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Should I Use LegalZoom?

legalzoom.com·Analyzed 1 week ago··Based on 14 sources

LegalZoom has step-by-step tools and attorney guidance for your business and personal legal needs.

Verdict

Depends

Buy LegalZoom if you're a first-time founder who wants guided paperwork plus attorney backup and will pay for convenience.

Confidence: Medium

Skip it if you're price-sensitive or facing a complex legal matter — file with your state directly or hire a lawyer.

Legit and easy, but you pay a premium for hand-holding. The $0 price still means state fees; hidden-fee and refund complaints recur.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • $0 + state filing fees

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Users repeatedly question price vs DIY filing
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Step-by-step flow widely described as easy
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Formation, IP, estate, virtual mail, legal plans
  • Support quality: 3/5. Staff praise and refund complaints both recur
  • Security posture: 4/5. MFA, security page, disclosure program; no public breaches
  • 3.1/5 G2 rating 16 reviews
  • 4/5 Trustpilot rating customer reviews
  • $0 LLC starting price + state filing fees
  • 20+ years Track record per LLC University

Pricing

Basic LLC/corporation formation

$0 + state filing fees

  • Step-by-step filing workflow
  • State fees billed separately
  • Add-ons offered at checkout

LLC package (per LLC University)

$299/yr + state fees

  • Annual package tier cited by reviewers
  • Includes ongoing filing services
  • Varies by package

Business Advisory Plan

Not stated in evidence

  • Pre-paid attorney access
  • 10% off other LegalZoom products
  • 25% off additional services
Best for and not for

Best for

  • First-time LLC founders wanting guidance
  • DIY wills, trusts, estate basics
  • Owners wanting attorney access on subscription
  • Non-lawyers filing trademarks or DBAs

Not for

  • Budget founders — file with your state directly instead
  • Complex estate or legal matters needing real counsel
  • Anyone allergic to checkout upsells and hidden fees
  • Teams wanting cheap, unbundled legal help

Biggest gotcha

  • high'$0' pricing still requires state filing fees; paid add-ons appear at checkout²
  • highRefund and hidden-fee complaints recur across review sites⁹
  • mediumLLC University cites $299/yr plus state fees for a package — budget beyond the headline price⁴

Pros

  • 20-year history of successful business formations⁴
  • Step-by-step tools with independent attorney guidance¹
  • LLC formation starts at $0 plus state fees²
  • Trustpilot reviewers frequently praise staff as extremely helpful⁶
  • Strong industry reputation, mostly positive reviews10

Cons

  • G2 rating is just 3.1/5
  • Customers report hidden fees and refund problems⁹
  • Class action alleged deceptive business practices13
  • Redditors openly debate whether it's a rip-off⁷
  • Estate-planning users ask if they made a huge mistake⁸

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Reviews split: easy process and helpful staff on one side; hidden fees, refund fights, and 'is it worth it?' doubt on the other.

“In Aug 2017, I used LegalZoom to create two LLCs”
Reddit, r/LegalZoom
“For anyone considering using LegalZoom be wary.”
Facebook group post

Companies that use it

  • Chi'lantro BBQ
  • Headspace

Methodology

Based on ~25 public sources: G2, Trustpilot, BBB, Reddit, Forbes, NerdWallet, ConsumerAffairs, MarketWatch, and LegalZoom's own pages.

Sources

  1. LegalZoom official sitelegalzoom.com
    official
  2. LegalZoom LLC pricing pagelegalzoom.com
    official
  3. LegalZoom security pagelegalzoom.com
    security
  4. LegalZoom LLC Review — LLC Universityllcuniversity.com
    review
  5. LegalZoom Reviews — G2g2.com
    review
  6. LegalZoom Customer Reviews — Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  7. Is LegalZoom a rip off? — Reddit r/smallbusinessreddit.com
    review
  8. Did we make a huge mistake by using LegalZoom? — Reddit r/EstatePlanningreddit.com
    review
  9. Hidden fees and refund complaints — Facebook groupfacebook.com
    review
  10. LegalZoom Review — MarketWatchmarketwatch.com
    review
  11. LegalZoom LLC Review — Forbes Advisorforbes.com
    review
  12. LegalZoom Review — NerdWalletnerdwallet.com
    review
  13. Class action over deceptive business practices — Top Class Actionstopclassactions.com
    news
  14. LegalZoom LLC Review and Comparison Guide — Wolters Kluwerwolterskluwer.com
    review

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