In the course of operating a small business, you’ll find yourself trying to keep seemingly hundreds of plates spinning to keep things running smoothly. There are services out there to help you do your taxes like QuickBooks or FreshBooks, apps to help you find business financing like Nav, but there are also legal services that could possibly be a boon to your company.

From LegalZoom to Rocket Lawyer, you can sign up for anywhere from $10 to $40 per month to utilize a variety of legal services that are promoted to come at a significant discount compared to more typical fees charged in an attorney’s office. But should you use pre-paid legal services? Even though the price is relatively low, will you receive the quality service your business needs? 

Some Top Features

In terms of what’s normally included in a pre-paid legal plan, the following is usually available in some capacity, even though some listings might require advanced membership levels:

• Discounts on general attorney services
• Free 30-minute telephone consultations
• Legal document reviews
• Assistance with family law-related consultation
• Certain tax questions
• Incorporation assistance

The tools your growing business needs

Running a business is tough, but there are plenty of services that make it easier. From bookkeeping to payroll to credit help — get the services you need to thrive.

Browse Business Services

Typical Monthly Costs

Monthly costs can range depending upon the plan selected and the additional add-ons that are incorporated into the plan. But typical monthly costs can range from as low as $10 per month to around $50 per month. Then there could be special situational costs for add-ons that are required.

My Verdict

In my opinion, there’s no real need to purchase a pre-paid legal plan. The typical sales pitch involved with pre-paid legal plans is that one can purchase the plans upfront (while the coast is clear) and this would somehow lead to a lower cost down the line should a proverbial fire break out requiring the need of covered legal assistance. However, here are my arguments for why the service isn’t required:

• It’s hard to judge the quality of the attorney that you are being recommended and if their advice is something based on experience, or if the attorney you are being recommended has very low experience and thus, using your case as their guinea pig. Said attorney’s strategy could be rapid settlements rather than truly providing a quality form of representation.
• If you are recommended a quality attorney, it’s very difficult to quantify if you are truly getting a 20% to 40% discount on their services, because most of the time an attorney’s pricing is not posted anymore. No two cases are the same and each case is customized in terms of pricing based on the level of work involved. As a result, it’s difficult to gauge if you are truly getting a discount or if the attorney didn’t just randomly mark-up his normal price and take it down to your supposed 25% off price.
• The promoted aspects of getting quality attorney representation for a very low cost is sort of like promoting the efficient mixture of oil and water. Quality attorney representation and low cost aren’t two statements that mix well with each other. Quality attorney representation usually comes at an efficient market price, not necessarily a low cost.
• Most of the legal document assistance can be completed on your own using various resources that are now available on the internet.
• Finally, most attorneys offer a free consultation for a variety of matters. As a result, the 30 minute telephone consultation included isn’t something that’s of true benefit.

Boost Your Chances of Getting Funding

Create a free Nav account to get personalized financing options that fit your unique business.

Sign Up