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LegalShield LLC Review
LegalShield is a subscription-based legal service provider that also specializes in business formation.
LegalShield headquarters are in Ada, Oklahoma, but their services are in the US and Canada.
This is a one-stop online shop for all legal documents necessary when starting and running a business.
LegalShield connects you to local lawyers who prepare and file your single-member LLC formation documents.
At the time of this LegalShield LLC review, this service has only one package that costs $149 (plus state filing fees).
When you form an LLC with LegalShield, you get three months of free legal support on personal and business matters.
LegalShield at a Glance
LegalShield was founded in 1972 as Sportsman's Motor Club. Its founder, Harland Stonecipher, says he was pushed to create the business after getting into a car accident that resulted in a long.
Harland notes that while he had health and auto insurance, he didn't have legal insurance. He figured out a need to create a subscription-based plan that allowed users to pre-pay for emergency legal services. Thus, the Sportsman's Motor Club was formed.
The business would later change its name four times throughout its 50+ years. It also added a wide range of services to its catalog to become the one-stop shop it is today.
LegalShield is headquartered in Ada, Oklahoma, USA. Its services are available throughout the 50 US states plus the District of Columbia.
LegalShield offers three categories of services on its website: business entity formation, business protection, and family and individual legal services.
Businesses fall under various categories, including Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), C corps, L corps, and sole proprietorships. LegalShield mainly deals with LLC formations. But you will find lots of helpful information on choosing between different business structures.
After formation, LegalShield has various ways of helping you run and manage your entity. LegalShield has a list of all the business permits you need to operate in various states if you are a first-time entrepreneur. You'll also find all the federal and state requirements your business must meet to maintain good standing.
LegalShield lawyers will also help in drafting various Contracts and Agreements. Its debt collection services will come in handy when your efforts to collect debts from customers hit a wall. And when it comes to dealing with your employees, LegalShield will help you stay proactive on issues such as wrongful termination, ADA compliance, and employee compensation cases.
LegalShield also has a suite of services when it comes to civil litigation. From labour lawsuits to intellectual property infringement, breach of contract, and bankruptcy and dissolution, LegalShield has experienced lawyers for all legal issues.
LegalShield offers these features to LLCs:
LLC formation
Business name check
Amending the Articles of Organization
Transferring business ownership
Transfer of shares inside the LLC
Filing annual reports
Legal advice on state and federal requirements
Changing of business ownership
Company dissolution
As already mentioned, Legalshiled also provides affordable personal and family legal advice and services. As a property owner, LegalShield can help in areas such as power attorney, last will and testament, trusts, and probate.
LegalShield can help landlords negotiate and end a lease, evict problematic tenants, and understand security deposit laws.
LegalShield also has a network of attorneys who deal with matters relating to the family, including;
Divorce
Child custody
Name change
Prenuptial Agreement
For this LegalShield LLC service review, we focussed on its services to business entities. Let's cover its packages, features, and costs to determine whether LegalShield is the best LLC service for your business and budget needs.
LegalShield LLC Review- Plans and Costs
LegalShield offers one LLC formation package and three small business legal services plans. The LLC formation plan is dubbed Launch by LegalShield and costs $149 plus state fees. When you form your LLC with LegalShield, you also get three months of free support on personal and business legal matters that cost $89.85 and $44.85.
When you purchase Launch with LegalShield, an expert handles every aspect of the business formation process, including preparing and filing the paperwork. LegalShield LLC's formation cost also covers consultations with a local business lawyer for further advice on other areas not covered, for instance, registered agent services.
Note that state fees are mandatory payments to the Secretary of State. The fees range from $1 to $520, depending on where you plan to operate.
LegalShield provides its legal services to small businesses in three packages: Essentials, Plus, and Pro.
Essentials ($49 monthly)
This plan costs $49 per month and includes the following features:
Legal advice, consultation and research on new and existing matters
A total of up to 10 legal letters or phone calls annually with a limit of 3 per month. Further consultations are charged at $75 each.
Review of up to 10 legal business documents per year, limited to 3 per month. The package covers documents of up to 15 pages. Additional reviews cost $75 each.
You enjoy a 25% discount on your attorney’s hourly rate for matters not covered by the Essentials package.
Plus ($99 monthly)
The LegalShield Small Business Plus package costs $99 per month. The package contains all the features of the previous tier and more:
Legal advice, consultation and research on new and existing matters
A total of up to 20 legal letters or phone calls annually with a limit of 5 per month. Additional consultations are charged at $75 each.
Review of up to 10 legal business documents per year, limited to 5 per month. The package covers documents of up to 15 pages. Additional reviews cost $75 each.
You enjoy a 25% discount on your attorney’s hourly rate for matters not covered by the Essentials package.
25 hours of a lawyer’s time for help in IRS audit, investigation, and examination of your federal tax return.
A flat service fee on trademark and copyright services (limited to 1 per year). Extra services are available for $500.
Interstate services- half of all the services in this package are usable for matters outside your residence state.
You enjoy a 25% discount on your attorney’s hourly rate for matters not covered by the Plus package.
Pro ($169 monthly)
The Pro plan is LegalShield’s premium package and offers you comprehensive access to its network of lawyers. This tier costs $169 per month and includes the following features:
Legal advice, consultation and research on new and existing matters
A total of up to 40 legal letters or phone calls annually with a limit of 5 per month. Additional consultations are charged at $75 each.
Review of up to 40 legal business documents per year, limited to 5 monthly. The package covers documents of up to 15 pages. Additional reviews cost $75 each.
You enjoy a 25% discount on your attorney’s hourly rate for matters not covered by the Essentials package.
50 hours of a lawyer’s time for help in IRS audit, investigation, and examination of your federal tax return.
