Best Online Legal Services

LegalShield was launched almost half a century ago to make legal representation affordable and accessible to anyone through a proprietary network of law firms. The company is now partnered with 39 law firms operating in the United States and Canada. It has provided online legal assistance to more than 1.7 million businesses along with more than 4.4 million individuals and their families.

To get access to LegalShield’s highly experienced attorneys, simply choose a service plan and fill out a short application form. The company charges all of its members a flat monthly fee for plans catering to business owners and individuals.

Priced at $24.95 per month, LegalShield’s personal legal plan covers you, your spouse, and your children. It comes with a set of features that can help you overcome any legal issues you may stumble upon. The list of services offered in this plan includes providing advice and consultation on an unlimited number of legal issues, representing you in court, and reviewing and drafting contracts and other documents.

LegalShield's small-business legal plans start at $49 per month. Depending on the number of employees your company has, you’ll be able to choose from the company’s three service tiers.

Each level delivers a comprehensive set of features such as the ability to speak with your attorney on an unlimited number of business-related legal issues.

Additional services for small-business owners include writing letters or making calls on your behalf, reviewing documents, drafting contracts, and defending you in civil lawsuits.

What makes LegalShield stand out from the competition is that it offers assistance with debt collection. Depending on your membership tier, the platform’s lawyers will write five to 15 debt-collection letters each month to help you overcome cash-flow issues and recover what is owed to you,

LegalShield can also help you form an LLC, partnership, sole proprietorship, corporation, or non-profit. LegalShield offers a huge library of free online resources that’s accessible to everyone in addition to its affordable company-formation services.

Created to provide support through the life of your business, LegalShield offers several add-ons, including identity theft protection, website builder tools, and workflow management tools. 

Finally, we think it’s important to mention that LegalShield has been BBB-accredited since 1995 and holds an A+ rating. In addition to expressing support for its comprehensive service plans, users praise the site's multi-channel customer support.

Instead of dispersing its energy across dozens of different legal services, Bizee only has one job and it does it well. Since its foundation in 2004, the company has managed to incorporate more than a quarter of a million businesses in all 50 states.

However, what makes Bizee stand out from all other online legal services the market has to offer is the price. Bizee will help you form an LLC free of charge (not including the state’s mandatory fees). This fact alone allows it to take on some of the most popular companies on the web and steal those clients away.

So, where’s the catch? Well, the company basically uses this promotion as a gateway to its more expensive packages. This basic bundle comes with free Bizee registered agent services for the first year, after which you need to pay $119 yearly to keep it going. The best online legal forms - like the operating agreement and banking resolution, which are both necessary for a business to function properly - are unlocked at the next-tier package for $149. The Premium option speeds everything up and registers a domain name for free.

No matter what package you opt for, you’ll get lifetime alerts about your company to your email and phone. That way you won’t miss out on any important deadlines. This level of client commitment is something users appreciate and praise.

However, the company does need to improve its customer support. Bizee’s BBB accreditation was recently revoked due to unanswered Bizee complaints, which puts a smudge on the company’s otherwise excellent track record.

Founded in 1971 by two attorneys, Nolo is one of the oldest and most reputable brands on the market. The company has evolved into a virtual legal assistance platform that offers access to a huge library of legal forms, software solutions, books, and ebooks. All information shared on Nolo’s website is authored by legal professionals.

Created to make legal information accessible and understandable to everyone, Nolo offers a comprehensive library of articles and instructional guides free of charge. Advanced resources such as business books, ebooks, and software solutions will cost you from $25 to $40 per item. Nolo also offers custom legal forms starting at $9 per item (or $30 and up for a year of unlimited changes).

Should you decide not to pursue legal actions on your own, the platform gives you a chance to find the right attorney within its huge lawyer network. 

You can also turn to Nolo to help you start a new business. If you plan to form an LLC, for example, that service will cost you $99 (or $299 for expedited filing) plus state filing fees.

The company also offers assistance with forming corporations and nonprofits. Keep in mind that these services are provided by third-parties and start at $99 plus state filing fees. 

Advertised as a legal encyclopedia, Nolo is also a rich marketplace for legal resources. Considering that the product base can be filtered by type and topic, while the network of attorneys is searchable by state and practice area, finding the right resource or expert is quick and easy. 

Accredited by the Better Business Bureau, this provider has an A+ rating. Most Nolo customers point out that the platform can be used as a one-stop shop for many different legal needs. High-quality legal forms and educational resources are provided in clear language.

Launched in 2016, BetterLegal is a Texas-based online legal help platform offering business formation, registered agent, business compliance, and other business filing services to US entrepreneurs. Well-known for its affordable prices, comprehensive list of features, and quick turnaround times, this service provider is one of the industry’s favorites.

