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LegalShield vs LegalZoom: Which Service is Worth Your Money? (2023)

For legal matters, it can be very costly to pay an attorney. That’s where LegalShield and LegalZoom come in. Both are online legal service providers, helping entrepreneurs start a business and maintain it successfully in compliance with the law. 

If you’re considering online legal services, we’ll provide a detailed comparison between LegalZoom vs. LegalShield to help you decide which is a better choice for your small business. 

LegalShield or LegalZoom?

Best Reliability
LegalShield
Best Value For Money
LegalZoom logo
LegalZoom

Features of LegalShield and LegalZoom

Offers

LegalZoom

If you’re a business owner looking for assistance with business documents, annual reports, or a go-getter trying to start your non-profit organization, our industry experts recommend  LegalZoom as it offers many different legal services, including: 

LegalShield

LegalShield offers various services, including online and in-person legal assistance, attorney advice, and legal protection. Here are some of the company services, among others: 

Both the two providers offer almost the same services, our industry experts noted that LegalZoom has the edge as they offer registered agent services and business entity formation which LegalShield do not. 

Winner: LegalZoom

Pricing

LegalZoom

LegalZoom charges per service, and has no hourly fee. Price may vary depending on the package category your case will fall under. The package includes: 

LegalZoom's LLC formation packages
Economy Package (State Filing Fees Not Included)

Services include:

Standard Package (State Filing Fees Not Included)

Services include everything included in Economy plus: 

Express Gold Package (State Fees Not Included)

Services include everything under Economy and Standard plus: 

LegalShield

LegalShield offers monthly membership plans not just for businesses but also for families and more. What we’re impressed about LegalShield is each plan features various legal coverage available to all customers. 

Family Plan

Services include:

Small Businesses Legal Plan

Services include:

Commercial Driver Plan

Services include:

Identity Theft Plan

Services include:

Note: LegalShield offers additional services for each plan, which you can request for an additional cost. 

When it comes to pricing, we can clearly see that LegalShield offers more affordable plans for its pre-paid legal service, which you can pay monthly. On the other hand, although LegalZoom offers per service payment, the fees are quite high compared to LegalShield. 

Process and Turnaround Time

These two companies have varying processes and turnaround times. 

In LegalShield, there’s just a four-step process to start. First, you’ll need to answer some legal questions and tell basic information about your business. After that, the attorney will prepare all your legal documents and file them in your state. The turnaround time may vary depending on your case. But, the review process typically takes 12-24 hours. 

On the other hand, with LegalZoom, everything can be done online. Once you have selected a business name, LegalZoom will check to make sure that it is available. After making the payment, LegalZoom will complete all of the necessary steps for you, including filing your paperwork and getting the documents approved by the State. 

This procedure can take weeks, depending on the package you choose. In addition to reviewing your paperwork, LegalZoom will also check to make sure that all of the errors are corrected.

If we compare the two companies, we can conclude that LegalShield has the faster review processes, which also means that turnaround time will be quick as well. Though the processing time of LegalZoom is just normal, we still recommend LegalShield. 

Differences

If we compare the differences between LegalZoom and LegalShield, both providers offer different payment plans and types of services, including: 

why choose legal shield

Pros and Cons

LegalZoom

Pros

Cons

LegalShield

Pros

Cons

Customer Reviews

LegalZoom

Most of the complaints about LegalZoom revolved around hidden charges and the lack of clear communication about what could be excluded from the service. As per our researchers, many customers expressed disappointment in getting in touch with LegalZoom’s customer service due to long wait times. 

But, despite the negative feedback, some customers noted that the company was able to provide them with the necessary documents and advice they needed in a short time. This is a huge plus for small business owners as it eliminates dealing with multiple companies.

Reasons to choose LegalZoom

LegalShield

Some negative reviews about LegalShield were about the company’s quality of service. Those who were previously customers of the company noted that they had experienced issues with the LegalShield’s lawyers.

Due to the company’s MLM business (multi-level marketing) model [1], which involves selling products through various marketing channels, LegalShield cannot control how certain aspects of its lawyers are handled. 

But still, many people have left positive reviews about LegalShield praising the company’s lawyers for their attention to detail and for providing them with sound advice. They also noted that the company’s prepaid legal services are cheaper than hiring an attorney from outside law firms.

FAQ

What is usually covered in a LegalShield legal plan?

A LegalShield plan can usually cover access to various legal services, such as advice and letters from attorneys.

How long can LegalZoom hold an order?

An order with LegalZoom can usually hold up for a year. If you have questions or are in need of assistance, contact their Customer Care. 

Overall Winner: LegalShield

Between LegalZoom vs. LegalShield, our business experts can say that the latter comes as the better option. With all the services they are offering as an online legal service provider and as  formal legal counsel, LegalShield makes it easier for people to get the assistance they need at an affordable price. 

Now, you can run your small business more efficiently by having unlimited access to lawyers through LegalShield

Charles McMillan
Charles McMillan
Charles is a family man, an entrepreneur, and a writer. He is skilled in finding the balance between efficiency, affordability, and high-quality offerings when it comes to business services. He’s on a continuing mission to discover and rediscover the most popular LLC services, while sharing his most accurate assessment and review to help business owners like himself.