8 Best Online Legal Services to Help You Start Your Business
Prepare your own legal documents in case a need for them arises.
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If you own a business, you may want to look into professional legal services as you will definitely end up needing them at some point. In a nutshell, these services can provide you with resources so you can prepare your own legal documents in case a need for them arises. Fortunately, there are now many online legal sites that give you the chance to act as your own lawyer instead of hiring an expensive attorney. Don’t know which ones you can truly rely on? Here is a list of the best online legal services to help you start your business.
LegalZoom – Best Self-Service Documents
Inc Authority – Best Inexpensive LLC Formation
CorpNet – Best for Business Filings
Harbor Compliance – Best for Quick Legal Compliance
Swyft Filings – Best for Incorporating Business
TermsFeed – Best for Generating Automated Disclaimers
1st formations – Best Company Formation and Registration in the UK
Firstbase – Best Startup Ecosystem
1
LegalZoom
.
Personalized legal solutions for small businesses and families.
- Create legal documents without a lawyer
- Includes wills and living trusts
- Copyright and trademark registrations
2
Inc Authority
.
Form an LLC online with ease and without worrying about extra fees.
- 100% free online LLC setup
- Only pay tax-deductible state fees
- Earn a bonus with qualifying activities
3
CorpNet
.
Start a business, incorporate, or form an LLC.
- Trusted resource and service provider
- For business incorporation & LLC filings
- Get help from business filing experts
4
Harbor Compliance
.
Simplified compliance for multi-state organizations.
- Founded by government licensing specialists
- Convenient signup for software & services
- Makes compliance easy
5
Swyft Filings
.
Grow your business without worrying about business filings.
- Affordable document filing service
- Owned by an experienced lawyer
- Start your business with confidence
6
TermsFeed
.
Generate privacy policies and terms of use with ease.
- Monitors laws, acts, and regulations
- Generates privacy policies and T&Cs
- Optional premium agreements
7
1st formations
.
Form and register your company in the UK with ease.
- Set up your company with ease
- No hidden costs
- Free customer support for life
8
Firstbase
.
Launch a US company from anywhere in the world.
- Backed by YC
- Easy setup from anywhere
- 100% remote setup
The Best Online Legal Services to Help You Start Your Business
There are many kinds of online legal services out there. The websites that you choose to help you start your business should be the ones that suit your needs best. This breakdown aims to help you decide which ones to sign up for.
1
LegalZoom
Thanks to LegalZoom, you don’t need to go through legal problems alone.
If you ever need legal help, LegalZoom offers DIY services and attorney advice to help you out so you don’t need to go through legal problems alone. Their vetted network of attorneys aims to give you the guidance that you need without any hourly charges or office visits.
LegalZoom’s independent network of attorneys can help turn your ideas into a business as well as protect your loved ones with estate planning documents. Plus, if you aren’t happy with their services, they will refund their fee within the first 60 days.
Actual Review: “I didn’t have time to go through an attorney and I figured it would be easier going through LegalZoom and let them take care of it. They did all the paperwork for the LLC and everything went great. They were like my agent. The online process was very easy. I also spoke to someone during the process where they had to ask a few questions. I’m very pleased. For what I’ve done, I can’t ask for anything better.” – James of Ville Platte, LA
Pros:
- 60-day satisfaction guarantee
- Affordable packages
- Network of experienced attorneys
Cons:
- Some services are expensive
- Not suitable for complicated legal cases
2
Inc Authority
Inc Authority is a one-stop shop for your business startup needs.
Inc Authority is a 100% free online LLC setup service where you only have to pay the required tax-deductible state fees. A one-stop shop for your business startup needs, their services are free to earn your trust and turn you into a long-term loyal customer.
Since Inc Authority knows that every minute counts for an entrepreneur, they make sure you don’t lose any valuable time that could be spent on more important things in your business by giving you peace of mind that your business is being filed accurately. What’s more, you can save more than $300 with Inc Authority compared to other similar providers.
Actual review: “I have been putting off this process for forever and day and luckily I got Sean who guided me in all the right directions with his personality and knowledge. Now I am content and super excited to be a business owner. Thanks Inc Authority and Sean!” – Jamell Coley
Pros:
- Free LLC filing
- Highly-rated customer support
- One year of free registered agent service
Cons:
- No refunds
- Expensive packages
3
CorpNet
To incorporate or maintain compliance for your business, choose CorpNet.
When it comes to starting a business and maintaining compliance, CorpNet is trusted by thousands of entrepreneurs across the United States for being guaranteed, fast, and affordable.
Their filing experts make sure you enjoy easy and reliable services to incorporate or maintain compliance for your business be it Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, C Corporation, S Corporation, Nonprofit Corporation, or a Limited Liability Company. Their live professionals are ready to help you anytime as well.
Actual review: “I have been working with Corpnet for several years, they have always been very professional. They are excellent communicators, they follow up with you when they don’t hear from you and provide very timely service. Great to work with them.” – Jeremy Lassiter
Pros:
- Exceptional service
- Easy and painless process
- Great resource
Cons:
- Some services require additional fees
4
Harbor Compliance
Save time and get better results with Harbor Compliance.
