About LegalZoom

As you progress through life, it’s likely that you will need to utilize the services of a legal professional for one reason or another. Since there are so many rules and regulations when dealing with the law it’s always nice to have someone to help you make sure that you have filed out legal paperwork properly. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a lawyer in the family and hiring a legal professional can get costly. Luckily, there are alternatives out there on the Internet for people who need to check to make sure they are abiding by the correct legal guidelines.

A company that has been assisting people with legal questions since 2001 is the website LegalZoom. The site is one of the go-to sites on the Internet for legal assistance and is able to assist people by way of an easy-to-answer questionnaire. Some services that LegalZoom provides people with include, but are not limited to forms for:

LegalZoom was developed by attorneys who have experience in the legal field and who had worked at some of the most prestigious law firms in the country. Since its inception over a decade ago, the service has helped over 250,000 satisfied customers, which is likely because of the service’s reputation to be able to prepare legal documents quickly and efficiently. For the past few years, LegalZoom has been rated as the #1 online document service by Consumer Reports.

LegalZoom protects itself by stating that the information that it gives is not legal advice, but instead it is general information on legal issues commonly encountered. In essence, LegalZoom is the cheapest way for you to work through legal documents without having to hire a legal professional.

Top Features Of Legal Zoom

From a site design perspective, LegalZoom is very easy on the eye, crisp and clean. The site is organized in a way which makes it overall easy to find what you are looking for. The site includes a long drop down menu across the header which allows users to select the type of legal advice you are in search of. If you can’t find what you need from the drop-down bars you can easily do a search by typing in key words in the large search bar, which appears front and center of the page.

As you scroll down the homepage, you can also view a number of customer testimonials and reviews from some of the top trade and consumer magazines on the market today. If nothing else, this should instil some confidence in knowing that the site knows what it is doing.

There are a number of services that LegalZoom provides that really help set the service apart from others in the marketplace. The best part about the LegalZoom service is that it lets you take care of common legal procedures without ever leaving your home or office. Since everything is dealt with through the website, you are able to access the LegalZoom services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Try finding a law office that has those hours!

The service also provides an education center that includes a plethora of searchable legal guidance. Upon your arrival to the service, the site asks you to fill out an easy-to-understand questionnaire. From there LegalZoom will take care of the rest. The questionnaire helps the site determine what type of legal advice and services will be needed. For legal paperwork, the completed legal documents are generally sent to you within in a timely manner and you are only contacted by the site if further information is needed.

With the LegalZoom lawyer-free service, you are able to really save a fortune. On average, you can save up to 85% off the rates an attorney would typically charge for the same procedure. In addition, the fees are per-project and not per-hour so there will be no surprises when you get your invoice for payment.

You don’t have to worry about your information ending up in the wrong hands either, since LegalZoom has a strict policy when it comes to privacy. The company pledges to never sell your information to a third party for any reason. The service even goes the extra mile to make sure that its servers are protected by the latest security devices. In short, you should feel confident that you’re dealing with a trusted and well vetted company.

Legal Zoom Prices

With LegalZoom you can get top quality legal documents without paying top dollar. As previously mentioned in the features section, each project that you submit for the LegalZoom team is taken care of on a flat-fee basis. The site is generally flexible when it comes to its payment plans. While you ultimately are responsible for paying for the services rendered, you can either pay the entire fee upfront for the service or you have the option of selecting a payment plan.

The payment plans are highly recommended since you are able to pay a little for the service each month. On average, the services cost as little as $50 and a generally do not exceed $1,000. The typical cost for a service is around $200 and the fees can really all depend on the level of the service that is needed.

The nice thing about LegalZoom is that since the service strives to be the best legal documentation service, it will not make you pay unless you are fully satisfied. If you are not satisfied with the LegalZoom services for any reason, you must contact the company immediately and they will either correct the situation or provide a refund, your choice.

Criticism Of LegalZoom

Feedback on LegalZoom’s services has been mixed. Ultimately the company has received strong compliments on how it handles the legal documentation in a timely and efficient manner. The site seems to lose points with consumers on customer service and sometimes certain inconsistencies, mainly in price points. A number of consumers have complained about their issues with LegalZoom on blogs and other comment forums. The common thread on most of these negative comments has to deal with being overcharged or not receiving a full-refund in time.

It’s important for consumers to make up their own mind when deciding to use the service. No one likes to be overcharged for a service, so it’s perfectly understandable that consumers are irate about this. That said, the LegalZoom services are typically A LOT less expensive than going directly to a lawyer’s office.

Speaking of which, another issue that many past customers have issue with is that you never get to speak to the legal professional who is handling your documentation. Everything has to be handled through the customer service support line, which tends to get many people annoyed. LegalZoom is not a place to turn to for legal advice or assistance if you are looking to have a meeting with a lawyer. For that, you will need to visit a local attorney’s office.

Customer Support

Like anything else, the customer support that you receive from LegalZoom really all depends on the professional who is assisting you on the other end of the phone line. In order to deal with any issues with your legal documents, you must deal directly with a customer service representative. They can be reached through e-mail or directly on the phone through a toll-free hotline. You can also visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of the LegalZoom site to see if you are able to have any of your questions answered prior to getting in touch with a representative.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with legal documents can be a real pain. No one likes to read all the fine print and read page upon page of legal jargon. Studies have shown that over 70% of people who fill out legal docs on their own make mistakes that can hurt them in the long run. With LegalZoom you are able to find a cost-effective way to have your legal documents filled out accurately. LegalZoom is able to provide your documents to you in a timely manner and the best part is that you will not drain your bank account in the process!