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LegalShield

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4.1

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: January 31st, 2024

LegalShield is a legal service provider that works with a network of law firms throughout the United States and Canada. The company aims to modernize legal services by offering monthly membership plans that give consumers access to qualified and experienced lawyers 24/7 for help with legal issues.  

Prepaid Legal changed its name to LegalShield in September 2011. 

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The Good

  • Partnered with Reputable Firms
  • Monthly Memberships
  • Affordable Legal Plans
  • Nearly Instant Access to Services 
  • MEMBERPerks

Partnered with Reputable Firms

LegalShield is not a law firm and does not employ lawyers. Instead, the company has built long-standing partnerships with law firms from every state and throughout Canada. 

Instead of hiring one attorney who only practices a specific type of law, LegalShield's membership plans give you access to an entire law firm. Ensuring you are matched with an experienced attorney to handle your immediate legal needs. 

This benefits consumers because you get coverage for various legal issues for one affordable monthly payment. With more traditional legal services, you pay hundreds by the hour for a lawyer who can only help with one specific problem. 

Monthly Memberships

LegalShield's memberships give you unlimited access to legal assistance or advice. The company offers three membership plans that provide a variety of coverage. 

The Individual and Families Plan includes help with estate planning (last will and testament, power of attorney, trusts, etc.) traffic assistance, tax audit services, document reviews, etc. There are even a few add-ons such as gun owners supplement, ride share and delivery supplement, trial defense supplement, and home business supplement. 

The Small Business Plan includes assistance with tax audit services, designated consultations, collection letters, etc.  

The Start a Business Plan offers features such as LLC formation, business name check, collection letters, obtaining an LLC Federal Tax ID, and more. 

We appreciate LegalShield offering three different plans to consumers, as it provides valuable legal information and coverage to individuals and their families, small businesses, and start-up companies.

Affordable Legal Plans

The cost of LegalShield will depend on which type of plan you choose. A personal legal membership generally costs $29.95 a month, but the price may vary depending on where you live. 

Small business plans start at $49 per month. And the start-up business plan costs $149 plus state filing fees. 

The company has a 25 percent discount off your lawyer's hourly rate if you require additional legal services outside your LegalShield coverage. The average cost for independent lawyers ranges from $100 to $400, so a 25 percent discount is a good deal.

Nearly Instant Access to Services

LegalShield doesn't force consumers to wait a week before they can start using their plan benefits. In most cases, you can contact your attorney as soon as your membership application is reviewed and your account is set up. The company states that this generally takes about 12 to 24 hours (or less on regular business days). 

MEMBERPerks

Something unique to LegalShield is the company's MEMBERPerks. Members can save up to 50 percent on big-name brands such as Verizon, Costco, and Amazon. The company website doesn't offer much more information on its perks program, so we recommend asking about this just to ensure you are receiving the full benefits of being a member.

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The Bad

  • Limited Control

Limited Control

If you choose to work with LegalShield, you have to be willing to give up a little bit of control. 

Because of the way LegalShield operates, you do not have a say in which law firm represents you. You also don't get a say in who your lawyer will be. 

LegalShield does its best to find an attorney qualified to handle your case, but it might not always be the perfect fit. You can request to work with another attorney, but you'll have to consider their availability and areas of expertise. 

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The Bottom Line

LegalShield offers a unique approach to helping people afford legal assistance and services. 

As with most subscription services, you need to consider how often you'll be using the services. If you think you will use LegalShield's services repeatedly, it's worth it. If you only plan on using the services once in a blue moon, then a monthly subscription might not be the best choice. However, the low monthly payment and 25 percent discount off your lawyer's hourly rate may be handy in an emergency. 

Legal Shield is a subscription service, and you can cancel your subscription anytime. If you find yourself in a bind, you can pay the $29.95 for the month and receive unlimited advice and access to an attorney and law firm, which could cost thousands of dollars with an independent lawyer. Once your legal issue has been resolved, you can cancel your membership. 

