The 8 Best Online Legal Services—Reviewed and Ranked

16/11/2024
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It’s vital that you get the best online legal services for your small business.

The right online legal service will ensure that your rights and physical and intellectual property are protected, and will protect your business from people who want to take the business you’ve worked so hard to create. 

The wrong online legal service will provide poor legal service which can leave you vulnerable to a world of problems that include lawsuits (including but not limited to product failures and accidents, and employees who leave your business to compete against you, or even worse, take sensitive company data or business secrets with them.

To save time and confusion when looking for the best online legal service for your business, I’ve investigated and reviewed the online legal service market. Here are the best online legal services for small businesses. 

1. Northwest Registered Agent—9.31/10 (Best Online Legal Service)

Northwest Registered Agent is a top-tier service specializing in LLC formation and compliance. Known for its commitment to privacy, transparent pricing, and exceptional customer support, it has earned its reputation as one of the best online legal services. Their LLC formation package starts at $39 plus state fees, and it includes one year of registered agent services. With a straightforward approach and a dedicated team of Corporate Guides, Northwest ensures entrepreneurs can focus on growing their businesses while leaving the complexities of compliance to the experts. Their personalized support and privacy-first policies make them a standout choice.

Advantages of Forming an LLC with Northwest Registered Agent

Northwest Registered Agent offers unmatched support for small business owners forming an LLC. Their pricing is clear and competitive—just $39 plus state fees, with no hidden charges. This transparency ensures that entrepreneurs can budget effectively from the start. The inclusion of a full year of registered agent services at no additional cost adds tremendous value. Registered agents handle critical legal and tax documents, ensuring compliance without burdening the business owner.

Another significant advantage is privacy protection. Northwest uses its address on public filings, shielding your personal information from public records. This level of confidentiality is rare and invaluable in today’s digital age.

Their Corporate Guide system provides personalized support. Unlike other services, Northwest assigns a dedicated expert to your account, offering tailored advice and assistance through every stage of the LLC formation process. Whether you need help with paperwork, compliance, or EIN acquisition, their Corporate Guides ensure a seamless experience.

Northwest Registered Agent also excels in long-term compliance. Their tools and reminders help businesses file annual reports and maintain good standing with state authorities. With over two decades of experience, their reliability and attention to detail make them a preferred choice for small business owners nationwide.

Disadvantages of Northwest Registered Agent

Despite its many strengths, Northwest Registered Agent has a few drawbacks. The service focuses on LLC formation and compliance, which means it lacks a broader range of legal offerings such as document libraries or direct legal consultations. This can be a limitation for businesses seeking a more comprehensive legal solution.

Additionally, while their pricing is transparent, it can be higher compared to competitors for ongoing services like compliance monitoring. For startups operating on a tight budget, the upfront cost may seem steep. Finally, their website, though functional, lacks some of the user-friendly features found in more modern platforms, which could enhance accessibility.

Summary of Northwest Registered Agent

Aspect Details
Rating 9.31/10 – Best online legal service
LLC Formation Pricing Starting at $39 + state fees
Included Services 1 year of registered agent services, privacy protection, and personalized support from expert Corporate Guides
Advantages Transparent pricing, privacy-first policies, compliance tools, and proven expertise
Disadvantages Limited to LLC services and higher ongoing costs for compliance monitoring

2. LegalNature—7.56/10 (Best for Only Legal Documents)

If the only thing you’re expecting to receive from online legal services is legal documents and forms, then LegalNature is a great choice for you.

LegalNature is an ideal platform for entrepreneurs who need access to a wide array of legal document templates. The service caters to businesses and individuals with an intuitive system that simplifies document creation and customization. From business agreements to real estate forms, their comprehensive library covers diverse legal needs. LegalNature’s annual subscription plan, priced at just $49, makes it an affordable option for those requiring regular access to legal documents. Although it lacks direct legal consultation or compliance tools, LegalNature is perfect for businesses focused on documentation.

Pros of Using LegalNature

LegalNature’s database of legal documents and business documents for self-service is comprehensive enough to include any form that a small business owner may need. It really is worth signing up for their online legal services just to access this database if all you need is access to customizable legal documents. 

