.
Many small-sized businesses can’t even afford to pay for an attorney, as they find their prices extremely high and unreachable, even. That’s where the mega-popular online legal services LegalZoom and LegalShield pop in.
These cheaper-version legal services are designed to help business owners start their new company and maintain the business successfully and according to the law.
In case you are on the prowl for good online legal services, we invite you to read this review as it offers an all-inclusive comparison between LegalZoom and LegalShield.
We believe that it will help you make an educated decision on which legal services are the best choice for your small business.
LegalZoom Vs LegalShield: A Comparison
When you’re looking from a legal counseling perspective, both of these giants include every little service you could imagine to start a small company and manage it for a longer period. So, let’s look at each individual aspect in detail – LegalZoom vs LegalShield legal protection, the LegalZoom pros and cons, and, of course, the Legal Shield pros and cons.
We’ll also explore the main LegalShield competitors on one hand and the LegalZoom competitors on the other.
Below you’ll find the answer to these questions.
LegalZoom Vs LegalShield: What’s The Real Difference?
Their names might be similar, but they are actually quite different.
Honorifics aside, there is a most distinctive difference between LegalZoom vs LegalShield. Namely, at the start, one of the most difficult obstacles was professional delivery.
LegalShield has an open-board framework, which permits any lawyer excited to do some business to sign on as a reference, and keeping in mind that’s the best they’ve got in 1994, there was no genuine arrangement of responsibility or even quality control.
After 20 years of building associations with probably the best law offices in each and every state, LegalShield legal protection made a one-of-a-kind restrictive organization of committed Provider Law Firms across the US. In time, they also developed a shut-board framework, which hires one Provider Law Firm for every larger region.
At this moment, every legal service organization employs the open-board framework – yes, even LegalZoom legal protection. To put it differently, LegalZoom now operates in the same way as LegalShield did until late 1994.
It’s really straightforward – every lawyer who wishes to sign up through LegalZoom can do so instantly, while LegalShield hand-picks the best attorneys and Law Firms out there. They have to be professionals at what they do for a minimum of 4 years.
They also must have a clean reputation since they’re the ones that provide chief assistance to their users.
LegalZoom Vs LegalShield: Which One Is Best?
Both LegalZoom and LegalShield provide services so that you can establish a fresh business, as well as their own LegalZoom legal protection and LegalShield legal protection. Due to its low cost and rapid delivery, LegalZoom is a common pick among small company startups.
They have a long-standing history of providing exceptional customer service and have supported over 400 million customers and established 1.5 million fresh enterprises throughout the world.
On the other hand, LegalShield charges a monthly charge instead of an hourly cost or a price per service, making legal aid more accessible for companies, consumers, and even families. The monthly fee allows you to speak with an attorney anytime you’re in need of them without stressing about not being able to pay your lawyer.
Now, there are pros and cons of LegalZoom and the pros and cons of LegalShield that need to be remarked upon. Let’s see what they are.
Legal Zoom and Legal Shield: Pros and Cons
Both LegalZoom and LegalShield come with a pretty much equal number of pros and cons.
However, defining which are non-negotiable can help you make the final decision on which of these 2 options is the best match for your business.
LegalZoom Pros:
- There is no scheduled monthly membership
- Customers get a copy of all the documents which have been made on their behalf.
- Reduced individual pricing plan particularly designed for small-sized businesses that need certain legal services.
- An individual attorney plan is available for customers in need of more advice.
LegalZoom Cons:
- Clients can’t download or edit any of the documents.
- There is no free access to attorneys, as it isn’t a part of the available package options.
- There are mixed reviews regarding their customer support service.
- Customers must be aware of which services or documents they need to get the best price.
When it comes to LegalShield, these are the pros and cons:
LegalShield Pros:
- Customers get unlimited access to their attorneys.
- The number of the company’s employees dictates the pricing.
- Includes trial defense.
- Offers all necessary documents for starting a business.
- Member bonuses, including discounts at popular stores and hotels such as the Holiday Inn hotel.
LegalShield Cons:
- Attorney satisfaction can vary and is related to the law firm.
- Canceling membership might be tricky.
- Finding a law firm in your state can be limited and even impossible, as LegalShield works with only 39 law firms across Canada and the U.S.