BetterLegal can help you create a limited liability company or a corporation. Both services come with a $299 one-time charge, plus state filing fees. In addition to incorporation documentation, the provider’s formation packages also include obtaining an EIN, creating an operating agreement or bylaws, banking resolution, and other helpful documents.

One of the things that put BetterLegal on our list is that the company also offers free website or online store creation (with inventory management), a business checking account, tax analysis, and insurance evaluation for those who use it to form their company.

You can hire BetterLegal’s registered agent with a monthly plan that comes with a $10 fee or choose the annual package with a $90 cost per year. The same monthly and annual fees apply to state compliance packages.

BetterLegal also offers research services. Permit and license search will set you back $125, while amendment or document research comes free of charge for the provider’s formation customers.

BetterLegal can also offer services for owners who wish to terminate their business entity, add or remove a manager or a director, change their business name or address, obtain a certificate of good standing, and much more. Note that prices and turnaround times for each of these services can vary from state to state.

We suggest you visit BetterLegal’s site if you require more details about any of the aforementioned services.

Lastly, it’s also important to mention that the company offers excellent support via live chat. Additionally, BetterLegal’s website features a comprehensive page with detailed answers to commonly asked questions, so you can even get basic legal advice from this source before hiring them officially.

In terms of security, the company verifies all documents and refrains from sharing user information with third parties.

Catering to businesses and nonprofit organizations, Harbor Compliance is a one-stop shop for all your needs. The company offers registered agent services and can help you with LLC and nonprofit formation, annual reports, business licensing, foreign qualifications, and fundraising compliance documentation.

Catering to businesses of almost all industries and sizes, Harbor Compliance has already helped more than 25,000 clients. The company has been operating since 2012 and has offices in all fifty states.

The annual report service is one of the provider’s best-sellers. Trusting Harbor Compliance with your annual reports helps you eliminate filling workload and ensure that all reports will be submitted on time while controlling your entity data. The yearly cost ranges between $100 and $175 per state, plus filing fees.

As per business licensing, not only does Harbor Compliance cover the process of obtaining any necessary licenses, but it also communicates with government agencies on your behalf, keeps track of your licenses, and makes sure to renew them as needed.

The cost of this service varies widely depending on the type of business, so we suggest you get in touch with Harbor Compliance and request a custom quote. 

This provider can also help you get a foreign qualification for your business. Harbor Compliance takes care of the whole process - from obtaining all the required certificates from your state of formation and gathering all the needed informatio, to appointing a registered agent, filing the application, and forwarding the approved Certificate of Authority to you.

Once again, the price may vary from state to state.

As far as the LLC formation goes, Harbor Compliance offers fast turnaround times and comprehensive service for a relatively high $399 fee. The formation package includes a name availability check and the filing of articles of organization, an operating agreement template, federal tax ID registration, and registered agent services for one year.

This firm also lets you apply for registered agent services separately which will set you back $89 to $99 per state annually.

One of the things that make Harbor Compliance stand out from the crowd is its proprietary compliance software. Divided into four logical categories - entity manager, license manager, tax manager, and record manager - this software solution is a smart choice for companies that are already familiar with the ropes of ensuring compliance but are on the hunt for a simpler way to do so.

Rocket Lawyer is another all-encompassing legal helper with a slight emphasis on lawyer services. The company was founded in 2008 and has since worked with more than 20 million clients, quickly climbing through the ranks.

Today, its service includes the customization of various legal documents, business formation (LLC and corporations), and attorney consultations on any topic. Thanks to the company’s highly developed network of capable lawyers, you can get quick answers to your burning questions for a much lower fee than you would with a traditional lawyer.

If you’re in need of high-quality customizable documents, Rocket Lawyer.com has an extensive library covering everything from business management and real estate to personal matters and last wills. As a Premium member, you get full access to online legal documents and an easy way to personalize, download, and share them. There’s even the dedicated RocketSign system that allows you to create signatures and store them safely for later use.

The company has glowing reviews on the web with a perfect A+ score on BBB and average score of around 4.5 on various other rating sites. Clients have nothing but praise for Rocket Lawyer customer service, as well as the responsiveness of lawyers in the system.

The Rocket Lawyer LLC formation fee is a one-time $99 payment, which doesn’t include essential elements like EIN or the services of a registered agent. Although it’s a bigger commitment, a much more sensible option would be to sign up for the membership at $39.99 per month, including a free trial.

This unlocks the entire library of documents, limited legal consultancy services, and business formation services at the same time. If you need more than one thing, this is a great deal.

LegalNature.com offers a huge selection of documents for individuals and businesses but can also help you with business formation at a very affordable price. This platform has been around for nearly a decade and has managed to build a reputation for being a reliable and trustworthy legal companion.