The real standout feature that LegalNature offers, beyond their legal documents, is their online customization system. You simply fill out a form (similar to a questionnaire) and then the information is inserted into the legal documents for you.

The reason this customization feature is great, aside from being convenient, is because it minimizes the chances of human error in your documents and the chances of legal backlash as the result of entering incorrect information into the legal documents. 

They also provide business formation services as part of their online legal services.

You really won’t notice the value of LegalNature’s fee until you look at their yearly rate. Their monthly rate is $38.95, which is pretty typical of most online legal services. But they give you a great discount if you pay for their services annually, rather than monthly.

Their yearly rate is only $84 per year, which averages out to around $7 per month. That’s not a bad price considering you get access to a plethora of business documents with their online customization system for this price. 

Cons

The primary limitation of LegalNature is its lack of comprehensive legal services. While excellent for document creation, it doesn’t offer legal consultations, compliance support, or registered agent services. This means businesses may need to use additional providers to cover these areas.

Moreover, while the templates are suitable for standard legal needs, they might not accommodate highly specialized or complex situations. In such cases, additional customization or legal expertise may be necessary. Finally, compared to competitors that bundle document creation with consultations, LegalNature’s single-focus approach might not suit all users.

Overall

LegalNature provides small businesses with all the legal forms to meet their business needs. They have a comprehensive database of legal forms and they have a customization system that makes filling in legal forms easy. If you sign up for their yearly subscription, you’ll pay only $7 per month for these services, which is worth it just for the number of legal forms you’ll have access to. 

You won’t have access to legal advice from a lawyer or attorney with LegalNature. This online legal service isn’t a law firm and their customer service team isn’t composed of lawyers like Rocket Lawyer’s. So while they can answer questions about their services and guide you through technical issues, they can’t help you enforce your legal documents or give your small business legal advice or legal representation as part of their online legal services. 

You can read more about the legal forms LegalNature provides here.

Summary of LegalNature

Aspect Details
Rating 7.56/10 – Best for legal documents only
Subscription Pricing $38.95 per month or $84 per year
Key Features Comprehensive legal document database, user-friendly customization system, and business formation services
Advantages Affordable annual pricing, minimizes human error, and broad document coverage
Disadvantages No legal consultations, limited to standard legal needs, and lacks compliance tools

3. Harbor Compliance—7.24/10 (Best for Legal Compliance)

If the only service you expect from online legal services is assistance with maintaining legal compliance for your small business, then Harbor Compliance is a good choice.

Harbor Compliance is a specialized service catering to businesses that need assistance with regulatory compliance. They offer a robust suite of solutions, including licensing, tax registration, and annual report filing. Their standout feature is the assignment of a dedicated compliance specialist who provides personalized support tailored to the business’s specific needs. Harbor Compliance is particularly useful for businesses operating in heavily regulated industries. While their pricing is customized based on client requirements, their expertise in compliance management makes them a valuable partner for maintaining good standing with authorities.

Pros of Using Harbor Compliance

One of the perks of having an online legal service that only provides your business with one service is that the service they provide is high quality, which is enough to make any business owner content with the fact that they aren’t getting other services.

They have an easy-to-navigate and easy-to-learn monitoring system and you’ll be able to access all the information your business needs to remain compliant. Their business compliance system is comprehensive and reliable and it will exceed your small business needs.

While you may not have access to legal advice from an attorney or lawyer as part of Harbor Compliance’s online legal services, you’ll be surprised by how good their customer service is. You’ll be assigned a project manager, so you won’t call into some random customer service agent.

This project manager will be familiar with the ins and outs of your business and be able to tell you what you need to do to not only meet your business needs and maintain compliance, but also grow and improve your business. This level of personalized service is invaluable for small businesses. 

Cons

Harbor Compliance doesn’t offer many online legal services to assist small businesses with their legal needs. The only online legal service they provide is legal compliance assistance. You won’t have access to legal advice or consultations from a lawyer or attorney.

They don’t offer up any legal forms or legal documents for self-service and they don’t provide any assistance with enforcing legal documents or forms. And they don’t provide any business formation services. 

