LegalZoom vs. LegalShield: More support for your business
LegalZoom vs. LegalShield: More support for your business
LegalZoom vs. LegalShield
LegalZoom vs. LegalShield
LegalZoom is the #1 choice for online attorney services, offering ongoing legal guidance plus practical tools to help you start, run, and protect your business.
Get legal advice
Get the most out of your legal plan
Get the most out of your legal plan
LegalShield offers prepaid legal plans primarily for disputes and specific legal issues. LegalZoom gives you attorney access for everyday business needs, plus tools like forms, formation services, compliance coverage, and IP protection when you need to take the next step.
Get affordable attorney support from LegalZoom
Get affordable attorney support from LegalZoom
Set your business up for success with LegalZoom
Set your business up for success with LegalZoom
 Business Attorney Plan |  Small Business Basic | |
|---|---|---|
$259 ($43.17/mo) | 6-month subscription | $359.70 ($59.95/mo) |
$469 ($39.09/mo) | 12-month subscription | $647.40 ($53.95/mo) |
 | Unlimited consults | |
| Legal doc library | ❌ |
| Doc review | |
| Unlimited eSignatures | ❌ |
| Copyright registration | ❌ |
| Business health check | |
| Debt collection letters | |
❌ | IRS audit help | |
❌ | Trial defense hours | |
25% | Discount on additional attorney services | 15% |
| | |
|---|---|---|
| Business formation | ❌ |
| Business compliance coverage | ❌ |
| Legal doc library | ❌ |
| Registered agent | ❌ |
| Virtual mail | ❌ |
| Intellectual property protection | ❌ |
| Attorney support | |
Legal support you can count on
When you're busy running a business, it helps to know someone has your back. LegalZoom’s Business Attorney Plan connects you with an experienced attorney to help you work through everyday legal matters, such as contracts, compliance, hiring, collections, and day-to-day operational questions.
And when your needs go beyond a single question, LegalZoom makes it easier to keep moving. You can get help reviewing documents, use ready-to-go legal forms, and tap into the broader business services many owners need next—all in one place.
#1 choice for online attorney services
Trusted by 1.7M+ people*
Experienced attorney network
Licensed in all 50 states
Ongoing attorney access
Get support for about $1/day
A legal safety net for your business and beyond
A legal safety net for your business and beyond
Business Attorney Plan
/mo billed every 6 months at $259** /mo billed annually at $469**
Unlimited 30-minute attorney consults on new legal matters†- Attorney review for contracts and key documents (10 pages included)‡
One-hour annual consultation to keep your business on track, available after 6 months
Library of 150+ frequently used business and personal legal templates
Rich editor to customize our LegalZoom forms
Unlimited access to eSignature
One copyright registration per month§
Get 10% off filings, trademarks, and other LegalZoom services
25% off additional attorney services through our attorney network
29 Years
Licensed in North Carolina
Why choose LegalZoom over LegalShield?
Since 2001, LegalZoom has helped customers achieve more than nine million legal milestones. With LegalZoom, you choose the service that fits the legal task in front of you, whether that’s forming a business, managing compliance, protecting your intellectual property, or getting ongoing legal support through the Business Attorney Plan.
LegalShield primarily offers prepaid legal plans, divided into three tiers with varying benefits, limits, and exclusions. The plan structure makes it harder to know what you’re paying for—or whether you need to upgrade to get the support you expected.
Better fit for new business owners
Most business owners need help with setup and day-to-day decisions before they need trial defense hours or debt collection letters. LegalZoom is built for that earlier, broader stretch of the journey, pairing attorney access with formation services that support owners as they launch and grow.
LegalShield is more narrowly built around prepaid legal coverage, which can be valuable later, but is arguably not as well-matched to what most founders need out of the gate.
More value and plan flexibility
Traditional legal help can get expensive fast, with average business attorney rates in the U.S. around $377 per hour. LegalZoom’s Business Attorney Plan gives business owners a more affordable way to get ongoing legal guidance, starting at about $39 to $43 per month.
LegalShield’s business plans start at $53.95 per month and climb as high as $169.95 per month, which can easily cost you thousands over the course of a year.
If your legal issue requires more assistance than the Business Attorney Plan covers, LegalZoom can still help you save more. Plan members get a flat 25% discount when they hire a network attorney for additional legal work. LegalShield also offers savings on out-of-plan services, but only its most expensive subscription tier matches LegalZoom’s 25% rate.
Built-in documents, templates, and eSign
LegalZoom includes 150+ attorney-drafted templates and unlimited eSignature tools, so business owners can create, customize, and sign common legal documents in one place—then have a LegalZoom network attorney review them when they need it.
LegalShield doesn’t offer a comparable form library, and you’re limited to the document checks and lawyer-created letters included in your tier. Its basic plan also includes only one eSignature per year, so you’ll need to upgrade to a higher tier to get unlimited signing capabilities.
Long-term support as your business expands
LegalZoom knows that a founder’s needs don’t stop at legal advice. As your business grows, you may need annual filings, foreign qualifications, trademarks, and ongoing compliance support. LegalShield gives you attorney access, but LegalZoom pairs attorney access with the products and services your business needs for its next chapter.
Trusted by business owners for decades
With more than 25 years of experience, LegalZoom has helped millions of entrepreneurs start, run, and protect their businesses with confidence. Our network attorneys are licensed in all 50 states, with an average of 15 years of experience and a 4.8 out of 5 customer rating. For business owners looking for more than just a legal plan, we offer the scale and credibility of a provider built for the long haul.
Better fit for new business owners
Most business owners need help with setup and day-to-day decisions before they need trial defense hours or debt collection letters. LegalZoom is built for that earlier, broader stretch of the journey, pairing attorney access with formation services that support owners as they launch and grow.
