shouldiuse.io

Report

Should I Use UpCounsel?

upcounsel.com·Analyzed 2 days ago··Based on 14 sources

Marketplace to find and hire expert business attorneys, plus free legal documents

Verdict

Depends

Fine for startups and small businesses needing one-off legal work — contracts, incorporation, IP — at marketplace rates.

Confidence: Medium

Avoid if you need responsive support, ongoing counsel, or a vendor with a stable track record.

Legal marketplace with thin recent reputation: okay for one-off startup legal needs, risky for ongoing counsel.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • Varies; attorney hourly rates

    Starting price

  • 14

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Quote-based pricing; 'caveat emptor' warning from reviewer
  • Ease of use. No independent usability evidence found
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Attorney marketplace plus free document library
  • Support quality: 2/5. 'Zero customer service' complaint; BBB filings exist
  • Security posture: 2/5. Has security page; named in breach-related article
  • 117 Reviews.io reviews Mixed; some cite poor support
  • 4 Trustpilot reviews Very thin sample
  • $1.5M Seed raised (2013) Per TechCrunch
  • 35%+ Client re-hire rate Company's own claim

Pricing

Marketplace — pay per matter

Varies; attorney hourly rates

  • Project quotes per engagement
  • Free legal document library
Best for and not for

Best for

  • Startups needing incorporation or IP help
  • One-off contract reviews and drafting
  • Small businesses comparison-shopping attorney quotes
  • Free legal templates before hiring anyone

Not for

  • Attorneys expecting steady, well-managed work — several say stay away
  • Enterprises needing accountable, long-term counsel
  • Anyone who needs responsive customer support
  • High-stakes matters where vendor failure is unacceptable

Biggest gotcha

  • highCustomer-support complaints appear in reviews; expect slow help when things break⁷
  • highNearly closed in 2020 — continuity risk if you need multi-month legal work10
  • mediumQuote-based pricing with no public rates — demand itemized fees before committing²
  • mediumAttorney-side complaints on BBB may limit which lawyers stay on the platform⁸

Pros

  • Marketplace of business attorneys across contracts, IP, securities, incorporation
  • Free legal document library for common business forms³
  • Startup-focused help: incorporation, IP, venture financing
  • Company claims over 35% of clients re-hire their attorney⁵
  • Listed among best online legal services for startups in 202613

Cons

  • Only 4 Trustpilot reviews — independent reputation is thin⁶
  • BBB complaints; attorneys warned to stay away⁸
  • complaint alleges zero customer service⁷
  • Nearly shut down in 2020; marketplace viability concerns persist10
  • Independent reviewer's verdict: 'caveat emptor'⁹

Security

Publishes a security page, but was named in a 2024 legal article listing application breaches.

  • Named in application-breach articleListed alongside Zoom and Relativity in a legal article on application breaches; specifics not detailed in the source.12

What users say

Independent reviews are sparse and mixed: some clients value attorney access, while complaints cite poor support and attorney frustration with the platform.

“ATTORNEYS STAY AWAY.”
BBB complaint
“Caveat Emptor”
Medium, Ross Blankenship

Companies that use it

  • Charming Charlie
  • Stanfy
  • Aivvy
  • Signatures Capital

Methodology

Based on 25+ public sources; many review snippets truncated, so rating averages could not be verified.

Sources

  1. UpCounsel homepageupcounsel.com
    official
  2. UpCounsel pricing pageupcounsel.com
    official
  3. UpCounsel free legal documentsupcounsel.com
    official
  4. UpCounsel security pageupcounsel.com
    official
  5. For Attorneys: Networking & Jobsupcounsel.com
    official
  6. Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.com
    review
  7. Reviews.io — 117 customer reviewsreviews.io
    review
  8. BBB complaintsbbb.org
    review
  9. Medium business-model reviewmedium.com
    review
  10. Law.com — UpCounsel avoids closure (2020)law.com
    news
  11. TechCrunch — $1.5M raise (2013)techcrunch.com
    news
  12. Application breaches article mentioning UpCounselbairdholm.com
    security
  13. TRUiC — best online legal services for startupsstartupsavant.com
    review
  14. Reddit r/LawFirm thread on UpCounselreddit.com
    review

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