They’re not upfront about the price of their online legal services. They say “personalized services require personalized prices,” which is true to a degree. But from my research and review reading, it’s pretty clear that they charge small businesses the same prices that large enterprises are charged for the same services. So if you’re looking for a cost-effective, online legal service option, Harbor Compliance probably isn’t the best option for your business. 

Overall

Harbor Compliance is third on my list of best online legal services, but they’re my top pick for best business compliance service for small businesses. They provide comprehensive business compliance services that will meet your business needs. And the fact that they assign you a project manager means you won’t have to explain the same problem to random customer service representatives multiple times. 

You won’t be able to ask for legal advice or consultations from a lawyer or attorney if you choose Rocket Lawyer, and you won’t get legal forms or legal documents from this service, or enforcement assistance with legal documents or forms, and you won’t get business formation services. So if you need any of these online legal services, it may be wise to choose a different service to meet your business needs. 

You can get a free demo of Harbor Compliance’s software and systems here.

Summary of Harbor Compliance

Aspect Details
Rating 7.24/10 – Best for legal compliance
Key Features Compliance assistance, licensing, tax registration, annual report filing, and dedicated project managers
Advantages Personalized project managers, comprehensive compliance tools, and ideal for heavily regulated industries
Disadvantages No legal documents, consultations, or business formation services; unclear pricing structure
Pricing Custom pricing based on service requirements; not the most cost-effective option for small businesses

4. LegalShield—6.89/10 (Best for Affordable Legal Access)

LegalShield provides one online legal service for small businesses: attorney services. They won’t provide your small business with legal documents for self-service, give you help with enforcing legal forms, provide business formation service or help meet your business compliance needs. However, their attorney services are high quality. 

LegalShield provides businesses with affordable access to attorneys through a subscription-based model. Their plans start at $39 per month, covering legal consultations, document reviews, and more. Unlike many competitors, LegalShield allows subscribers to discuss multiple topics during consultations, offering flexibility for businesses with diverse legal needs. The service is backed by a network of experienced attorneys and includes 24/7 emergency access for urgent matters. While it lacks business formation or compliance services, LegalShield is an excellent option for small businesses seeking regular legal guidance without high hourly fees.

Advantages of Using LegalShield

LegalShield’s most significant advantage is its affordability. For just $39 per month, businesses can access a network of attorneys for consultations, document reviews, and other basic legal needs. This pricing model eliminates the need for costly hourly rates, making legal advice more accessible.

The service also stands out for its flexibility. Unlike competitors that limit consultations to specific topics, LegalShield allows businesses to discuss multiple legal issues, maximizing the value of each consultation. Subscribers also benefit from 24/7 emergency legal access, which is invaluable during crises.

LegalShield’s dedicated attorney network ensures that users receive professional advice tailored to their specific circumstances. By working with licensed attorneys across various practice areas, LegalShield delivers reliable and timely support for legal concerns ranging from contracts to intellectual property.

Disadvantages of LegalShield

The primary limitation of LegalShield is its restricted scope. While excellent for consultations, the service doesn’t provide business formation, compliance management, or extensive document libraries. This narrow focus may require businesses to seek additional providers for more comprehensive legal support.

Additionally, the subscription model caps the number of consultations per month or year, depending on the plan. Businesses with frequent legal needs may find these limits restrictive. Finally, while their network of attorneys is broad, the quality of service can vary depending on the specific attorney assigned to your case.

To read more about LegalShield’s online legal services, click here

Summary of LegalShield

Aspect Details
Rating 6.89/10 – Best for affordable legal access
Subscription Pricing Starting at $39 per month
Key Features Legal consultations, document reviews, 24/7 emergency access, and a dedicated attorney network
Advantages Affordable pricing, flexibility in consultations, and reliable attorney support
Disadvantages Limited to consultations, capped usage based on plans, and no business formation or compliance services

5. Law Depot

LawDepot falls so low on my list because they are basically a more expensive version of LegalNature. They’re a nearly identical online legal service provider.

