LegalShield vs Rocket Lawyer

Let’s start by looking at some statistics.

The US online legal services market was worth $8.49 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow to $10.27 billion by 2025. To this end, the industry is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9%.

The obvious question is why this industry is growing at such a rapid pace.

Research shows that 70% of Americans would choose legal services over attorneys due to convenience and affordability.

Our LegalShield vs Rocket Lawyer review looks at two top services to determine whether they represent good value for you.

Rocket Lawyer vs LegalShield: Side-by-Side Comparison

A study by Daedal Research mentions Rocket Lawyer as one of the best online legal services in the market. It also lists LegalZoom, LawAdvisor, LegalVision, and Priori Legal, Inc as other top companies.

This review compares RocketLawyer and LegalShield, another player on an upward curve, to bring out the contrast.

At a glance, both services appear to be very competitive. Rocket Lawyer nonetheless has a slight edge over LegalShield thanks to its 7-day free trial.

Since we are not trying to judge the book by the cover, the next phase of our review goes deeper to help you understand each service to a tee.

Products and Services

You must have made a Google search about a legal issue at some point in your life. The search might have been as simple as how to resolve a speeding ticket. It’s also possible that you felt optimistic about starting your own business and needed to know what it takes to set up such an establishment.

Why is it that online legal services are gaining traction? The answer is simple: Clients fork out much more for the same services when they walk through the doors of a traditional law firm.

Having established that, the next step should be to compare LegalShield vs RocketLawyer. Our review will also juxtapose the prepaid legal services and their offerings.

Business services

Starting a business can be hectic. The technical know-how of filing the documents with the authorities can be overwhelming.

Luckily, both LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer have expertise in navigating these waters.

Forming an LLC

Both LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer help you set up an LLC. The difference between the two is the latter is more hands-on and does most of the work for clients.

Rocket Lawyer walks clients through the entire LLC formation process and allocates attorneys to answer questions the client might have. It checks your company name to ensure it doesn’t infringe on the copyright or trademark of another business. It also files the paperwork and follows that up with the state. Once the process is done, Rocket Lawer stores the documents in your account and sends you hard copies.

Forming an LLC with Rocket Lawyer costs $99 as a stand-alone item. The service is also part of Rocket Lawyer’s premium bundle, which costs $39.99. This, however, doesn’t include a registered agent service, which typically comes with LLC formation packages. An RA for a year comes at an extra cost of $149.99.

LegalShield outlines the procedure of setting up an LLC on its website. Once you access LegalShield’s legal forms, the service lets you follow the process under the guidance of a local business lawyer. The attorney then prepares the documentation and files the paperwork for you.

The cost of setting up an LLC with LegalShield is $149 + state filing fees. This one-time fee covers the entire process of starting a business, including drafting and filing the Articles of Organization, acquiring business permits, and choosing a business structure. It also includes the business name check and business type comparison. TA LegalShield registered agent is priced at $120 as a standalone item.

Business licenses

To be allowed to operate, businesses need to have the relevant permits depending on the industry. For instance, hotels and eateries need Food & Safety License and an Occupancy & Alarm permit.

LegalShield members get unlimited legal advice on business licensing. This includes consultations on permits and setting up a business under an assumed name (DBA).

LegalShield lawyers help clients work through Federal and State requirements. The attorneys assist clients in identifying the business requirements, filling the documents, and navigating the approval process.

All LegalShield packages offer unlimited legal consultations.

Rocket Lawyer helps you find the licenses and permits that you need. The service also helps you apply for the documents and keep the records. The main difference between LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer regarding licensing is how they price legal advice.

Premium Rocket Lawyer members who pay $39.99 a month can access unlimited advice, whereas non-members pay $39.99 per document. Non-members are also required to pay separate fees to consult a lawyer.

Conferring with a Rocket Lawyer attorney on business licensing costs $49.99 per question and $59.99 per 30-minute session.

Contracts & agreements

Both LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer offer contract and agreement templates. They also offer attorneys to help clients understand the contents of the documents and guide them through drafting and serving the agreements.

LegalShield has a limited range of contracts and agreements in stark contrast to Rocket Lawyer’s vast library. The service offers Service agreements, Eviction Notices, Independent Contractor Agreements, Lease Agreements, and Demand Letters. This catalog is also much narrower than what LegalShield alternatives provide.

You will have to pay $49 a month to access these documents on LegalShield.

Rocket Lawyer has a much more expansive library. You can find virtually any legal document you want on the platform.

Premium subscribers can access these documents for $39.99 per month. Non-members also pay a similar price per document. Rocket Lawyer also charges non-members for sessions with lawyers. The rates are $49.99 per legal question and $59.99 for a 30-minute session.

Individual & family services

We often find ourselves in situations that require legal attention in our daily lives. These issues range from dealing with landlords, speeding tickets, and real estate.

