Posted by Jose Gutierrez on 8/10/10 9:57pm
Msg #348439

Anybody here have used LegalZoom?

A friend of mine asked to prepare/draw a LPOA I told him to get it from Legalzoom and then I will notarize it. But I was thinking if anybody here have used their services.

Reply by Scott Sexton on 8/10/10 10:42pm
Msg #348446

I recently used their services and was not very happy with the experience. I ordered a DBA and ended up wasting time and jumping through several unnecessary hoops. When I questioned them about the process they said it was required by the Secretary of State. Wrong! The Secretary of State has nothing to do with DBA's in my state it is up to the local County Recorders Office. In the end $20 and 10 min of my time at the County Recorders office I walked out with my DBA Certificate. I spent almost three weeks messing around with LegalZoom and paid them $90

I would check locally first to see what is required for your state for an LPOA before engaging with LegalZoom you may end up paying 3 times a much for nothing.

Also once LegalZoom processes payment they don't refund the entire amount. They keep $50 as an administrative fee.

Reply by Tanya Drummond on 8/11/10 8:18am
Msg #348471

I have used it for clients at the bank to assist in creating a will. It was very user friendly and confidential. My clients were very pleased with the results.

Reply by Cari on 8/11/10 9:18am
Msg #348485

Huge "no no" for you to do, as np's can not draw up legal forms. And that also includes using legal software to prepare any documents, total UPL IMO.

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/11/10 10:15am
Msg #348492

Tanya - From Page 58 of the FL Manual

"Now, exactly what services can you provide without engaging in the unlicensed practice of law? Generally speaking, a nonlawyer may only sell legal forms and then type those forms which have been completed in writing by the customer. As an example, you could sell a will form to an individual. The customer would have to fill in the blanks for the factual information customizing the will to his or her own needs. You can have no oral communication with the customer regarding how the form should be completed, and you may not correct mistakes. You may simply type the information written down by the customer.

The Supreme Court of Florida has approved several forms for use by individuals or by attorneys. These forms pertain to matters of family law, landlord-tenant law, and certain residential leases, and allow the notary to provide additional, but limited, assistance. When using one of the forms approved by the Supreme Court, you may engage in limited oral communication with the customer to elicit the factual information that goes in the blanks on the form."

http://www.flgov.com/pdfs/ref_manual41-68.pdf

And I'm hoping you stayed well within these guidelines regardless of what your bank employer instructed you to do.

Not my humble opinion but a statement of fact that we in Florida are restricted and regulated with regard to exactly what we can do in this situation.

Reply by Cari on 8/11/10 8:23am
Msg #348473

advertising?? n/m

Reply by Linda_H/FL on 8/11/10 8:43am
Msg #348477

Re: advertising?? ...I didn't think so...took it as more of

request for guidance...agree with BobbiCT below

Reply by BobbiCT on 8/11/10 8:38am
Msg #348476

LegalZoom "google is your friend"

I've notarized document packages for customers. Notary instructions are pretty good.
I have no comment on either the content or "whether it works" for the state it was prepared for - purely disinterested party. Particularly because if there is a "mistake" or doesn't work the way the parties wanted it to, it is generally too late to fix it and I want no part of the blame game.

A google search of LegalZoom will give you some pros and cons. The search will come up with the press releases on the lawsuits.

Because there are so many "cover the nation" document preparation firms out there; I make it a habit NOT to recommend any, suggesting your "local attorney" or "google."

Reply by MW/VA on 8/11/10 10:49am
Msg #348500

I haven't used that site personally, but have done general notary work for people who got their docs (wills, POA's, etc.) there. There are several other good sites, but I can't think of the names off-hand. I'm sure a google search would turn up a lot of sites for legal docs. Again, I don't prepare docs, offer legal advice, etc. yada yada yada.

Reply by Art_PA on 8/11/10 1:44pm
Msg #348510

I have reviewed both a will and an LLC done by users of this business. They were deficient and did not incorporate the clients' wishes and intentions. Documents prepared with this type of service and with widely available consumer software will comply with state law, but exclude the expertise of an experienced attorney. These documents are only as good as the input by the user who may not make the appropriate decisions in the document creation program.

One can download perfectly good living wills and other simple documents, such as a POA limited to a real estate transaction. However when one is planning an estate or a business it may be expensive to "doityourself."

The will I referred to had internal inconsistencies in how property was distributed, and also conflicted with the way the testator's property was titled. The LLC did not include provisions relating to admitting new members, or how to buyout a departing or incapacitated member. While these documents were cheaper that if they had been written by an attorney, the cost would have been much greater when they were implemented.

I am not saying that it is not possible to do a perfectly good document with this or with other similar services, but you will never know how it will work until you need it, and by then it may be too late to fix it.

Reply by LKT/CA on 8/11/10 6:55pm
Msg #348536

I have notarized for clients who used LegalZoom generated forms......*they* expressed satisfaction with their LegalZoom documents.

A rule in Real Estate is to offer someone at least three options. This way, you cannot be accused of "steering" someone in one direction or another. If a friend asked me regarding a legal document, I would have told him/her, "Here are some *options*.....the office supply store has legal form packets, an attorney can draw the forms specific to your needs, OR there are websites that offer legal documents *such as* LegalZoom.com"

Make sure to throw in the words "such as" or "options".......which makes it more of an example and less of a directive.