LawDepot is a go-to platform for those seeking affordable and customizable legal templates. With a vast library of documents, it caters to individuals and businesses needing contracts, agreements, or real estate forms. The platform offers flexibility with single-document purchases or monthly subscriptions. LawDepot’s intuitive system allows users to create professional legal documents without prior legal expertise. While it is not a full-service legal solution, its focus on high-quality document customization makes it a popular choice for entrepreneurs who prioritize cost-effectiveness and simplicity in handling basic legal requirements.

LawDepot specializes in legal forms and documents for self-service, and their online customization and storage system for these documents is admittedly as impressive as LegalNature’s.

The problem is that they charge $40 per month for these services, and if the services are identical to LegalNature’s, there’s no reason for small businesses to pay $40 when you can pay $7 per month for the same services. 

This also really isn’t a good legal service for small businesses that require legal assistance from an attorney because that’s not a service they provide. They don’t even offer consultations with a third party firm or lawyers so they likely won’t meet your legal needs if you want a company that provides legal help. 

Summary of LawDepot

Aspect Details
Focus Affordable and customizable legal templates
Subscription Pricing $40 per month
Key Features Vast library of legal documents, customization tools, and flexible purchase options
Advantages High-quality document customization and user-friendly platform
Disadvantages Expensive compared to competitors, no legal consultations, and no attorney support

6. LegalZoom (Most Established Legal Service)

LegalZoom is likely the oldest, most established, and popular legal service on this list. The problem with their service is that they use their reputation to obtain customers, rather than actually providing quality services. 

And I’m not just making vague claims. You can see this yourself by going to their website as I did. There’s nothing specific on their site about their prices or services until you click “Select Your Plan” and then further click the “Legal Plan Contract,” which is practically hidden in the small print under the price listing. 

Once you’ve made your way to this page, you’ll need to learn a bunch of legal terms just to be able to decipher which services are included in this plan and which aren’t. You really shouldn’t have to have a law-school-level understanding of legal terms just to figure out what services an online legal service offers small businesses. 

You can also see that they aren’t offering any sort of superior services when you closely inspect their service offerings. 

They really only offer legal assistance in the form of legal consultations, so no compliance or quality-assurance services for small businesses here. The only legal help they provide comes in the form of consultations from a third-party law firm and lawyers who aren’t part of LegalZoom’s team.

You get a 30-minute consultation with an attorney per legal topic, and there’s no limit on the number of legal topics you can call in and talk to an attorney about. But you do have to make separate calls for separate topics. If you do need more legal help beyond the 30-minute consultation they will let you purchase legal services from the third-party lawyers at a 25% discount. But you’re not getting any services that feel like “extras,” such as business formation services or a comprehensive archive of legal documents. 

They will also have their third-party lawyers review up to 10 pages of legal documents and provide feedback and suggestions about them to meet the legal needs of small businesses.

Disadvantages of LegalZoom

The biggest drawback of LegalZoom is its lack of transparency in pricing. Users often need to navigate multiple pages and fine print to understand the total cost of services. This complexity can frustrate entrepreneurs seeking straightforward solutions.

Additionally, LegalZoom’s offerings may not justify its higher costs. Many services, such as consultations, are capped at 30 minutes per issue, and extended support incurs additional fees. Unlike providers like Northwest Registered Agent, LegalZoom lacks the personalized support and compliance tools needed for long-term business management. For businesses requiring tailored advice or ongoing support, these limitations can be significant.

LegalZoom’s online legal services amount to being a third-party affiliate arrangement between them and the lawyers they’ve contracted, and those two parties are the only ones who benefit from this arrangement. Small businesses in need of legal assistance should look elsewhere to have their legal needs met because LegalZoom doesn’t provide the quality services that Legal Nature does. 

Summary of LegalZoom

Aspect Details
Reputation Most established online legal service
Key Features 30-minute consultations per legal topic, document review (up to 10 pages), and 25% discount on additional services
Advantages Unlimited topics for consultations, broad attorney network, and document feedback
Disadvantages Lack of transparency in pricing, capped consultations, no compliance tools or personalized support
Overall Best for basic consultations but lacks value for businesses needing ongoing legal and compliance services

7. Nolo (Best for Educational Resources)

Probably the best way to describe Nolo’s online legal services is to think of it as an online bookstore. They have a ton of legal documents and forms that are customizable (more on this in a minute) and they have a range of fees that are designed to fit the budget of small businesses or mega corporations. 

