Legal services providers are at a critical inflection point. Their rates have not recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. This is due to increased competition and the growing demand for affordable legal solutions.
LegalShield provides legal assistance with all personal issues (including traffic violations, obtaining orders of protection, divorce and adoptions), as well as small business matters such as zoning, bankruptcy, employment, audit support, trademarks, patents and more.
LegalZoom
LegalZoom is a leader in the online legal service industry, with over 20 years of experience. They have helped form more than two million business entities and have a strong brand recognition. They also offer a comprehensive range of products and services, including LLC formations, trademark registration, and DBA registration.
Unlike some of the other competitors, LegalZoom offers a complete set of products and services for a very reasonable price. However, they are not the cheapest option, as their one-off services tend to be slightly more expensive than the competition’s offerings. In addition, their turnaround times aren’t as fast as some of the other providers in the space.
While most of LegalZoom’s product offerings are geared toward small businesses, they do offer more expansive options for individuals. Their personal level plans include access to an attorney for questions about legal matters and help drafting documents. They also offer a prepaid legal assistance membership, which includes unlimited 30-minute consultations with an attorney for a monthly fee.
The company’s site is easy to navigate, and they provide useful resources for customers. Their FAQs section is well organized and covers a wide variety of topics. They also have a live chat feature that is available during business hours. However, some of the customer reviews complain about slow response times and a lack of support from the company.
Another complaint about LegalZoom is that it tries to upsell its customers on additional services. When you order a business entity formation, for example, they will try to sell you registered agent services, business license research packages, and even a legal services subscription service. It is important to choose only the add-on services you need.
While the company is not a law firm, they do partner with thousands of legal consultants who help customers with various legal issues. This makes them a great choice for entrepreneurs who need broad legal help. In addition, they offer a money back guarantee on their services. While this is not as extensive as Rocket Lawyer’s, it is still an excellent offer for entrepreneurs.
FindLaw
FindLaw is a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters and offers legal information through a consumer-facing directory and lawyer profiles. This online directory draws significant traffic from Google searches, and it is a major source of recurring ad revenue for the company. Attorneys can pay for a premium profile, but this is not guaranteed to appear in relevant search results.
The company also offers marketing services for attorneys, including PPC, social media and content marketing. This can be helpful for attorneys who have a limited budget, but they should always check the results of their campaigns. If they don’t see the return on investment, they should consider a new agency.
According to research conducted by SpyFu, FindLaw ranks highly for SEO keywords that are important to attorneys. However, this is only a small part of the search engine landscape. Moreover, many law firms have multiple websites that compete with one another for the same search terms. If these websites are not combined, they can create a bloated search engine footprint and lower the quality of their rankings. Additionally, some law firm marketing firms may work for competing attorneys in the same practice area and jurisdiction, which can cause a conflict of interest.
In addition to SEO and paid advertising, FindLaw also provides free legal information and documents. These resources include legal articles and blogs, state laws, case law and codes, and DIY legal forms. This website is an excellent resource for consumers seeking legal information. However, it does not provide enough information to help a consumer select the best lawyer for their case.
A good law firm marketing company will have a strong background in online marketing and SEO. They will be able to create and manage your website, blog, and social media accounts. They should also have experience in managing PPC and other digital advertising campaigns. They should also have a solid understanding of the legal marketplace and be able to provide you with a roadmap to success. Additionally, they should be able to demonstrate their value through data and metrics. This will help you make an informed decision about which law firm marketing company is right for your business.
Blumberg Excelsior
Blumberg Excelsior was founded in 1887 and is a family run business. The company has evolved from a small two room store to a full service corporate supplies and information retrieval firm. Their headquarters are located in Menands, New York. Their employees work in a state of the art facility and are always looking for ways to improve their product and services.
In addition to their bankruptcy forms, they offer a full range of legal documents for use in other types of cases. These include family law, wills, trusts, probate and other business documents. The forms are professionally drafted and comply with state laws. They are used by individuals involved in real estate transactions, business owners and entrepreneurs, and attorneys and legal professionals.
The company has a long history of providing high quality and efficient legal forms. They also provide professional support and customer service. This allows their customers to save time and money on their legal paperwork. They also provide assistance with preparing for court appearances and filing motions.
Blumberg has a wide variety of products and is constantly expanding their offerings. Their bankruptcy forms are designed to help attorneys and paralegals prepare for a case quickly and easily. They are easy to read and contain clear instructions for filling out each section. In addition, the forms have been tested for accuracy and usability.
These forms can be completed online or printed for signature and mailing. They are available in all states and are updated regularly to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. They are also a great resource for lawyers and paralegals who need to document case-specific information.
The company also offers a suite of software that helps law firms manage their operations and workflows. This includes a database of court forms and rules, as well as tools for case management, billing and scheduling. The software is designed to make it easier for lawyers to handle large caseloads.
The company also provides corporate and LLC dissolution services in all states. Prices include the state fee and a Blumberg service fee for filing the dissolution and obtaining tax clearance. They can also file annual reports for businesses in all states. This saves time and eliminates uncertainties about annual report deadlines.
UpCounsel
UpCounsel is a platform that connects businesses with attorneys who can meet their legal needs quickly. The service makes it easy for businesses to post jobs, sift through proposals, and book appointments. The service also helps businesses find the right attorney for their specific needs, and can provide a more affordable alternative to hiring a full-service law firm.
The service is free to lawyers, who can earn a commission on the work they accept through UpCounsel. However, the company claims it is working to reduce its fee structure and make it more transparent. For example, they are adding a new feature called Direct Connect, which will allow clients to book meetings with attorneys directly. This will help the company avoid paying commissions on legal fees and ensure that all parties have an accurate understanding of their costs.
Before the acquisition, UpCounsel was generating 30% of its revenue by charging clients a commission on the lawyer fees they paid through UpCounsel. This made it difficult for the company to predict its revenue and caused its earnings to fluctuate unpredictably. In order to improve its financial stability, UpCounsel’s new management team has flipped some of that cost to the attorneys. In addition, they have reduced the commission to 8%, reducing the overall cost for the clients of UpCounsel’s services.
Unlike traditional law firms, UpCounsel lawyers are paid by the project rather than hourly. This makes it easier for companies to plan and budget their legal costs, and eliminates the frustration of unexpected charges or fees billed by the hour. The lawyers on UpCounsel are carefully screened, and many of them have been trained in a variety of areas of business law. They also typically have an impressive background in business law and extensive experience with prestigious law firms.
UpCounsel has a reputation for providing high-quality, affordable legal advice. Their clients range from individuals to large companies, and the platform offers a wide variety of legal services. The website has a user-friendly interface and allows users to search for attorneys based on their area of expertise. It also features an option to filter by location, making it easy for users to find a lawyer that meets their specific needs.