The same can be said about families. Every day, couples enter into prenuptial agreements and file for divorce or child custody.

Both LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer offer legal documents to help with such. Their services are similar except for the price.

LegalShield charges $29.95 per month for all documents under this category. For this price, subscribers can also consult attorneys.

And with Rocket Lawyer, you can access a document under this category for $39.99. Premium members can access unlimited legal advice and any document they want for $39.99 per month.

LegalShield vs Rocket Lawyer Pricing

Consumers are big on value for money. Whether the products and services are economical, middle-tier, or high-end, an opportunity is lost if the price does not tally.

LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer both operate in an industry defined by competitive pricing. As a result, the costs of their stand-alone services and subscription packages are reasonable.

Below is a summary of how the two online legal services charge for their respective offerings.

LegalShield prices

LegalShield offers three main plans to serve the needs of different categories of clients. LegalShield’s business plans specifically cater to small businesses.

The packages are outlined below.

Individuals & Families

This plan costs $29.95 per month. Its features include:

• Advice consultation & research
• Letters or phone calls
• Document reviews
• Member perks
• Estate planning
• Traffic assistance
• Tax audit services

Additional plan add-ons include:

• Gun owners supplement
• Home business supplement
• Rideshare & delivery supplement
• Trial defense supplement
• Business plus supplement.

Small Business

This subscription plan costs $49 per month. Its features include:

• Advice consultation & research
• Letters or phone calls
• Document reviews
• Member perks
• Tax audit services
• Designated consultations
• Collection letters

There are also two add-ons available:

• Business Plus Supplement
• Trial Defense Business Supplement

Start a Business

This package costs $149+ state filing fees. Its features include:

• Advice consultation & research
• Letters or phone calls
• Document reviews
• Member perks
• Designated consultations
• Collection letters
• Business name check
• LLC formation
• Help in applying & obtaining an LLC federal tax ID

Note that LegalShield also offers documents on demand through its Shake by LegalShield platform.

Rocket Lawyer prices

Unlike most of its competitors, Rocket Lawyer only has one subscription plan — its Premium package. Users who have the Rocket Lawyer subscription access most of its services at no additional cost.

Non-members can still access and pay for the different services as stand-alone items.

Premium plan

The premium package costs $39.99 per month after the free trial. Subscription holders can access legal Rocket Lawyer documents and attorney services for free. Users also access free incorporation filing and a 25% discount on Rocket Lawyer’s registered agent service.

Non-members

Non-members can access the different services and pay a one-off fee for what they want. However, this option is much more expensive.

Rocket Lawyer non-members pay:

• $39.99 per document
• $9.99 per Document Defense document
• $49.99 per every legal question they ask a lawyer
• $59.99 per 30-minute consultation on every new legal matter
• $99.99 for incorporation filing, excluding state fees
• $149.99 for the registered agent service.

Ease of Use

Most reviews point out that both LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer are easy to navigate, and their interfaces are neat. Their websites are user-friendly and well structured with legible fonts.

However, we conclude that Rocket Lawyer is easier to use than LegalShield based on appearance and prompts that guide users on every minor detail.

Customer Support

There are many reasons why having a service with efficient customer care is important. One of them is quick response. Suppose a document is filed bearing inaccurate information, such as the wrong name of a business owner, i.e., Morris instead of Doris. The document will not be valid until changes are made.

How efficient are LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer customer support channels?

With LegalShield, you can speak directly to a customer service representative between 7 am and 7 pm CT on business days. The firm also keeps its lines open on weekends for users with legal emergencies. The service defines emergencies as an arrest, detainment, serious injury, or warrants.

You can also communicate with LegalShield reps via email, social media, and live chat. The company typically responds within 24 hours.

And if you want to speak to a Rocket Lawyer customer service representative, you can do so from 6 am to 6 pm PST on business days.

You can also request assistance from Rocket Lawyer via email and live chat.

Customer Reviews

Trust is the cornerstone of any business. Our review would be incomplete without us combing over customer opinions to establish the consensus of those with first-hand experience using these services.

LegalShield reviews

Trustpilot: Finding negative LegalShield reviews on the platform was a tall order. Most of the comments were positive. We did go the extra mile, though, and found one user expressing their dissatisfaction with procrastination on resolving her case with an insurance company. The same user, however, praised one customer service agent. It’s important to note that negative comments were isolated.

Reddit: Most reviews on Reddit portrayed the picture that users did not understand the kind of services that LegalShield offers. Most of the comments we reviewed showed disappointment that LegalShield lawyers don’t defend clients in court.

Better Business Bureau: The LegalShield reviews on BBB were balanced. Approximately half of the reviews we saw were positive. One user lauded attorney interaction and efficiency, describing how LegalShield had helped them with multiple speeding tickets.