Nolo is a trusted platform for legal self-help, offering an extensive collection of guides, books, and templates. Founded decades ago, Nolo has established itself as a resource for individuals and businesses looking to handle basic legal matters independently. While it does not offer attorney services or compliance tools, its library is ideal for those seeking affordable, DIY legal solutions. With manuals on topics ranging from estate planning to business formation, Nolo empowers users to understand and manage their legal needs with confidence.

Advantages of Using Nolo

The most notable strength of Nolo is its focus on education and empowerment. The platform provides comprehensive guides and books covering a wide array of legal topics, such as business formation, intellectual property, and real estate law. These resources are written in plain English, making them accessible to non-lawyers.

Nolo also offers legal templates for common needs like contracts, leases, and wills. These documents are professionally crafted and can be downloaded for manual customization. While not as advanced as platforms with automated customization, they are sufficient for standard legal tasks.

Another advantage is affordability. Nolo’s resources are priced competitively, making it an excellent choice for startups or individuals operating on a tight budget. The one-time purchase model ensures users only pay for what they need, without subscription fees.

Nolo’s decades of experience add credibility to its offerings. For users who value guidance over hands-on legal services, Nolo provides an unparalleled library of resources.

Disadvantages of Nolo

Nolo has several limitations. Unlike platforms like Northwest Registered Agent, it does not provide compliance tools or ongoing legal support. Users seeking advice from licensed attorneys will need to consult additional providers.

The lack of automation in document preparation is another drawback. Templates must be manually customized, which increases the risk of errors and may require legal expertise to resolve. For complex legal needs, Nolo’s resources might not be sufficient, leaving users to seek professional assistance elsewhere. Its focus on self-help limits its appeal to businesses requiring more hands-on support.

Summary of Nolo

Aspect Details
Focus Educational resources and legal self-help
Key Features Comprehensive library of guides, books, and templates for contracts, leases, wills, and more
Advantages Affordable pricing, plain English resources, and decades of trusted expertise
Disadvantages No attorney consultations or compliance tools, and templates require manual customization
Overall Best for DIY legal solutions but limited for complex or hands-on legal needs

8. Blumberg Excelsior

I honestly can’t tell you what sort of services that Blumberg Excelsior provides. Their website looks like it was designed in the 90s by an intern and was never updated. It’s confusing and glitchy. Many of the links on the site don’t even work. 

It seems that they offer some sort of business formation services for business owners who are starting a business, general counsel with lawyers or an attorney (I’m not sure which or how many because it isn’t specified on their site), legal documents, and compliance services for small businesses. 

I’m most confused about the legal document service because if you click the link for it, it takes you to a completely different website. Their entire website is a tangled, complicated, and glitchy mess that is frustrating for even the most tech-savvy business owners to navigate. 

If you can actually comb through this website and comprehend their mission statement or find any objective within it, hit me up and I’ll email you some cute cat pictures as a reward. 

Summary of Blumberg Excelsior

Aspect Details
Focus Business formation, general legal counsel, and compliance services
Key Features Claims to offer business formation, legal documents, and compliance tools
Advantages Decades of presence in the industry (assumed), wide range of services (unclear details)
Disadvantages Outdated, confusing website; unclear service details; difficult to navigate and assess value
Overall Poor user experience; potential services are overshadowed by lack of transparency and usability

Online Legal Services Review Summary

Northwest Registered Agent (Best Online Legal Service)

Northwest Registered Agent tops my list of the best online legal services due to their privacy-first approach, transparent pricing, and dedicated customer support. Their services focus on ensuring compliance and simplifying the business formation process for entrepreneurs. At just $39 plus state fees, their LLC formation package includes a full year of registered agent services, providing unbeatable value.

When you choose Northwest Registered Agent, you won’t need to worry about handling complex legal documents or compliance processes alone. Their Corporate Guides—experienced professionals—are assigned to each client, offering step-by-step assistance for tasks like EIN acquisition, operating agreements, and compliance filings. Unlike other services, Northwest prioritizes your privacy by using their own address for public filings, protecting your personal information.