The library of LegalNature documents found on the site is divided into products for individuals, businesses, and landlords. You can find anything from property purchase agreements and special warranty deeds to arbitration agreements and terms of service.

The website will automatically show you the most popular choices, but there’s nothing stopping you from browsing through the entire selection.

Once you’ve made your decision, the website will guide you through the creation process, step by step, using the on-site wizard. It’s fast and easy, and you can preview your document at any time.

The LegalNature LLC creation fee is $39, which is among the more affordable options on the market. The application process is straightforward. You fill out the fields as they come, while the list on the right gives you a clear overview of all the features. There are no hidden fees, and the company will constantly remind you to review your choices.

The prices for the documentation library are a bit steeper. If you decide to go with an annual plan, you will pay $84 per year for the Standard package. However, if you decide to pay monthly, the same plan will cost you an extremely hefty $38.95 a month.

Note that the Standard plan only lets you use one document of each type. If you want to unlock unlimited options with LegalNature Pro, you’ll have to pay an eye-watering $499 per year. Of course, it’s also possible to find individual prices for each document, but they don’t come cheap.

LegalMatch is a platform designed to match individuals looking for legal counsel with the right attorneys. It has been operating for more than two decades and helped more than four million legal advice seekers share their cases.

Here’s how to find a lawyer through this platform in three simple steps: 

First, you’ll need to post your case. Start by choosing a legal category. Some of the options include family; criminal defense; business; personal injury; employment; immigration; trusts, estates, and wills; and intellectual property. Next, you’ll need to fill out a 15-minute questionnaire to describe your case. The platform will then automatically match you with the top lawyers in your area. Interested attorneys will start sending you responses in a few hours. 

Second, you’ll be given an opportunity to compare the offers by looking at estimated fees, client ratings, and detailed background information about providers willing to work with you. 

Third, after shortlisting your favorite responses, you’ll be able to meet with the lawyers for initial consultations to make sure you’re making the right decision. 

The whole process of finding an attorney through LegalMatch is completely free. Those seeking legal counsel are under no obligation to hire any of the attorneys they’ve been matched with through the platform. 

Given that the whole process takes only about 24 hours, LegalMatch is a good choice for those looking to get the services as fast as possible.

Another great thing about this platform is that LegalMatch vets all of its attorneys before you ever hear from them. LegalMatch’s lawyer network is huge, and you can search for legal counsel by state or practice area.

As far as pricing goes, lawyers have their own fee structures. Hourly rates can vary widely based on the type of legal help you’re looking for.

To help you understand the legal issues you are dealing with, LegalMatch also offers a comprehensive online law library with thousands of articles containing up-to-date information on more than 220 legal categories.

Launched in 2012, UpCounsel is a California-based marketplace for online legal services. Created to help its customers, primarily small business owners and entrepreneurs, find and hire attorneys, the company is well known as a source of high-quality but affordable legal help. Initially, UpCounsel worked only with clients in California and New York. Nowadays, the company has one of the largest lawyer networks in the country and offers its services nationwide. 

Getting started with UpCounsel is quick and easy.

At the beginning, you’ll be required to share information about your business and legal needs. Rest assured that this platform will keep your data confidential.

As soon as you post the job, UpCounsel’s proprietary algorithm will start matching you with thoroughly vetted lawyers who are qualified to deal with the specific legal work you need done. Custom proposals will start arriving in a few hours.

You will then have a chance to review the offers and compare them based on hourly rates, previous client reviews, and each lawyer’s experience. You’ll also be able to schedule free phone consultations with the attorneys whose profiles you like the most.

Should you decide to hire one of the professionals you’ve been matched with, you’ll be able to do so with a single click. If you don’t like any of the proposals, you can simply walk away.

Note that UpCounsel legal practitioners negotiate their own fees and have unique pricing structures. Keep in mind that UpCounsel will add a 5% maintenance fee on top of the attorney's rate if you decide to proceed with the service. 

To give you an idea of how much the attorneys from UpCounsel’s network may charge you, here is a cost estimate for some of the most commonly used services:

• Creating an LLC: $500 on average (including state filing fees)
• Forming a corporation: $1,000 on average (including state filing fees)
• Reviewing contracts and documents: $125-$250/hour
• Employer-sponsored visas: Starting from $2,750
• Human resources and employment law: Starting from $200/hour
• Filing for a trademark: $645 (one class, including state filing fees)
• Filing for a patent: $1,200-$3,200
• General legal counsel for day-to-day matters: $225-$350/hour

This marketplace for legal services also offers a variety of free-to-use legal forms, online resources, and collaboration tools. Should you have problems or need advice, you can get in touch with UpCounsel’s customer support team 24/7.