As you probably know, each state has regulations and required forms that make processes like registering a business, creating a will, or filing a bill of sales confusing and expensive.
This is where US Legal Forms comes in.
US Legal Forms has a collection of over 85,000 state-specific forms that are easy to sift through according to category and state. They also provide legal, accounting, and compliance advice, as well as packages containing all the necessary documents for complying with lengthy legal processes. For instance, settling a divorce, selling your home, and much more.
Typically, an attorney's job is to present these forms to clients and help them through the process โ usually at a considerable expense. However, US Legal Forms provides guidance to individuals and businesses at a considerably lower fee. But not just that โ if you're a legal practitioner, US Legal Forms can help you organize and find the documents you need to support your clients.
So with that said, this review will briefly summarize what US Legal Forms offers, including its features, pricing, and answers to frequently asked questions.
There's lots to cover, so let's begin.
US Legal Forms Review: About
US Legal Forms are a subsidiary of Airslate, one of the market's largest online workflow automation platforms.
As we've already hinted at in the intro, US Legal Forms offers a massive library of legal forms ready for individuals, firms, and attorneys to fill out. Users can fill out these documents online and get expert guidance from experienced attorneys with more than 25 years in the business. In addition, each form is regularly updated by a team of state-certified attorneys, so you can rest easy knowing you're accessing up-to-the-minute legal services.
US Legal Forms scores 4.2 out of five on Trustpilot and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
US Legal Forms Review: Features
US Legal Formsโ main feature is its library of forms, so let's start there. They have hundreds of categories to help you find and draft your required documents.
However, since there are so many categories, we'll just cover the top five use cases here:
Form Categories
Below, we've listed a few examples of the categories and types of forms included:
- Real Estate โ Closing forms, home sales, deeds, mortgages, and construction bids.
- Business and Employment โ Employment applications, company policies, incentives, and non-disclosure agreements.
- Family Law โ Adoptions, parental rights, divorces, annulments, and minor governances.
- Estate Planning โ Power of attorney, wills, probate, and trusts.
- Other โ Affidavits, civil actions, bankruptcy, name changes, and personal planning.
Legal Packages
As part of a package deal, you can purchase a whole category of forms. Sample documents (to help you see which information needs to be included) and worksheets to help you understand the submission process are also included. For example, suppose you're planning the management of your estate after you pass. In that case, you can use US Legal Formsโ in-depth inventory worksheet to list all your assets and to whom you want to bequeath each asset.
When selecting your package, you can specify your state to ensure you receive the correct documentation for your location.
Notarization
US Legal Forms also offers a notarization service for forms requiring legal verification. Online notarization is valid across all states. Sounds convenient, right? But how does it work?
You can have a form notarized by an accredited notary following these steps:
- Head to the notarization page on the US Legal Forms website
- Upload the document you want notarized. This can be done from Dropbox, Google Docs, OneDrive, or Box.
- Documents can be up to 25MB in size and can be in DOC, DOCX, RTF, JPEG, JPEG, PDF, PNG, PPT, PPTX, or TXT
- Once uploaded, if there are areas on the form you need to complete, use the online editor to complete those fields
- Click Notarize Online
- You will be presented with a list of available online notaries
- Arrange a quick video call with the notary and present your government-issued ID
- Check your submitted information and e-sign your document
- The notary will then add a digital notarization seal to your file
- Youโll be instructed on how to access your notarized documents and how to share them
Voila, thatโs done!
The service is entirely online and really convenient. However, if youโre worried about finding a notary on time to meet a deadline, thatโs no problem. The service is available 24/7/365 and is accessible via desktop and mobile.
To benefit from this service, you have to pay an additional $25 for each notary session (which isnโt included in your subscription). But rest assured, you won't be charged if, for any reason, your document can't be notarized.
Also, itโs worth noting that some documents canโt be notarized. These typically relate to family matters, including wills, birth, marriage, codicils, trusts, and death certificates.
Incorporation Services
Starting a business is tough, made even harder by legal registry requirements, taxes, and incorporation. For the uninitiated, incorporation is the process by which a company registers as a legal entity.
In the US, this means separating the firm's assets and income from its investors and owners. In other words, becoming a limited liability. This is a critical step for all major businesses.
So, how does US Legal Forms help with this?
When it comes to incorporating your business, you have a few options depending on the organization of your business โ for instance:
- LLC โ if one or more individuals own a business, you would go down the LLC route. This is a simple process to protect assets and secure tax advantages.
- Full incorporation โ form a corporation that provides complete asset protection, lowers tax rates, and more.
- PLLC โ typically used by licensed professionals (doctors, lawyers, and accountants), a professional limited liability company that offers tax benefits and asset protection.
- DBA registration – when youโre looking for a name to reflect your business identity, you can register a DBA (doing business as) without needing to create a new business entity.
US Legal Forms provides the paperwork and guidance for each process. Once you become a registered business, you can apply for appropriate tax options, which US Legal Forms also provides the paperwork for.
