LegalZoom Online Business Incorporation Service
Starting an LLC Online with an Online Incorporation Service
Review Summary: LegalZoom is the leading destination for online business incorporation services, including starting an LLC. With LegalZoom, starting a LLC is quick and affordable, saving you up to 85% from what an attorney would charge you. Their 3-step LLC online incorporation process and affordable pricing makes the task of starting an LLC a pleasurable experience.
Price. Unlimited Customer Support. Nationally known. Incorporate your business online service takes as little as 7 business days. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Registered Agent Service is not included standard in any package. Start an LLC education center could contain more information.
LegalZoom is one of the best-known online destinations for the creation of legal documents, including business incorporation services, with over 1 million satisfied customers. LegalZoom was co-founded by internationally recognized attorney Robert L. Shapiro and are endorsed by many national radio and television personalities.
LegalZoom’s website allows you incorporate your business online, with their guidance, for up to 85% less than what it would cost you to use the services of a traditional lawyer. In fact, LegalZoom is the online incorporation service we chose when it was time for us to start an LLC.
Starting an LLC in 3 Simple Steps
With LegalZoom, it is a simple 3-step process for starting an LLC. Step 1) Complete the online incorporation questionnaire. Step 2) LegalZoom reviews your questionnaire for consistency and completeness, prepares your documents, and files the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. Step 3) When LegalZoom receives the Articles of Organization back from the state, they send them to you, along with all of your other formation documents. You then follow easy instructions to finish starting an LLC. It is that simple!
Online Incorporation Service Packages and Fees
LegalZoom offers three LLC online business incorporation service packages – the Economy, Standard and Express Gold. The packages range in price from $99 to $359.
On top of the LegalZoom fee to start a LLC, you must also pay the state LLC filing fee. Depending on what state you chose to start an LLC in, the fees range from $40 to $600, with most states in the $50-$200 range.
You will pay this state mandated fee to LegalZoom when you place your LLC online order. Before you start the questionnaire process, LegalZoom allows you to choose which state you choose for forming an LLC in, showing you what the state LLC filing fees will be.
Options When You Incorporate Your Business Online With LegalZoom
For additional fees, LegalZoom offers optional small business incorporation services to go along with the limited liability company formation packages. These services include preparation of the Federal Tax ID (EIN) Application (this is included in the Express Gold package), preparing the application and obtaining your Federal Tax ID and obtaining the services of a Registered Agent. Six months of Registered Agent Service comes with all packages from the other two companies.
Granted, these optional incorporating services are items that you can accomplish on your own, and possibly for less cost. However, when you are first starting up your business, it is nice to have some of the detail work taken care of for you, freeing up your time to spend on other aspects of starting your new business.
Both BizFilings and The Company Corporation offer six months of Registered Agent Service with their their LLC online incorporation service packages, where LegalZoom offers none standard. This is not a big deal as many small business owners opt to be their own Registered Agent, thus eliminating the need to pay for someone else to do this. However, if you do require the services of an outside Registered Agent, LegalZoom offers this for an additional fee.
Why LegalZoom Business Incorporation Service Company is the Best
What really makes the LegalZoom business incorporation service company stand out from the competition is the fully customized forms and documents that come standard with all of their starting an LLC online packages. This includes the ultra-important LLC Operating Agreement, which is something that all LLC’s are required to have. BizFilings only supplies a sample LLC Operating Agreement and other LLC forms that you will need to customize yourself. The Company Corporation charges an additional $99 for a customized LLC Operating Agreement. LegalZoom really is the complete package when it comes to providing the necessary forms to set up LLC.
How Long Does Starting an LLC Take?
Regular LLC onlne incorporation service orders normally take 20-35 business days. However, you can opt for LegalZoom’s more expensive, inclusive Express Gold package, which shortens the completion time to 7-20 business days. This is a great service if you need to start a LLC quickly. (Per LegalZoom, due to government delays, Express Gold turn-around time in Arizona is 10 business days, in Maryland it is 14 business days, in New Hampshire it is 25 business days, and in New Mexico it is 15 business days.)