Their suite of services includes tools to track and file annual reports, manage ongoing compliance, and ensure your business remains in good standing. This makes them not only a great choice for startups but also for established businesses seeking reliable long-term support.

Best Online Legal Services Review Methodology 

How I Selected the Best Online Legal Services

The online legal services market is a jungle of offers and promotions that can be extremely confusing to navigate, so I narrowed this list down to the top eight to make finding the right service significantly easier for business owners.

The following four stages are my process for determining which online legal services are the best for small businesses:

Stage 1: Reviews

The first stage in finding the best online legal service was to check online reviews. I spent hours on sites like Facebook, the Better Business Bureau, and various other review sites to see what other people had to say about these online legal services.

This allowed me to save some time and helped me refine my list to the top eight after reading some fairly negative reviews about many other online legal services. This let me determine the sort of things that owners of small businesses were encountering when they went to these businesses to get help with their legal problems as well as the terms and conditions of their services.

Stage 2: Website Analysis

After weeding out the bad deals and scams, the next stage was to visit each online legal service’s website and review exactly what they offered as part of their subscription services. Once on each website, I checked out their promotional offers, about page, FAQs, and customer support channels to clear up any confusion.

This allowed me to find out which of these businesses offered the best services. Some offered consultations with lawyers from local lawyers or external law firms to provide legal advice, legal documents that are customizable and can be saved to an online portal, as well as document reviews from an attorney, business formation services to help when starting a business, registered agent service, help protect your intellectual property, compliance services, and other products to help meet the needs of small businesses. Others only offered one of these services rather than offering multiple services, which isn’t as much help to a business entity that wants to get help with all their legal issues from one business service. 

This allowed me to break down each online legal service into its basic offerings.

Stage 3: Speaking with Real Customers

After reading reviews and checking out the website for each online legal service business, the next stage was to reach out to real customers and see what their experience was. After all, fancy promotional posters and charismatic sales teams can talk the talk, but it’s the customers who know if the business truly delivers on its promises.

The key difference between this stage and the online review stage is that most online reviews for a business are either overwhelmingly positive or negative, with the average customer often not feeling the need to leave a review online. This can cause you to get a skewed picture of what each online legal service business is like.

This part of the process allowed me to get a much clearer idea of how well each online legal service business delivered on promised services and how much they valued the relationship with the customers and businesses they serve.

Stage 4: Speaking with Their Sales Team

The last stage of the process was to speak with each online legal service’s sales team.

Sales teams are notorious for providing you with biased information about the business entity they represent, but you can still learn a lot from them if you ask the right questions. You can also get a good idea of what company culture and conditions each team works in by seeing how well they respond to criticism and negative feedback from the people and businesses they serve.

Some teams I spoke with would take the criticism in stride and try to improve my overall customer experience, while others would shift the blame to other departments or people within their company, their competitors, or even other customers.

This part of the process allowed me to see which online legal services work to improve the customer experience for the people they serve and which ones blame others for their shortcomings rather than work to make sure there aren’t as many failures in their provided service.

Rating Factors

After narrowing my list down to the top eight online legal services, I put in the work to rank them according to the following five factors.

Factor 1: Offerings

There’s a wide variety of products and services on the market when it comes to online legal services which makes it hard to determine which are the best services for your business entity.

Most provide you with legal consultation with real lawyers, but some offer discounted rates for those lawyers should you need further consultation and someone to help with a complex legal issue. 

Most online legal services that provide you with legal documents allow you to edit and store each form to their online portal through a process that is streamlined and automated to help prevent errors.

Still, other services provide a form review service where an attorney will review up to 10 pages of forms to ensure that they are legally sound and enforceable. But some services will require you to put in the extra work to download each form and edit it manually yourself, with no way to save it and no attorney to review it. 

Others offer business formation services, such as providing LLC formation kits and registered agent service, which can help take some of the work out of starting a business. Any time you can get business formation services as part of a bundle with other services, it feels like a luxury. 