For these services, you can pay a one-off fee of $199 or add the services as part of your subscription to US Legal Forms and pay $180 annually (more about subscription prices below).
Completion Services
Completion services are for those that need assistance writing key documents but aren't sure where to start.
You can access these services with a premium subscription to US Legal Forms.
US Legal Forms offers completion services for:
- Last will creation
- Power of attorney
- Living will creation
- Health directives
But how does this work?
To start, decide which document you need help with. US Legal Forms will then ask you to fill out a questionnaire to establish the basic details of your document. US Legal Forms will then input your details and fill out the sections based on this information. Finally, they'll send you back a copy of the official document for you to sign as well as guidance on what you need to do to successfully submit your documents.
For example, let's say you want to fill out your last will. US Legal Forms will walk you through the following steps:
- Answer questions: for a will, they ask you to choose an executor, list your assets and beneficiaries, and add your basic details.
- Completion: The team will draft a last will on your behalf and send it to you via email.
- Review and sign: Just as it says on the tin, at this point, you review the will and sign if youโre happy with it.
US Legal Forms Review: Customer Service
Thereโs also an online help center where youโll find the answers to frequently asked questions, billing information, managing your account, info on US Legal Forms, and its form library.
Otherwise, if you prefer to speak to someone directly, you can talk to US Legal Forms via live chat, submit a contact form, or call them.
US Legal Forms Review: Pricing
US Legal has two pricing plans, of which you can opt for monthly or annual billing. The latter comes at an 80% discount. We'll quote monthly billing below as well as what you can expect from each program.
But at this point, we think itโs worth highlighting that you can cancel your subscription anytime, and all documents are stored on an encrypted cloud.
Okay, that said, let's look at pricing:
Basic โ $39 a month if you pay monthly, or $8 a month if you pay annually
The Basic plan comes with an all-access subscription to US Legal Formsโ databases, allowing you to search for any form and download it to your device.
More specifically, it also includes:
- A library of over 85,000 state-specific forms
- A package collection of personal planning forms, guidance, and worksheets
- A package collection of business and corporate management documents
- All data is encrypted with military-level security (more on this below)
Premium โ $59 a month if you pay monthly, or $15 a month if you pay annually
This plan has everything above, plus:
- Subscription access to the online PDF editor and fillable form builder. You can edit, annotate, redline, and blackout any PDF doc or form.
- Subscription to the signNow eSignature solution. This allows you to create role-based e-signature workflows. This includes the ability to e-sign docs and send them to be e-signed from any device.
- Completion services
- A 50% discount on incorporation services
US Legal Forms Review: US Legal Formsโ Pros and Cons
Letโs try and condense some of what weโve discussed into a quick pro-cons list:
Pros ๐
- This solution is cost-effective if you pay annually.
- Its website is easy to navigate.
- Access to 85,000+ state-specific US legal Forms
- Founded in 1997 so itโs one of the most established online solutions for official legal forms, with a Better Business Bureau rating of A+.
Cons ๐
- Limited training resources
- No free trial
US Legal Forms Review: FAQs
Weโve covered a lot of ground, but we appreciate you might still have questions. So below, weโll try and answer some of the most frequently asked questions about US Legal Forms:
What If I Only Want to Fill Out One Form?
Unfortunately, US Legal Forms doesn't offer a one-off form price in its library. Instead, it advises opting into a monthly subscription to access the form you need, US Legal Forms also mentions in the FAQ that a monthly subscription actually costs less than the previous price of a single form. Then cancel the membership before the renewal period at the end of the month. You'll have full access to the database for the entire month regardless of when you cancel, and you won't be charged again.
To cancel a subscription:
- Log into your account.
- Go to the My Accounts page.
- Click cancel subscription.
Where Can I View my Account Information?
Just log into your account and head to the My Account page. You can view and edit your contact details, subscription details, payment method, account activation, and renewal dates. You can also see all the forms youโve edited or completed under My Forms.
Whatโs Military-level Encryption, and How Safe Are My Documents?
US Legal Forms uses a US-based Amazon server called S3 or Amazon Simple storage service. This is a cloud storage service used to organize and protect data. The data center is physically guarded by military security and encrypted during transport. Data is also guarded by Verisure secure, which certifies that all data is secured at all times. So, in short, yes, your data is very safe.
US Legal Forms Review: Our Verdict
All in all, US Legal Froms is a solid tool that benefits businesses, individuals, and professionals. Their primary offering is a comprehensive database of state-specific forms and guidance to help you correctly fill out and submit these documents.
There are always a few things to check when using any online legal service. For instance, the service provides valid legal documentation and that your data and information are secure. US Legal Forms offers all this, a wealth of guidance throughout the process. So as far as this reviewer can see, there's little to complain about.
Of course, it would be great if you could fill out individual forms on a pay-as-you-go basis without subscribing to the service, but that's the only caveat. Otherwise, US Legal Forms is an excellent alternative to hefty legal counsel and attorney fees.
Thatโs all, folks! Do you reckon youโll try out US Legal Forms? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments box below!
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