Over 25,000 clients depend on Harbor Compliance for their business requirements, registration, and renewals. Their expert services and purposeful software serve as complete solutions for business licensing, tax registration, and entity. Management.
With Harbor Compliance, you no longer have to go through government websites to find the forms that you need. Their database ensures you save time and get better results while their compliance specialists take care of all of the necessary government paperwork so you don’t have to.
Actual review: “Great service! Completed the work on time and really helped keep us focus on our day-to-day activities!” – Nathan
Pros:
- Top-notch service
- Save money with great discounts
- Free compliance guides and whitepapers
Cons:
- Some services are expensive
5
Swyft Filings
Start your business with confidence with Swyft Filings.
Trusted by more than 250,000 businesses since its inception in 2015, Swyft Filings can help you start your business with confidence in a quick, easy, and affordable way. Their business specialists will handle your business filings so you can grow your business while saving money and time.
Swyft Filings also offers a fast turnaround time so you can get started right away. You will also be assigned a personal business specialist so you can rest assured knowing that you will always be properly attended to and taken care of.
Actual review: “Swyft Filings took all the little steps I needed to complete for a business filing and made It easy for me. I didn’t know what I was going to do. It helped to have a guide. My recent experience with them and customer support was above and beyond.” – Yolanda
Pros:
- Quick application process
- Fast turnaround time
- Affordable packages
Cons:
- Lots of upsells
6
TermsFeed
TermsFeed provides compliance solutions for everybody who needs it.
TermsFeed provides compliance solutions for everybody who needs it. This includes generating privacy policies, terms & conditions, EULAs, returns & refunds, cookies policies, disclaimers, terms of service, and terms of use.
Most importantly, TermsFeed routinely monitors laws, acts, and regulations across various jurisdictions in case any changes are required for the policies you’ve generated. They will then notify you whenever a policy needs to be updated so you can be sure that you always have the right ones on hand.
Actual review: “I think TermsFeed is great. I liked that it was hassle-free and easy to set up. Again, it’s a great feature for a fast and cheap set up, which gives me peace of mind, as I know have a terms of use agreement.” – Jennifer S.
Pros:
- Straightforward, fast, and user-friendly
- Very affordable
- High level of customization
Cons:
- Policies need to be generated one at a time
7
1st formations
Make setting up your company in the UK a breeze with 1st formations.
1st formations is one of the top rated formation agents in the UK. Easy to use with multiple payment options and no hidden costs, you simply have to choose your company name, pick your package, and you’re all set to set up your limited company.
They have various company formation packages available to suit anybody’s budget and needs. What’s more, they’re a carbon-neural business that takes environmental impact seriously. To offset their carbon footprint, they invest in environmental projects that are certified to the most recognized standards.
Actual review: “It was a great opportunity, The process went in smooth steps, fast and the results were more than I expect.” – Jehad Hammad
Pros:
- Professional support agents
- Smooth, seamless, safe, and fast process
- Simple to use
Cons:
- May take a while to form a company
8
Firstbase
Firstbase offers the easiest way to setup a US company.
Backed by YC, Firstbase lets you launch a US company 100% remotely from wherever you may be in the world with their all-in-one incorporation tool. Their simple tool makes it easy for practically anyone to launch and run a US business.
Firstbase also offers access to one-click growth tools to ensure that your business grows with time and so you can access and manage practically anything your business needs from wherever you have access to the Internet.
Actual review: “Very smooth process. Firstbase takes care of everything. US tax and the legal system are complicated, and I’m happy that I can manage my whole company from a single dashboard with Firstbase Mail service and Agent to ensure a company is in good standing.” – Jason
Pros:
- Smooth process
- Easy management from a single dashboard
- Great customer service
Cons:
- Additional fees
How Do Online Legal Services Work?
If you don’t have money for a lawyer, an online legal service is a great alternative to get the legal services that you need at a fraction of the cost. Plus, you can get the support and advice that you would normally get from an attorney.
There are different kinds of online legal services out there and the ones that you choose should depend on your needs. As such, you should check out the different services that a website offers before making your decision.
Pros and Cons of Online Legal Services
As helpful as online legal services can be, they do have their sets of pros and cons, which we will list here for you.
Pros of Online Legal Services
The biggest pro of online legal services is that they are much more affordable compared to actual attorneys. You can get the services that you need at a lower cost, making them a great option for independent entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Having said that, it would be best to check your company’s budget for legal matters and figuring out if investing in legal services will help you grow or make your profit margins suffer.
Cons of Online Legal Services
Online legal services aren’t perfect replacements for real attorneys. They may not be able to give you the hands-on guidance and attention that you need, for example. A proper legal team may also be needed if you have to go to court or if there is a complicated legal matter that needs attending.
Tips on Choosing the Best Online Legal Services to Help You Start Your Business
If you have no idea where to begin in terms of finding the best online legal services to help you start your business, here are some tips to help you out.
Check the website's reputation.
Before choosing a website for online legal services, check its reputation. How many people trust the service and what are their reviews? Do your due diligence and read different reviews to get a feel of how trustworthy a website really is.
Check the services.
As mentioned earlier, the websites that you choose should suit your business needs so make sure to check all of the services that a website has to offer.
Check the prices.
That aside, check how much their services cost as well and whether they fit within your budget. This includes any add-on charges for services that you might need.