Every year, millions of people turn to online legal services to save money on the legal expenses necessary to start their business. While there are an overwhelming number of options to choose from, Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom are two of the most popular, convenient and cost-effective online legal services that can help you save time and get great results.
Both services are accessible and user-friendly, and they each have satisfied millions of customers, so you might be wondering how to figure out which product is right for helping you form a new business. Forbes Advisor has all the details so that you can make an informed decision.
Featured Partners
1
ZenBusiness
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
2
LegalZoom
$0 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
3
Northwest Registered Agent
$39 + State Fees
Varies By State & Package
LegalZoom vs. Rocket Lawyer: At a Glance
Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom both have an extensive slate of offerings, including ones to help you file business formation documents in any state. The main difference between the two is their respective pricing models.
As previously mentioned, there are two ways of accessing Rocket Lawyer’s services: as a member or as a non-member. Non-members can purchase the services they need à la carte, while members pay $39.99 per month for a range of free or discounted services. You can cancel your membership at any time, and there’s a seven-day free trial period, although some services are not included in the trial.
LegalZoom offers multiple business formation plans starting for free (plus state filing fees) for a limited liability company (LLC) and varying in price depending on the type of business you want to start. Filing the final documents with your state incurs an additional fee. The biggest difference between individual plans is the document turnaround time; the more you pay, the quicker the filing process will be. LegalZoom also offers other useful services that could help your business but you’ll have to make separate purchases to access them.
Both companies can also help you with family and personal legal matters. If you’re a Rocket Lawyer member, access to these services and documents is included in the monthly membership. If you’re a non-member, you’ll have to pay on a per-document basis. Since LegalZoom does not have a subscription-based business model, you’ll have to make separate payments to access the legal services you want.
Rocket Lawyer
Pricing
From $39.99
per month, or à la carte
Registered Agent Service
Yes,
for $149
Access to Attorneys
Free 30-minute consultations
included with membership
From $39.99
per month, or à la carte
Yes,
for $149
Free 30-minute consultations
included with membership
As mentioned previously, Rocket Lawyer members have much less restricted access to the company’s services, including templates for hundreds of legal documents. New members get free business incorporation services for their first LLC and a 25% discount thereafter. The membership also includes 30-minute attorney consultations, the option to ask a lawyer unlimited questions through Rocket Lawyer’s website and up to a 40% discount if you hire a Rocket Lawyer On Call attorney.
While Registered Agent services are not included in its Premium Membership, you can elect to hire one for a discounted rate of 25% off.
If you don’t elect to become a member, then you’re going to be paying full price ($39.99) every time you need a legal document. Not only that, but some of the most attractive legal services that are included in the membership will cost you as well. Without a membership, you’ll be stuck paying out of pocket for each of these services—fees that will add up quickly if you use them often.
The membership is an appealing option because you get access to the full slate of Rocket Lawyer’s offerings. Not only can it help with incorporating your business or reviewing your business’s important legal documents, but it can also help with your real estate, family and personal legal needs, such as Last Will and Testament, Divorce Settlement Agreement and Child Care Authorization.
- Unlimited access to full library of legal templates with membership
- LLC registration included with membership
- 30-minute consultation with attorneys included with membership
- Membership is expensive if you don’t need legal forms or access to a lawyer
- Pricing for non-members can be more expensive than LegalZoom
- Registered Agent services not included for free with membership
LegalZoom
Pricing
From $0
(plus state filing fees) for basic business filing services
Registered Agent Service
Yes,
for $199 per year
Access to Attorneys
Yes,
with purchase of Business Advisory Plan
From $0
(plus state filing fees) for basic business filing services
Yes,
for $199 per year
Yes,
with purchase of Business Advisory Plan
LegalZoom offers multiple packages to help you with your business registration needs. The cheapest option is filing an LLC with the Basic package ($0 plus state fees), which includes business filing, articles of incorporation, name check service and customizable website. This package has a document turnaround time of 20 days, and LegalZoom will guide you through a review of all your LLC documents before they are submitted to make sure there aren’t any errors. Paying for a more expensive plan will get your documents filed more quickly.
LegalZoom offers the same business formation services as Rocket Lawyer and can also help with the legal documents necessary for loaning money or filing for bankruptcy. LegalZoom also offers more robust intellectual property offerings than Rocket Lawyer, including trademark and copyright registration, patent applications and a host of other intellectual property services.
Unfortunately, access to immediate legal advice is not included in any of LegalZoom’s LLC packages. If you need legal advice for your business then you’re also going to need to purchase its Business Advisory Plan. This plan includes unlimited 30-minute sessions with an attorney, and rates start at $39.09 per month when you sign a multimonth contract.
LegalZoom also boasts a legal library with more than 1,600 templates of a wide range of legal documents that can be used for personal needs (family and estate planning, real estate agreements, etc.).
- Only pay for what you need
- Unlimited downloads from its legal library with one-time payment
- Robust IP services
- Higher costs for faster document delivery
- Registered Agent Service only available with an additional purchase
- Legal advice requires a separate subscription
How Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom Stack Up
| Rocket Lawyer | LegalZoom | |
|---|---|---|
|
Membership Cost
|
$39.99 per month
|
N/A; purchase services à la carte
|
|
Business Filing Services
|
Free for first filing ($99.99 for nonmembers)
|
Starting for free (plus state filing fees) for an LLC
|
|
Registered Agent Service
|
$122.50 ($149.99 for non-members)
|
$199 per year
|
|
Operating Agreement
|
Free
|
$99
|
|
EIN (Tax Number)
|
$59.99
|
$79 (can be bundled with an Operating Agreement for $159 total)
|
|
Refund Policy
|
Within 30 days of your purchase*
|
Within 60 days
|
|
Customer Support
|
Weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (PT)
|
Weekdays between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. (PT) and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (PT)
|
Pricing
If you’re looking for the cheapest and simplest way to set up a new business, LegalZoom’s Basic package―$0 plus state filing fees―offers everything you need to get your business off the ground.
If you think you’ll need legal consultations in addition to basic business filing services, Rocket Lawyer’s Premium membership―$39.99 per month―includes unlimited 30-minute attorney consultations. The membership also includes free business registration for your first business. In lieu of becoming a member, Rocket Lawyer also offers a one-time payment option for business incorporation services ($99.99 plus state filing fees).
If time is of the essence, LegalZoom has a Premium package―$299 plus state filing fees―for business incorporation. With this package, your order will be fulfilled within two to five business days, and it includes a standard two-day shipping policy for business documents and materials.
Bottom Line
If you’re a new small business, setting up an LLC with LegalZoom’s Economy Package is a great option: you get a smooth, one-time service at a very reasonable rate. You can also add on any services that you need as your business flourishes. It’s cheaper than filing with Rocket Lawyer as a non-member, and you only pay for what you need.
But if you want to have the ability to get in touch with an attorney or anticipate needing ongoing legal services—whether you’re expanding or making changes to your business—the legal services included in Rocket Lawyer’s Premium membership are well worth the low monthly price.