Additionally, LegalShield not only saves you money but time. Instead of spending hours of research into reputable law firms and searching for experienced, qualified attorneys, LegalShield has done all the leg work for you. The company has partnered with over 39 law firms and employs over 900 lawyers with a vast array of expertise and experience. 

Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of working with LegalShield is that you have to give up some control. With this company, you have to work with the partnered law firm in your state and one of their attorneys. You don't have a choice in which law firm represents you. Additionally, you may have to work with a different attorney from the firm on every case. 

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Star Rating

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1.8

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260 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

49%

4 grade

8%

3 grade

2%

2 grade

5%

1 grade

36%

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Ivan Spence Colorado Springs, CO

First day. I was appreciative of the instant access to relevant documents. However, they should offer to sell them independently of the plan because they have zero customer service etiquette or organization. Calling several times to fix things like my access to the website being inaccessible to my account because it kept prompting me to sign up after the first day, and then finally getting access to my account after some time. When placing an order for consultation. The Attorney's literally don't show up to the call. Calling the attorney's they place blame on legalshield, and back and forth ensues. I call to request a refund for the lack of professionalism, and then they give me the run around. Cannot cancel unless I send an email, cannot confirm that I am entitled to my refund despite the brokenness of their service. Finally get a follow up call by a retention agent, and she has no knowledge of the phone calls after the last interactions with the law firm between myself and legalshield. Unaware that I had already begun the cancelation process she begins to argue with me trying to bully me into keeping the service. All I could retort with is "get a working CRM tool and track your customer engagement so that you can know why I am cancelling." I thought all calls were recorded for quality assurance, but allegedly they use a third party customer service system to facilitate their business. Terrible.

8 months ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Ivan, thank you for the feedback. We appreciate you sharing your experience with us as it allows us to improve. Though we are sorry to hear that a member is choosing to lose their affordable legal services, LegalShield is a pre-paid monthly subscription service, and our members have the right to cancel at any time. Per our policy, as stated on our website and in our membership contracts, all cancellation requests must be provided in writing. The easiest way to do so is by emailing us at [email protected] with your name, membership number, phone number, and your request to cancel the membership. For further questions or to speak to our team, please call (844)-714-8494 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, and a member of our team would be happy to help.

Jul. 6th, 2023

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Joel Horwich Charlotte, NC

I have rarely been satisfied with their partnered firm, Merritt Webb in North carolina. Although attorneys Clark and Powell have been excellent, I usually wind up receiving advice from less experienced lawyers there who will not research the question posed and who often times do not have any substantive response to the issue posed. Further, they have referred me to one or two star Google rated attorneys and have been reluctant to reference others when I choose not to use that assistance. Sorry, but I cannot recommend them.

6 months ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Joel, thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We would like the opportunity to research this matter further and provide you with the support you need. To do so, we need a bit more information. Please submit our Attorney Service Concern Form at https://legalshield.typeform.com/to/pSnMnF, and a team member will reach out to you directly. We look forward to assisting you.

Sep. 22nd, 2023

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Makeiba Lewis Charlotte, NC

I got LegalShield through my old employer. I had a little grace period after I changed employers to see if this was a service I wanted to continue. I had a matter that I needed legal advice. I set up my appointment for a Friday. I received an email on Thursday that someone tried to reach me. I knew I was going to be busy on Thursday which is why I didn't set it up on Thursday. I missed the call during the appointment time, but I called back when I could fully talk about the matter. After being on hold for a long time, I finally got to talk to an attorney. The one I talked to was so rude and short with me. That was my first and last time using LegalShield. I could see if I was being annoying. But, I didn't get to say much because I felt that what I had to say wasn't going to matter much anyway. I don't want to stick around to see if there are lawyers with manners. I'm glad my grace period is almost over.

1 year ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Makeiba, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Our team would like the opportunity to research this matter further and provide you with the support you need. To do so, we need a bit more info. Please get in touch with our Member Service Team at (800)-654-7757 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, and a team member will be happy to assist you. Thank you.

