The reason: It isn’t the standard state form, which can be downloaded for free from various county clerks’ offices. Online legal documents can be out of date, inaccurate or downright wrong, and the companies admit as much.Ĭonsider: MarketWatch downloaded a New York power of attorney form - this gives someone like a spouse the power to act on your behalf should you become incapacitated and can be essential for doing things like paying bills when a sick or injured person cannot do it themselves - from LegalZoom that experts say could be problematic. But for more complicated situations, consumers could end up unprotected and without much ability to take the companies to court.įor best results, proceed carefully. The upshot: For relatively simple legal needs, these sites can be effective. They pointed toward four potential pitfalls of incautious use of downloaded documents. MarketWatch asked legal experts to evaluate the offerings. “Of course, lawyers start out using forms, but, in my experience there is almost always something special about the situation that requires the sophistication of an experienced lawyer.” (LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer and other sites will connect you with an attorney, usually for an additional cost.)

“Rarely can a canned document or form be sufficient and advisable,” said New York attorney Peter L.

That’s a major selling point to many consumers: A typical legal services buyer makes about $25 per hour, according to a recent law review article, and many lawyers charge at least five times that.īut experts urge caution. “These sites are legitimately cheaper,” said Jeremy Gin, a spokesperson for online business review site SiteJabber, which reviews online businesses.

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