I run a small 8-person landscaping business and we've been using a local attorney on an hourly basis, which is getting expensive for routine stuff like contract reviews and employee handbook updates. I've been looking at Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom for ongoing legal help. Does anyone have experience with either for a business our size? Mainly need help with contracts, lease review, and maybe some HR questions. Not looking for full legal representation, just more predictable costs.
legal services
I'm comparing Rocket Lawyer and LegalZoom for ongoing legal help
Used LegalZoom for an LLC setup years ago, it was fine for that. But for ongoing help, I found their subscription pretty limited. A lot of the 'legal advice' is just document templates and a help center. The attorney consultations are short and they often push you to upgrade.
How many contracts a month are we talking? That might change the math. If it's 2-3, maybe just use a lawyer on demand.
I tried Rocket Lawyer's trial and wasn't impressed. The documents felt generic and when I had a specific clause I wanted reviewed, the attorney said it was outside the scope of the subscription. I'd rather pay per document from a local lawyer I trust. But that's just me.
Both are fine for basic templates, but for anything that needs actual legal judgment, you get what you pay for. My cousin uses LegalZoom for her small shop and she says it's ok for cookie-cutter stuff but she keeps a real lawyer for anything serious.
We've had LegalZoom's business plan for about a year. It's decent for standard contracts, but the turnaround on attorney questions can be slow. Like 2-3 business days sometimes. For HR questions it's been hit or miss. The cost is predictable though, which was our main goal.
Thanks for the input. @muddy_river_88 probably 3-4 contracts a month, plus maybe 1-2 HR questions. That's why I was leaning toward a subscription.
That's not a ton. Have you considered a prepaid legal plan through your chamber of commerce? Sometimes they have group rtes.
Not a lawyer (just played one on TV), but I've heard Rocket Lawyer's attorney network is more responsive than LegalZoom's. Could be worth testing both with a simple question and see who gets back to you faster. Also check if they have a trial.
I second the trial idea. Rocket Lawyer gives you a free trial, use it to ask a real question and see the quality.
One more thing: with LegalZoom, make sure you read the fine print on what's included. Their 'unlimited' attorney consultations often have a cap, like 30 minutes per issue.