Online legal services are known for their accessibility, but many providers fail to fulfill their promised turnaround time or give the quality of service you or your business needs. Our legal team has pitted the two most popular service providers in this LegalShield vs Rocket Lawyer comparison so you know to which is best for you.
LegalShield or Rocket Lawyer?
- Reliable services
- Offers debt collection service
- Great for trial defense
- Legal business setup guide
Rocket Lawyer
- Provides a form builder
- Excellent customer support
- Flat rates for one-time services
- Free 1-week trial
Features of LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer
Reputation
LegalShield
Founded by Harland Stonecipher in 1972, LegalShield provides pre-paid legal service plans through a network of more than 6,900 independent provider attorneys across the U.S. and Canada.
With 30+ years of experience, LegalShield has cemented itself as a reliable name in the industry of legal assistance. Clientas have rated LegalShield a TrustScore of 4.5 on TrustPilot.
Rocket Lawyer
Founded by Charley Moore in 2008, Rocket Lawyer was considered one of the fastest-growing in the industry, acquiring an increase in annual revenue from $1 million in 2008, to $5 million in 2009, and an increase in monthly visitors from 150,000 to 900,000 in that same period.
They are known for their value for money packages and unlimited access to legal documents. They are rated with a higher TrustScore of 4.7 (Excellent) in TrustPilot and are much more reviewed compared to LegalShield, with 4,929 reviews.
Services
LegalShield
LegalShield provides the following legal services:
- General or specific legal consultation
- Legal document review
- Debt collection
- Correspondence on your behalf
- Trial defense service
- Business formation
They also offer a ‘Start a Business’ service, providing legal support for your startup.
Rocket Lawyer
Rocket Lawyer provides the following legal services:
- Legal document creation, including contracts
- Review of legal documents
- Creation of LLC, corporate, or nonprofit
- Phone and email consultation with a lawyer
Rocket Lawyer also offers RocketSign, an online electronic signature service that is attorney-reviewed. They also have a free 7-day trial for their online legal services.
Pricing
LegalShield
All of LegalShield’s monthly service plans include advice and consultation over letters and phone calls, document reviews, and 25% off on additional services.
Plan | Services Included |
Personal Legal Plan (Individuals & Families) |
|
Small Business |
|
Start a Business |
|
Rocket Lawyer
Compared to LegalShield, Rocket Lawyer does not have service plans, but rather a premium membership, and individual service costs without the membership.
Service | Cost (with membership) |
Legal Documents builder | Free |
Document Defense (for contract disputes etc.) | Free |
Legal consultations | Free |
30-minute consultation on every new legal matter | Free |
Discounts when you hire a Rocket Lawyer On Call® attorney | Up to 40% off |
Affordable incorporation filing | Free for new members. 25% off thereafter |
Affordable Registered Agent service | 25% off |
As seen on the comparison table, LegalShield is great for small businesses, but Rocket Lawyer gives you more flexibility.
LegalShield’s cheaper plan may be great for individuals who do need constant legal advice. They also have business-oriented services like debt collection.
Rocket Lawyer on the other hand offers flat rates that differ per service, which is better for those who need one-time assistance.
Advantages
LegalShield
Home Business Supplement
LegalShield offers the Home Business Supplement add-on to their Personal Legal Plan, which is great for freelancers and home businesses.
Debt Collection Service
A LegalShield-affiliated lawyer can send letters on your behalf to companies that owe you, giving you teeth against unpaid invoices which will drain your income.
Trial Defense
LegalShield will guide you through organizing your defense if ever you or your business gets sued.
Reliable Services
LegalShield will consistently pair you with the same law firm. This enables you to establish a working relationship with your partnered firm, ensuring fast, consistent responses to your legal needs.
Mobile Application
You can access your legal services through your phone via the LegalShield IOS and android mobile apps, whenever and wherever you might need them.
Rocket Lawyer
Online Legal Consultations
Rocket Lawyer has a network of on-call attorneys to provide you with legal advice online. You get matched with a lawyer who specializes in your issue, offering a resolution within minutes.
Legal Forms and Documents
Rocket Lawyer provides easy-to-use legal documents ‘wizards’. You just have to provide details, click ‘Continue’ a bunch of times, and out comes the document you need.
Document Defense
All documents created by Rocket Lawyer are legal and enforceable. For example, if a contract you created in Rocket Lawyer goes disputed, the on-call attorneys can review your situation and help you enforce the said contract.
Customer Support
Rocket Lawyer has notable customer service, which is accessible via phone call, email, and chat. From our experience, Rocket Lawyer provides actual customer assistance instead of just trying to push additional services and fees.
1-Week Free Trial
Last but not least, Rocket Lawyer does provide a 1-week free trial where you can experience all the services in their premium membership, for one legal matter.
Disdvantages
LegalShield
Poor Customer Support
Poor customer service is one notable complaint about LegalShield. Customers also reported unresolved issues and rude behavior with consulting attorneys [1].
Inconvenient Website
The LegalShield website is not the easiest to navigate, which involves a lot of scrolling and clicking. The plans and add-ons can be confusing at the first visit.
Limited Offers
Some services offered by LegalShield have their limitations. For example, if you exceed the 5 collection letter limit per month, you will be charged a flat rate of $75 for every succeeding letter.
RocketLawyer
Pricing
Rocket Lawyer’s monthly membership fee is higher than LegalShield’s monthly personal legal plan, as of this writing.
FAQ
Are Rocket Lawyer documents really free?
Yes, Rocket Lawyer documents are free if you’re subscribed to the membership. You can make the documents via the form builder and then sign them online.
Is there an alternative to LegalShield?
LegalZoom is a popular competitor to LegalShield, notably because they offer a registered agent service, which is required when establishing an LLC or corporation in most US states.
Overall Winner: Rocket Lawyer
Our winner for the Rocket Lawyer vs LegalShield comparison boasts outstanding customer support, an intuitive legal document builder, flat rates for individual services, and a 1-week trial to boot.
In this comparison, LegalShield came out as the best service suitable for businesses, with the debt collection service, and the 3-month legal support for business establishment. But overall, Rocket Lawyer is recommended for individuals, and LegalShield, for businesses.