Rocket Lawyer reviews

Trustpilot: Most of the reviews on Trustpilot we combed through were positive. Customer service and the Rocket Lawyer mobile app were the most appreciated items.

Rocket Lawyer complaints seemed to stem from users who did not understand the terms of service when signing up.

Reddit: Rocket Lawyer reviews on Reddit featured a couple of comments from brick and mortar attorneys. The lawyers appreciated the resources available on the online legal services platform but cautioned users that the difficult task is making strategic decisions using such documents.

Better Business Bureau: A huge percentage of the Rocket Lawyer BBB reviews we scanned were positive. Users appreciated customer service, ease of use, and the Rocket Lawyer free trial.

Alternatives

LegalShield and RocketLawyer are efficient and affordable online legal services, but there are many other options.

LegalZoom

LegalZoom, one of LegalShield’s main competitors, offers the same services as its peer. However, unlike LegalShield’s well-structured plans, users pay for LegalZoom’s services individually.

Conversely, LegalZoom includes access to a tax expert in their legal plan. The service, however, doesn’t offer debt collection and home business services like LegalShield.

LegalZoom also limits attorney consultations to 30 minutes, which differs from LegalShield, which offers its members unlimited access to attorneys.

IncFile

From an affordability perspective, IncFile is certainly one of if not the best business formation services. Its $49 fee + state filing charges are slightly higher than Rocket Lawyer’s premium plan but lower than LegalShield’s $149+ state filing fees.

Another major difference between IncFile, Rocket Lawyer, and Legal Shield is that the former includes registered agent services at no extra cost. LegalShield charges $149.99 for the same service, while Rocket Lawyer charges $149 with a 25% discount for its premium members.

UpCounsel

UpCounsel is better than the two services featured in this review when it comes to complex legal matters.

It’s much more flexible on immigration issues with employees, import & export issues, and IP cases. LegalShield normally limits consultation on such matters to 30 minutes.

UpCounsel allows you to submit a description of your legal problems, and a business attorney from its wide network responds with some recommendations.

The service has a network of 5,000 business attorneys who have worked with blue-chip companies like Apple and Google.

Pros and Cons

In a nutshell, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using LegalShield and RocketLawyer?

LegalShield Pros and Cons

What are the reasons that would make you use or not use LegalShield?

Pros

• Affordability
• Emergency services
• Convenient app available on iOS and Android
• Home business supplement
• Debt collection assistance

Cons

• No free trial
• Limited selection of documents compared to competitors
• Limits to legal plan

Rocket Lawyer Pros & Cons

Below are the advantages and disadvantages of using Rocket Lawyer.

Pros

• Wide range of legal services
• Seven-day free trial
• Direct access to attorneys
• Quality customer service
• Legal support when you use Rocket Lawyer documents and the opposite party fails to comply

Cons

• Relatively expensive
• Limited membership choices

LegalShield

Why pay hefty lawyer fees when you can access legal templates at affordable prices? Even if you did need one, LegalShield offers access to a vast network of specialist attorneys across America. Starting at $29.95, the company’s plans are reasonably priced, considering you get immediate support during emergencies and a 60-day money-back guarantee!

• Unlimited access to lawyers
• 60-day money-back guarantee
• Prompt emergency assistance

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Why pay hefty lawyer fees when you can access legal templates at affordable prices? Even if you did need one, LegalShield offers access to a vast network of specialist attorneys across America. Starting at $29.95, the company’s plans are reasonably priced, considering you get immediate support during emergencies and a 60-day money-back guarantee!

Rocket Lawyer

Create your own legal forms, form a business, or talk to a lawyer—everything you need from a lawyer, at a fraction of the cost! You can try out the best online lawyer services that Rocket Lawyer provides during the free seven-day trial.

• Legal Advice
• Business Formation
• 7-Day Free Trial

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Create your own legal forms, form a business, or talk to a lawyer—everything you need from a lawyer, at a fraction of the cost! You can try out the best online lawyer services that Rocket Lawyer provides during the free seven-day trial.

Business Documents:

Yes

Personal and Family Documents:

Yes

Real Estate Documents:

Yes

Legal Advice:

Yes

Business Formation:

Yes

Our Rocket Lawyer vs LegalShield Verdict

Based on our review’s key observations, we conclude that LegalShield and Rocket Lawyer are both established companies that are very good at what they do.

They are also reliable, as manifested by their A+ BBB rating. Of course, there are differences, such as LegalShield’s lack of a free trial and its tailored plans vs. Rocket Lawyer’s more flexible payment options.

LegalShield is a budget-friendly option if you need to consult lawyers regularly. It is also better for small businesses and brings key features under one roof.

Rocket Lawyer is a good fit for one-timers and users seeking fast legal help. Rocket Lawyer on-call attorneys are also the superior option if you need help with complex matters.

Essentially, the final decision between the two should be determined by what kind of service you seek.

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