Legal Articles

Thursday 5 February 2015

Are Online Legal Services a Small Business’s Best Friend?


Are Online Legal Services a Small Business’s Best Friend?  

I remember the first time I saw a Robert Shapiro commercial promoting LegalZoom.  My initial thought was, “Hey, isn’t that one of the lawyers from the O.J. Simpson trial? Does he really need to do TV commercials?” But after that, the product intrigued me and I realized its brilliance: the average person has no idea where to find a reputable lawyer for all of life’s legal matters nor can the average person afford steep attorney fees. This guy is a freakin’ genius!

Legal Zoom was founded over ten years ago, and now the online legal market has grown by leaps and bounds. There are many companies that are offering free legal documents online to entice the small business owner like one would offer a sample piece of chocolate at a candy shop. Many startups are taking the bait because let’s face it, money is tight. If you can incorporate your company, secure early-stage financing, and hire employees and compensate them with stock options by just filling out a few free documents online, why wouldn’t you?

Herein lays the problem: somewhere along the line you are going to need a professional’s legal judgment and advice. No law, no form, and certainly no small business can squeeze into a one-size-fits-all model. In addition, many of the law firms that are offering the free forms only specialize in one aspect of business and still charge high fees if a small business owner does in fact need one-on-one legal counsel.

Now, this is why UpCounsel stands out among the crowd of online lawyers – we have thousands of business lawyers across the country who specialize in every issue a small business may be faced with. From filing for patents to labor laws to real estate issues to partnerships, UpCounsel has reputable attorneys who have the knowledge and experience to address your needs. And not only do we have a pool of experts, but with the Internet we are able to do away with traditional overhead costs to bring our clients significantly lower rates.

Okay, I know we all like to get free stuff, but when is something not free? When you get a padded bill to pay for what you thought was free.


Business Attorney, Business Lawyer

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