When you choose the Express Gold package, the following takes place: Your order is marked for immediate, special handling. Your Articles of Organization are hand-delivered by courier to the Secretary of State to ensure high-priority attention. A LegalZoom LLC online incorporation service specialist is assigned to monitor the progress of your filings with the Secretary of State, which ensures a smooth journey through the government. And finally, once your LLC corporations online order is complete, it is shipped to you via FedEx 2-day Air.
Please see the LLC Online Incorporation Service Package Comparison Table below to see what all you get with the Gold Express Package versus the other two available packages.
If you opt for either the Economy or Standard incorporation online LLC packages, you do not receive the expedited handling process that you do with the Gold package. This is fine if you do not need the LLC online incorporation to be expedited, and you do not need the extra services that come with the Gold package.
LegalZoom’s LLC Business Incorporation Service Questionnaire
Once you decide to start an LLC with LegalZoom, you first create an account. This not only allows you to keep track of your order history with LegalZoom, but also allows you to save your LLC online business incorporation service questionnaire progress if you are not able to complete it all in one sitting. Simply return to LegalZoom’s website, sign back into your account, and complete your questionnaire.
As a matter of fact, if you need to change your questionnaire answers after you have made your purchase, you can do so via the account you created. This is useful if you found out that you entered erroneous information.
If you have a question part way through the questionnaire, as we did, you simply call LegalZoom via their toll-free customer support number, and a LegalZoom LLC online incorporation service representative will assist you as much as you need. We found this to be incredibly useful when we chose to create LLC online through LegalZoom. We wanted to make sure we were putting the right information in the correct spots, and the LegalZoom representative did a fantastic job guiding us through the process.
Start a LLC Education Material Available
LegalZoom offers a decent LLC education center to help you with what is required to start a LLC, as well as an article center that has articles on many legal topics. However, we do feel that their education center could offer a bit more information about LLCs.
In the LegalZoom education center, they do offer a free 13-page LLC Guide in PDF format. This offers much of the same information found on their website, but in an easy to read format.
To get a copy of this guide, visit the LegalZoom LLC Formation page and click on "LLC Education" in the left-hand navigation column. You will then find a link to download the free guide in the left-hand column.
Starting an LLC With LegalZoom – Final Thoughts
LegalZoom allows you to start a LLC quickly and affordably, and they are there to help you should you have any questions along the way. We were incredibly satisfied with the service we received from LegalZoom, and feel that you cannot go wrong choosing them to form a LLC, or for any other online business incorporation service needs you might have.
LegalZoom LLC Online Incorporation Service Package Comparison
| LLC Online Packages Include: | Economy | Standard | Express Gold |
| Price (+State Fee) | $99 |
$249 | $359 |
| Preliminary LLC Name Clearance |  |
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| Articles of Organization Preparation & Filing | |
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| Customized Operating Agreement | |
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| Indemnification Clause | |
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| Restrictions on Transfer | |
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| Company Resolution for Banking | |
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| LegalZoom Peace of Mind Review | |
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| Unlimited Customer Support | |
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| LegalZoom's Business Newsletter | |
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| Deluxe LLC Kit ($100 value) |  |
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| Official Company Seal ($30 value) | |
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| 20 Customized Membership Certificates | |
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| Membership Transfer Ledger | |
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| FREE Peachtree Accounting Software Download | |
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| Priority Rush Service | |
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| Federal Tax ID (EIN) Application Preparation | $30 | $30 | |
| 40 Essential Business Forms CD ($45 value) | |
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| 2-day FedEx Delivery of Final Package | |
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| Prepare Application & Obtain Federal Tax ID (EIN) | $79 | $79 | $49 |
| 1 Year Registered Agent | $149 | $149 | $149 |
