The Internet provides business owners with instant access to the items they need. Basic blogs and forums provide information on running the business, and sites like Vistaprint provide instant marketing materials for little cost. But while the Internet is extremely helpful to business owners, it’s not always the best choice.
LegalZoom is a website that provides automated legal advice and services for a cheaper cost than a real lawyer. Plus, due to the automation, most of the services can be done instantaneously, eliminating the long wait times of real attorneys. Although attorneys everywhere have resented LegalZoom for taking away some of their clients, its business owners who use LegalZoom that actually have it worse, and here’s why:
LegalZoom documents leave large room for error.
Yes, automated and instantaneous legal documents can be a godsend, especially when the availability and timeliness of this document is essential to the success of your business. However, automated legal documents leave large room for error. If your automated legal document isn’t written to your exact needs or with your exact best interests in mind, it could hurt your business in the long run. For example, a poorly written legal document could result in liabilities your business can’t afford or simply don’t want, and that can be detrimental.
LegalZoom can actually cost more than a lawyer.
Most business owners find themselves using LegalZoom because they believe it’s cheaper than a real lawyer, and in some cases, it can be. LegalZoom offers a variety of different packages, and the cheapest packages could be cheaper than a lawyer. However, because the cheaper packages on LegalZoom don’t include all the services, and because you are required to pay a monthly fee for these packages, the additional a la carte fees you pay could cost you a lot of money, and in the long run, it could have been cheaper to actually retain a lawyer instead.
LegalZoom doesn’t include consultation.
Sometimes your legal situation requires you to consult with a knowledgeable lawyer to provide you with your options. Sometimes, a real lawyer will provide consultation for free. If not, this consultation is usually included in your retainer. However, with LegalZoom, consultations are typically not included, which means you’ll be dishing out more money whenever you need to actually talk to a lawyer.
LegalZoom fees don’t include new legal issues.
When you retain a lawyer, such as on shapirolegal.com, he or she is there for you no matter what you may need. For example, if you first need a lawyer to draft a business plan for your or look over a lease agreement, and then you need your lawyer’s expertise regarding mergers and acquisitions, they’ll be able to provide all these services to you. With LegalZoom, any new legal issue that arises requires a new fee, costing you more money. Instead, you’re better off finding a real lawyer on ShapiroLegal.com or another trusted lawyer website, or even get referrals from friends.
You don’t know whom you’re dealing with.
When you use LegalZoom, you don’t really know whom you’re dealing with or who is writing your documents. You want to believe it’s an experienced lawyer, but it could be a first-year associate or even a paralegal. This could be costly to you. Instead, choosing your own lawyer allows you to learn exactly whom you’re dealing with and choose the most experienced lawyer for your specific needs.