Legal Zoom Review: A Big Name, But Does That Mean Big Value?
Legal Zoom is a name you’ve probably heard, provided you’ve ever been online. The site has received a great deal of notoriety both on the web and in broadcast media, in part because of all the people who’ve utilized it.
To date, Legal Zoom has served more than two million clients. Of course, not all of those clients are looking for a do-it-yourself divorce, as the site also offers forms and advice for starting your business and operating it as well as wills, trusts, and a variety of other family-specific documents.
A Jack Of All Trades
While Legal Zoom gives clients access to whatever legal issue they need help with, some people considering divorce may be intimidated by the fact that there is no specialization. Nevertheless, the site offers a great deal of support in each area. For those mulling the DIY route, it’s in a select company that includes sites like MyDivorceDocuments, CompleteCase, and MyDivorcePapers.
When it comes to divorce forms, there’s really nothing to worry about here. Each document is state-specific, so for example, if you need the most current California divorce forms, you can bring them up with a click, safe in the knowledge that you won’t be completing an outdated document.
While the $299 price tag — as of July 2014 — is a bit higher than some of its competition, the brand is a strong one and the instructions for filling out the forms once you decide to file for divorce are quite simple.
Sweetening the deal, Legal Zoom has a staff that goes over your forms after you’ve filled them out to make sure that you have the proper formatting to file.
Lastly, Legal Zoom has a detailed FAQ section that can answer most questions you’ll have without the aid of a human being. The site can guide you with answers for questions like: “What if an uncontested divorce becomes contested?,” “How is property generally divided between the spouses?,” and “What are the options for child custody?”
(The even have parenting plan forms that you can use for a smoother transition when kids are involved.)
In Summary
While you may find more value out of a site like TotalDivorce or MyDivorcePapers, which specialize in the process, Legal Zoom has certainly been around the block and proven its staying power and value to most of the customers that it serves.