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Saturday, February 4th
Since 1999, LegalZoom has helped over 4 million customers to affordably access legal documents through their self-guided services. You can find documents across a wide variety of topics, ranging from business needs like LLC formation and incorporation to personal issues such as wills and trusts.
Satisfaction guarantee
A strong positive of using LegalZoom to create your LLC is their Satisfaction Guarantee. Within the first 60 days after your purchase, you can request a 100% refund of all fees paid directly to LegalZoom if you're unhappy with any part of your experience. Of course, that refund policy doesn't apply to any fees you paid for government filing or to a third-party service.
3 levels of service
However, as you select a service to form your LLC, you're likely going to find that you'll spend more by choosing LegalZoom. Here's what you can expect with their three levels of service:
Optional services
For all three packages, you can choose among a number of optional services. One of the most common - and important - is the Registered Agent Service. Many of the company incorporation services we reviewed include it for free during the first year, while others may charge $99 per year. LegalZoom's fees are $159 per year, and they are not included even with the highest package level.
Free trials
As you set up your LLC, you'll also be offered free trials of other services, such as a 30-day trial of Affordable Tax, Legal Protect, and Total Compliance. These services are billed at $320/year thereafter.
Frustrating pricing
We found the process of selecting an LLC formation package through LegalZoom to be very frustrating, mostly when it came to pricing. On one screen, we were given package prices ranging from $99 to $159. But, as we went through the actual process of creating our LLC, the package prices changed to $49-$349.
Included or not?
Also, on one screen it said that an EIN would be included with the two higher levels of service. But, again, once we went through the steps to form the LLC, we were quoted an additional $199 to get the Operating Agreement, EIN, and Licenses.
Fast turnaround
In the past, we've seen good things from LegalZoom, with customers saying that their turnaround times were much faster than expected and that their LLC's were formed very quickly. But, with so many issues with pricing, it left us wondering what we were actually paying for and frequently asking "Is this included or isn't it?"
Room to improve
You can expect quality deliverables with LegalZoom. However, we hope LegalZoom will make their pricing clearer and more consistent in the future.
If you're self-employed, the next step in growing your business while covering your assets is probably forming an LLC. Creating an LLC is often seen as a good move for people who want to limit their liability without the cumbersome paperwork and regulations of a corporation.
No matter where your business is located, you'll typically need to register your company name and file documentation with the state, along with having accurate, complete Articles of Organization. Other requirements depend on the specific legal statutes governing businesses in your state. An online LLC Creation company can greatly help faciliate this process.
In the past, navigating those state-specific obligations to form an LLC was both expensive and time-consuming: finding a local lawyer with expertise in the field and paying hefty fees to get everything done correctly. Fortunately, today's small business owners have access to much more affordable options online. These services offer all of the same benefits, accuracy, and legal standing that you'd expect from working in person with an attorney. You can get as much or as little direction as you need to complete each step required for LLC formation, depending on which service you choose.
Which provider should you choose to help in forming your LLC? Not all services are the same, so when comparing what each one has to offer, keep in mind these important factors:
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best LLC Formation Companies available today. We hope this information helps you create your LLC quickly and affordably!
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