LegalZoom offers do-it-yourself legal services at a lower price. They help create legal documents, but do not provide one-on-one time speaking with an experienced attorney. Most LegalZoom users do not immediately access lawyers, which sent shockwaves through the legal community as they saw LegalZoom as disrupting traditional services.
The controversy surrounding LegalZoom centers around the prohibition against unauthorized practice of law. LegalZoom provides services you pay for individually, but cannot advise and only provides self-help services.
With a private firm, you get advice throughout your process, something that LegalZoom cannot offer. Lawyers ask questions to thoroughly analyze your situation. LegalZoom tries to replicate this, but certain information may be missed, which is vital for correctly producing necessary documents.
LegalZoom is not up-to-date with specific legal changes, such as not being aware that Texas repealed sections authorizing oral wills or that Texas enacted pet trusts. There may be situations where a different document than what you anticipate might be more suitable.
Using LegalZoom seems convenient, but it may be risky to not have an attorney in complex matters like estate planning. Your unique family and life situation require a tailored understanding of the law.
LegalZoom does not guarantee outcomes or issue refunds for issues not their fault, and they are said to be less effective when handling matters like trademarks.
To opt out of LegalZoom, one would need to follow specific processes outlined by their service agreements, which are not detailed here. LegalZoom’s model provides an accessible option for creating legal documents but comes with certain limitations when compared to traditional legal advice.