LegalShield is more narrowly built around prepaid legal coverage, which can be valuable later, but is not as arguably well-matched to what most founders need out of the gate.
More value and plan flexibility
Traditional legal help can get expensive fast, with average business attorney rates in the U.S. around $377 per hour. LegalZoom’s Business Attorney Plan gives business owners a more affordable way to get ongoing legal guidance, starting at about $39 to $43 per month.
LegalShield’s business plans start at $53.95 per month and climb as high as $169.95 per month, which can easily cost you thousands over the course of a year.
If your legal issue requires more assistance than the Business Attorney Plan covers, LegalZoom can still help you save more. Plan members get a flat 25% discount when they hire a network attorney for additional legal work. LegalShield also offers savings on out-of-plan services, but only its most expensive subscription tier matches LegalZoom’s 25% rate.
Built-in documents, templates, and eSign
LegalZoom includes 150+ attorney-drafted templates and unlimited eSignature tools, so business owners can create, customize, and sign common legal documents in one place—then have a LegalZoom network attorney review them when they need it.
LegalShield doesn’t offer a comparable form library, and you’re limited to the document checks and lawyer-created letters included in your tier. Its basic plan also includes only one eSignature per year, so you’ll need to upgrade to a higher tier to get unlimited signing capabilities.
Long-term support as your business expands
LegalZoom knows that a founder’s needs don’t stop at legal advice. As your business grows, you may need annual filings, foreign qualifications, trademarks, and ongoing compliance support. LegalShield gives you attorney access, but LegalZoom pairs attorney access with the products and services your business needs for its next chapter.
Trusted by business owners for decades
With more than 25 years of experience, LegalZoom has helped millions of entrepreneurs start, run, and protect their businesses with confidence. Our network attorneys are licensed in all 50 states, with an average of 15 years of experience and a 4.8 out of 5 customer rating. For business owners looking for more than just a legal plan, we offer the scale and credibility of a provider built for the long haul.
Ways our Business Attorney Plans can help
Business formation
When starting a business, an attorney can help you choose the right entity, review your operating agreement, and answer key setup questions.
Business growth
As your business expands, an attorney can advise on bringing in investors, hiring decisions, or reviewing a lease for a new location.
Day-to-day business
Get ongoing help with the legal tasks that keep your business running—like reviewing contracts, NDAs, or navigating state laws.
Compliance issues
Stay in good standing and avoid penalties with help from an attorney who can guide you through state specific filing requirements.
Litigation risk
If your business is sued, an attorney can walk you through the process and help you understand what steps you'll need to take to respond.
Intellectual property
To protect your business name, logo, or creative work, an attorney can point you in the right direction for trademark or patent needs.
Start my plan
LegalZoom vs. LegalShield: Which service is better for your business?
The best choice comes down to the kind of legal support you want for your business: proactive guidance for everyday decisions, or coverage for more specific legal issues and disputes when they come up.
Choose LegalZoom if you want:
Choose LegalZoom if you want:
Affordable ongoing attorney access for everyday business questions and legal needs
150+ customizable legal forms and unlimited eSignatures to quickly create and execute your documents
One platform that can also support formation, expansion, compliance, and IP needs
Choose LegalShield if you want:
Choose LegalShield if you want:
Protection for future legal disputes or conflicts
Collections letters, lawyer calls, and trial-defense coverage, depending on the tier
For most founders, LegalZoom’s Business Attorney Plan is the better overall value, because it helps with the legal work you’re more likely to face every week, not just the legal fights you may face later.
Ready to have a trusted legal partner by your side?
Start my plan
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between LegalZoom and LegalShield?
LegalZoom is a broader online legal service for individuals and businesses. In addition to prepaid legal access with unlimited 30-minute consultations, LegalZoom offers business formation, compliance, intellectual property, estate plan, and virtual mail services. LegalShield is primarily a prepaid legal plan provider—you pay for access to a law firm for consultations, document review, and certain attorney services included in your tier.
Is LegalZoom cheaper than LegalShield for business legal help?
It depends on the kind of support you need, since the plans are structured differently. But for many common business needs, such as asking legal questions, getting documents reviewed, or signing and executing documents, LegalZoom’s Business Attorney Plan is the more affordable option, starting at $39.09/month (billed annually at $469) compared to LegalShield’s $53.95/month (billed annually at $647.46) starting price.
What happens if I need legal help beyond what’s included in the plan?
LegalZoom and LegalShield offer discounts on legal work that falls outside the scope of their plans. LegalShield’s discount varies by tier (15%–25%), while LegalZoom offers a flat 25% discount on additional attorney services through our network.
Is LegalZoom or LegalShield better for trademark registration?
LegalZoom is the better choice for trademark registration. We handle trademark filings through LZ Legal Services, our in-house law firm focusing on small business intellectual property protection. LegalShield does not offer trademark registration as a direct service, so you’re generally limited to asking legal questions or getting guidance rather than having the filing handled for you.
LZ Legal Services is also the #1 law firm filer by volume for U.S.-based businesses at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which gives business owners added confidence that they’re working with a team with deep experience in trademark filings.
Do LegalZoom or LegalShield offer estate plan services?
Yes, but they’re structured differently. LegalZoom offers comprehensive estate plan packages for wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives, with one year of attorney support included in our premium plans. LegalShield offers most of these documents in all personal legal plans, but living trusts are only included with its premium tier—and you need to pay an additional $250/person to draft the document after subscribing.
Can I cancel LegalShield’s subscription anytime?
According to LegalShield’s cancellation policy, you can cancel your prepaid monthly subscription at any time by sending a written request to their Customer Service Team. However, if you have an annual membership, you’re only eligible to cancel your membership after your first 12 months. All cancellation requests must be in writing. You cannot cancel over the phone or online.
