Adding to the post from earlier today, it has been brought to my attention that LegalZoom is engaged in a pretty hefty lawsuit with the North Carolina State Bar and may be prohibited from offering its services here. Just another reason not to use LegalZoom.
LegalZoom is being accused of the unauthorized practice of law (or practicing law without a license in North Carolina). LegalZoom’s defense is that they are only providing forms that are already available to the public in books and that North Carolina is preventing the public from affordable legal services. The problem with LegalZoom’s defense is their forms costs hundreds of dollars, sometimes upwards of $700.00 for a basic document. Form books cost somewhere between $15.00 to $50.00 for dozens of forms. Additionally, if LegalZoom makes a mistake on your document, you have little to no legal recourse. You cannot sue the company for legal malpractice – because it isn’t licensed as a lawyer!
The truth of the matter is – there are plenty of well qualified, affordable, caring attorneys in North Carolina. Sure, there are a lot of very expensive attorneys as well. Just because an attorney charges an arm and a leg doesn’t always make them better. There are many affordable attorneys who work zealously for their clients and cater their businesses in such a way that they are able to keep costs low for the client without sacrificing quality. I can tell you too that sometimes experience doesn’t always make an attorney better either – sometimes too much experience just makes them lethargic and arrogant. Go with your gut and what you can afford. I have plenty of affordable legal services and will work with you if you contact me.