And others only provide limited assistance and have unclear terms and conditions for service, often forcing you to pay additional fees and exceed your budget should you need legal assistance. You may even need to go out of your way to hire another service so that you have access to things like lawyers, law firms, business formation services, or legal documents. 

This is why it was important to rank each online legal service according to their offerings to help ensure that you won’t have to hire several different services to meet the needs of your business and make sure that you’ll get a lot of use out of the service you choose. This factor went a long way to help me determine the best online legal services. 

Factor 2: Value for Money

The services offered by an online legal service business aren’t the only major factor when ranking online legal services. The price of those services is just as important.

Some services advertise pricing of as low as $7 per month (if purchased yearly), while others obscure their pricing structure behind vague and unclear language. 

With such a wide range of pricing options available, ranking each online legal service according to the value of their offerings was essential to find the best online legal services.

Factor 3: Ease of Sign-up

The next factor in ranking the best online legal services was how easy it was to sign up for their services. Nothing can be more frustrating than finding the best deal on a service or offer, only to miss out on the opportunity because of a poorly designed or difficult sign-up process.

I made sure to check out each service's sign-up process and take note of how many pages and fields I had to fill out on the paperwork, how much information they required from me, and whether or not I experienced any bugs or technical issues during the sign-up process. 

This factor enables me to rank each of the businesses on this list so that you don't waste your time with complicated sign-up and onboarding processes to find the best online legal services.

Factor 4: Ease of Use

One thing that can negate an easy sign-up process is a poorly designed online system, so the next factor I used when ranking the best online legal services was user-friendliness.

Everyone has had a bad experience with a poorly optimized or glitchy online system, so I checked out each service’s online systems to help you avoid the ones that were buggy, poorly designed, and filled with technical issues.

I took a note of which sites had technical hiccups and which were simple and easy to navigate, so that way you didn’t end up with a service that was too difficult to use. This was another important factor when determining the best online legal services. 

Factor 5: Customer Service

Customer support can make or break your customer experience, so I wanted to make sure I ranked each online legal on how good their customer service is as well.

This part of the process was fairly straightforward. I contacted each online legal service’s customer service team and asked them a few standard questions in order to see how polite and efficient they were.

I took note of how many questions I needed to ask, how clear the answers were, and how polite each customer service team was and then ranked each online legal service accordingly.

This factor ultimately finalized my list of the best online legal services for small businesses. 

The Best Online Legal Services Results Summary

I investigated the online legal services industry to bring you a list of the most useful services on the market today. Here is a list of the best online legal services:

Comprehensive Legal Services and Support

Northwest Registered Agent ensures your business has all the tools it needs for legal success. Their registered agent services are included for free during the first year, providing a significant cost-saving advantage. As your registered agent, they handle legal correspondence, official notices, and tax documents, ensuring nothing is missed.

The company’s privacy-first approach stands out. By using their address on public records, they shield your personal data from exposure, which is increasingly important in today’s digital world. For entrepreneurs worried about privacy, this service is invaluable.

Corporate Guides offer tailored guidance to ensure you feel supported every step of the way. Whether you’re filing your LLC, applying for an EIN, or navigating state-specific requirements, their experts simplify the process. Unlike competitors, Northwest doesn’t rely on call centers—you’ll speak directly to someone knowledgeable about your account.

Northwest’s pricing is fully transparent, with no hidden fees or upsells. At $39 plus state fees, their LLC formation package is one of the most cost-effective options on the market. Additional services, such as annual report filing or mail forwarding, are priced fairly and can be added as needed.

LegalNature (Best for Only Legal Documents)

If you want to use an online legal service that simply provides your business with legal documents, then LegalNature is your best option. 

With LegalNature you can get free access to a library of legal documents, all of which you can customize and save on their online system. This minimizes the chance for mistakes on the documents that could cause legal problems later. 

They have the best price on this list, as well. Their monthly fee is $38.95, which is typical. But their annual subscription fee is only $84, which averages out to $7 per month. 

If you need to use online legal services to gain legal counsel, LegalNature probably isn’t the most practical choice for you because they don’t offer the products and services to meet your needs. 

If you’d like to learn more about LegalNature, click here.