Pricing Plans
While there are some similarities, the pricing plans of LegalZoom vs LegalShield are entirely different.
Every legal service offered by LegalZoom comes with specific plan pricing and options, but customers can ask for individual pricing plans. Individual plans are appropriate for those who require specific legal documents and don’t necessarily need the full services package.
On the other hand, LegalShield’s pricing plans are determined by the number of people employed in the company. This feature can be an enormous benefit for some companies, but a problem for others.
Let’s break down the pricing plans of both LegalZoom and LegalShield and get a clearer insight into their offers.
LegalZoom Pricing
What makes LegalZoom unique in its pricing plans is the method of placing a price on the legal service they provide.
LegalZoom offers 2 basic attorney plans, one of them is for personal use, and the other is for business use, starting as low as $31.25 per month, and an option to pay for the whole plan once or twice a year.
These prepaid plans include 30-minute sessions with an attorney on legal matters, documents, and contract reviews, also including various business evaluations.
LegalZoom’s plans include Economy, Standard, and the superior Express Gold plan.
The Economy plan is available for $79, but users must also pay state filing fees. This particular plan covers receiving an LLC’s further steps guide, document filling, business name check, articles of organization, personal evaluation of the order, financial account approval letter, and unlimited consumer support.
The Standard pricing plan costs $329, increased by the state fees. The Standard plan covers the same things as the Economy plan plus a deluxe organizer engraved with the name of your company or brand. It also includes an official seal for your company, 20 custom-made business membership certificates, and a LegalZoom VIP treatment that guarantees a quick turnaround.
The Express Gold plan is available for $349, plus the state filing fees including all the benefits from the first two packages and faster processing times within 10 business days.
LegalShield Pricing
Compared to LegalZoom, LegalShield offers more expensive packages for starting a new business.
Customers can choose the basic plan that costs $145 and includes all the things you need to start your new company, as well as a legal plan to legally secure your company.
A unique LegalShield trait is that it provides monthly legal plans, whose price depends on your company’s size.
For companies that have up to 10 employees, the legal package starts at $39 per month. It covers up to 2 selected users, infinite meeting minutes with an attorney, 3 consultations of 30 minutes every year, 5 debt letters each month, 20 calls or letters per year, document evaluation for 20 documents with a maximum of 15 pages per year, 25% discount for hourly rates, and various member bonuses.
Companies that have up to 50 employees, need to pay $89 per month to get shielded with LegalShield’s services. This package includes 3 designated users, indefinite meeting minutes with an attorney, 3 consultations of a maximum of 30 minutes per year, 30 calls and letters every year, document analysis for 30 documents with a maximum of 15 pages each per year, 10 debt letters a month, 25% discount hourly rates, and lots of member perks. This middle-sized business package offers trial defense for companies, with 75 hours a year, and 15 hours of free pre-trial work.
Large businesses with up to 100 employees, can get the LegalShield package for $149 per month. Businesses that opt for this plan get the same 3×30 minutes consultation with an attorney as the previous package and up to 3 users, too. Businesses also receive unlimited meeting minutes with an attorney, 40 calls and letters each year, 40 document reviews per year, 15 debt letters each month, the same discount as in the previous two packages, and the same member perks. It also includes the same trial defense, with 75 hours per year, and 25 hours pre-trial work.
LegalZoom Customer Service and Reviews
Customers who want to get in touch with LegalZoom’s customer service agents can contact the team via phone. The agents are available in the period between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. They can also get in touch with them on Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Those who made up their minds and picked LegalShield can get in touch with the customer support team via writing an e-mail or messaging them on Twitter or Facebook. A phone number is also in use for getting in touch with the customer support team.
LegalZoom vs LegalShield Compared: Which Service Is Better?
After going through the legal services offered by both LegalZoom and LegalShield, we can point out that these online legal services differ from each other, which is a good thing, and offer customers a chance to choose what matches their needs the best.
In case you are preparing to start a new business, you can go with LegalShield as it offers unlimited minutes with an attorney, because the challenge of launching a business doesn’t end when all the paperwork is completed.
However, LegalZoom is a better choice overall, because it offers lower prices, a guide for new businesses, three packages to choose from, and even an option for an individual plan.
