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Los Angeles March 19, 2001
INSIGHTS daily insight
Law in Order
Think someone has to be crazy to launch a pure-play dot-com these days? Maybe not, depending upon the company and the big guns they have on board. One such online startup is Legalzoom.com, which draws star power in the form of co-founder Robert Shapiro, best-known for his position on the high-profile legal team that got O.J. Simpson off the hook.
Legalzoom.com, which facilitates online legal document preparation, made its debut at last week's Internet World conference in Los Angeles. And Shapiro doesn't think they're arriving late to the party. "Not at all," he exclaimed with an attorney's bluster, while waving around a chicken leg. "Sure, you've seen some bad companies get hit, but that doesn't negate the power of a good idea online."
Legalzoom.com is not a law firm, doesn't give legal advice, and actively refers people with complex legal issues to an attorney. Instead, they allow you to prepare online a range of legal documents typically filed with courts and government agencies--from wills and living trusts to restraining orders, divorces, and prenuptial agreements--for about one-tenth the cost of what an attorney would charge. Is that a tacit admission that most lawyers gouge their clients in fees? "No, it just means that in not very complex matters you can do it yourself."
"Besides," he added. "Now that all the noise has died down in the online world we hope to stand out a little more." He's got a point. The static surrounding the hundreds of dot-com startups has thankfully diminished, but the very real potential of the Internet remains strong. The power of a good idea remains eternal. You don't need to go to court to prove that.
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