A flat service fee on trademark and copyright services (limited to 1 per year). Extra services are available for $500.
Interstate services- half of all the services in this package are usable for matters outside your residence state.
You enjoy a 25% discount on your attorney’s hourly rate for matters not covered by the Pro package.
LegalShield Add-on Products
Registered agent services- you must have a registered agent when forming an LLC or corporation in the US. A registered agent is the contact person between your business and the government. They are responsible for handling all government, legal, and tax documents. LegalShield registered agent services cost $120 in the first year and $99 for subsequent years.
Employee handbooks- an employee handbook is a valuable tool highlighting the company’s overview and general information, employment expectations, code of conduct, and performance management, among other things. Costs $750.
Drafting of 25-page custom contracts- necessary for entering into legally sound services contracts to ensure your company’s growth. LegalShield custom contracts cost $250.
Trademark registration- necessary to establish your business as the primary source of particular products or services, thus protecting your business from the get-go. LegalShield trademark registration services cost $500.
Legal documents review- review of documents is crucial to ensure the accuracy of the information therein before they become binding contracts. Each review costs $75.
Collection letters- official messages to your customers reminding them of their due payments. Cost: $75
Mail and phone legal consultations- LegalShield includes five 30-minute legal consultations in each package. Extra services are charged at $75.
Getting Started with LegalShield
Unlike its competitors, LegalShield doesn’t offer multiple packages to choose from. On the upside, this means that the entire process is practically straightforward. We had a little trouble figuring out how this service works in our LegalShield llc review, but we did eventually.
Forming a business with LegalShield starts with purchasing Launch by LegalShield package. You must complete the payment first to access your LegalShield portal. There, you’ll answer several questions that will give your lawyer a sense of what you want.
The next step is scheduling a phone call with your lawyer. The lawyer will contact you for a thorough discussion of your business goals and preferred registered agent. This is a good opportunity to have all your queries concerning LLC formation solved. On top of that, the lawyer will explain the differences between various business entities (LLC, c corp s corp, and sole proprietorship) so you can pick the best structure for your needs.
Next, the lawyer will do a business name check. This ensures that the name you have chosen is legally available and is not being used by any other business.
After this, the lawyer uses your provided information to draft your business application forms, including the Articles of Organization. Upon completion, the lawyer will present the documents for review and approval.
If everything looks good, the lawyer will file the documents electronically and obtain your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN). At this point, your business is ready for launch.
LegalShield LLC Service Reviews- What Others Say
When writing this LegalShield review, we factored customer feedback on TrustPilot and Better Business Bureau. LegalShield has a 4.5/5-star rating on TrustPilot from 3,301 reviewers. The service has received a 5/5-star rating from 79% of the reviewers, and only 9% gave it one star.
Most customers on TrustPilot seem satisfied with LegalShield’s legal services. Some note that they have been using LegalShield services for years, and the experience is always pleasurable. An aspect that comes out clearly from LegalShield reviews is that the attorneys are smart, quick, and supportive.
Some customers have received a not-so-good experience, though. LegalShield LLC complaints mainly concern customer service issues and not receiving the correct services. However, we must clarify that LegalShield offers many services, including legal assistance and data protection. While the complaints are all over the place, we didn’t come across negative feedback regarding their LLC formation services.
LegalShield Review- Refund Policy
LegalShield has a 100% satisfaction guarantee policy. If you are not satisfied with Launch by LegalShield products and support, LegalShield promises to correct the situation, make a refund, or offer credit that you can use for future Launch by LegalShield orders.
The request must be made within 60 days. You will also be required to submit all the documents forwarded to you during the formation of the LLC. While LegalShield may be able to refund money sent directly to them, keep in mind that state filing fees are non-refundable.
Who is LegalShield Best For?
LegalShield’s single business formation package makes them a good option for entrepreneurs looking for simplicity. LegalShield is a good choice if you don’t have the time to compare different packages and navigate numerous upsells.
From a legal perspective, LegalShield is a good option for business owners who want to run their entities, knowing that they have a network of attorneys at their corner. For as low as $49 per month, you get access to an experienced attorney and various legal documents that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars.
LegalShield saves you both money and time. Instead of going on a hectic search for the best attorneys with favorable rates near you, LegalShield connects you to a local expert in no time. And because LegalShield is a subscription service, you can cancel whenever you want.
Our Verdict: Is LegalShield Worth It?
LegalShield is a valuable option for entrepreneurs who want to bundle business formation and legal services. The LegalShield team helps get your business up and running and provides most of the support you’ll need when dealing with your customers, other companies, and even the government.
We like that you work alongside your lawyer during the LLC formation process. The live phone conversation is an incredible tool to ensure you get what you want. Not many LLCs give you this opportunity. It greatly reduces the chances of mistakes when filing the paperwork.
On the other hand, we wish LegalShield has a clear outline of all the features and benefits one is paying for. Our LegalShield llc service review team didn’t like that one must pay the filing fees before accessing the portal. In addition, we wish LegalShield offers several tiers to choose from. Having all the add-ons in one place would also help clear the confusion.
Yes. Most states allow you to appoint yourself or your business as the registered agent. But that means you must have a physical location and be always available during official working hours to receive government, tax, and legal correspondence.
In our LegalShield llc review, LegalShield came out as a reliable service provider, particularly for entrepreneurs who want to get business formation, management, and legal representation under one roof.
LegalShield's business formation package is called Launch by LegalShield. It includes a single-member LLC, FEIN, and business name check. Your lawyer will also help you with business permits.
Launch by LegalShield costs $149 plus state fees. The package also includes three months of free personal and business legal support.
Yes. LegalShield registered agent services cost $129 for the first year and $99 annually starting the second year.