Harbor Compliance (Best for Legal Compliance)

If you want to use an online legal service that provides products and services that will maintain your company’s legal compliance and good standing status, then Harbor Compliance is a good choice for you. 

Because they only offer one service, they offer specialized compliance services. On top of all the compliance features they offer, they provide your business with a project manager.

When you call for customer service, you don’t speak to some random customer service agent who’s never had any dealings with your business, you speak to your project manager who knows what your business needs. Your project manager will offer helpful suggestions about products that could help your business and tactics you could use to help your business along. 

You’re not going to get other legal services from Harbor Compliance, which means you’ll need to start shopping for law firms and possibly business formation services to meet the legal needs of your business. But if the only thing you currently need is compliance services, Harbor Compliance is a good choice.

To learn about Harbor Compliance, click here.

Here’s the revised text adapted for Northwest Registered Agent, emphasizing their strengths and services, while ensuring accuracy and relevance:


Northwest Registered Agent (Best Online Legal Service)

Northwest Registered Agent tops my list of the best online legal services due to their privacy-first approach, transparent pricing, and dedicated customer support. Their services focus on ensuring compliance and simplifying the business formation process for entrepreneurs. At just $39 plus state fees, their LLC formation package includes a full year of registered agent services, providing unbeatable value.

When you choose Northwest Registered Agent, you won’t need to worry about handling complex legal documents or compliance processes alone. Their Corporate Guides—experienced professionals—are assigned to each client, offering step-by-step assistance for tasks like EIN acquisition, operating agreements, and compliance filings. Unlike other services, Northwest prioritizes your privacy by using their own address for public filings, protecting your personal information.

Their suite of services includes tools to track and file annual reports, manage ongoing compliance, and ensure your business remains in good standing. This makes them not only a great choice for startups but also for established businesses seeking reliable long-term support.


Comprehensive Legal Services and Support

Northwest Registered Agent ensures your business has all the tools it needs for legal success. Their registered agent services are included for free during the first year, providing a significant cost-saving advantage. As your registered agent, they handle legal correspondence, official notices, and tax documents, ensuring nothing is missed.

The company’s privacy-first approach stands out. By using their address on public records, they shield your personal data from exposure, which is increasingly important in today’s digital world. For entrepreneurs worried about privacy, this service is invaluable.

Corporate Guides offer tailored guidance to ensure you feel supported every step of the way. Whether you’re filing your LLC, applying for an EIN, or navigating state-specific requirements, their experts simplify the process. Unlike competitors, Northwest doesn’t rely on call centers—you’ll speak directly to someone knowledgeable about your account.

Northwest’s pricing is fully transparent, with no hidden fees or upsells. At $39 plus state fees, their LLC formation package is one of the most cost-effective options on the market. Additional services, such as annual report filing or mail forwarding, are priced fairly and can be added as needed.


Potential Drawbacks

While Northwest Registered Agent excels in LLC formation and compliance, their offerings are narrower compared to some competitors. For example, they do not provide access to a library of customizable legal documents, such as contracts or real estate forms, which might require businesses to seek separate document services.

Additionally, Northwest focuses heavily on compliance and privacy rather than direct legal advice. If you need legal consultations or attorney representation, you’ll need to hire a separate provider. This limitation could be a disadvantage for businesses that require legal guidance beyond compliance and formation.

Their platform, while reliable, lacks some of the modern, user-friendly design features found in competitors’ systems. Navigation can feel less intuitive, particularly for users accustomed to more streamlined online services.


In Conclusion

Shopping for the right online legal service can be overwhelming, but Northwest Registered Agent stands out for its exceptional support, transparent pricing, and focus on privacy. At just $39 plus state fees, their LLC formation package is one of the most affordable options, and the inclusion of registered agent services makes it an unbeatable value.

Northwest provides tailored assistance through their Corporate Guides, helping businesses navigate complex compliance requirements with ease. Whether you’re launching a new venture or maintaining an existing company, their services offer peace of mind and ensure you stay on top of your legal obligations.

For small business owners seeking a reliable and affordable legal partner, Northwest Registered Agent is the clear choice. Sign up with Northwest Registered Agent here.

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