Dec. 13th, 2022

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Angie Cruz Vancouver, WA

Too expensive in my opinion for what you really get. I had this service for 2 years and paid $25 monthly and only used them about 4 times. When you call to use it, they give a time frame when someone will call you back, but they do not make appts. Very hard to connect to an attorney if you work full time, it's like waiting for Comcast or something "we will call you on such and such date between 8am and 12 pm" type of thing. Also the will that is supposedly free wasn't helpful and the attorney was very rude. Funny how they can sign you up right away and take your money, but what they don't tell you is that you have to submit in writing if you want to cancel, and they tell you you have to call to ensure they received the document, then when you ask if it's cancelled they say "it's in the cancelling process". Not helpful. Not worth it imho.

1 year ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Angie, thanks for your feedback. We're disappointed that you feel our services did not meet your needs. Our experienced network of provider lawyers is dedicated to assisting our members with their legal issues. They will work diligently to give you the right legal advice and actionable steps to take while strictly following our membership contract of benefits.
Understanding your membership benefits is important. We have systems and resources in place for members to notify us if they are not satisfied with the services provided. We encourage all members with questions about their specific membership benefits or service complaints to contact our LegalShield Member Services at (800)-654-7757 or via chat at www.legalshield.com between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday or via our LegalShield app, where assistance from our Member Services Team and your Provider Law Firm is just a tap of the app away.

Dec. 1st, 2022

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Brady Patterson London, ON

I used to love LegalShield and we've used it extensively in the past. This review will center on LegalShield and not the counsel they retained to deliver the service. I wish there was an easy way to separate the two of them because I have been happy with the advice in the past. Right now, I'm quite upset as the level of service has dropped significantly. The legal service when I actually receive help has always been amazing and I have no doubt that the lawyer who I finally speak to will deliver a great service while I have them on the line. But you are going to spend hours on hold to do anything before you ever speak to that lawyer. Last week on Thursday morning I submitted my request at 8:47am and got my email response that the lawyer would respond within 4 hours. Roughly 6 hours later I called the help line to inquire as to the status of my request. After 1.5 hours on hold, I reached someone that tried to get the lawyer for me and was told they were unavailable and would call me back shortly. Near the end of business day I called back and spent another 45 minutes on hold only to be disconnected. Friday was a holiday and so they were understandably unavailable. Monday morning I got my call and picked up the first ring to an empty line. I immediately called back and waited three hours this time before customer service could tell me I would receive a call at 5pm the following day. The young man I spoke with said he put a not on my file to have the lawyer attempt to call me sooner if possible but that this is all he can do. I've been a LegalShield user for many years and am shocked by the degraded service of the company. The only thing that prevented me giving one star is that I have appreciated the service over the years.

1 year ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Brandy, we appreciate you taking the time to make us aware of your experience. We appreciate your honesty and apologize for the negative experience. That is never an experience we want our valued members to have. Our dedicated Member Services team would like to investigate this matter further but would need a bit more information to do so; please fill out an Attorney Service Concern form at https://legalshield.typeform.com/to/pSnMnF to be contacted directly. Thank you again for informing us of your situation, which allows us to improve. We hope you give us a chance to provide you with the level of service we are capable of.

Nov. 15th, 2022

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Tonya lofton Bolingbrook, IL

If you been paying fees monthly for 2-5 years and you finally need help that should be a big credit toward your bill. Because someone paying 2 months ago will get the same service. Does that sound fair. Update your program and give big credit to people that paid but never had a issue to leave. Wasted money could be savings for kids or life insurance policy that pays out at 18. Your old ways will cause you to lose clients you lost me. I saw this as a waste when we needed help when I paid but my circumstances included being off work and that adds up to zero. I am back at work because of my own understanding of law. But I looked at all the payments I made to LS. Was two months of rent I really needed at that time. Make it make common sense.

1 year ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Tonya, thank you for your feedback. We're disappointed that you feel our services did not meet your needs. Our experienced network of provider lawyers are dedicated to assisting our members with their legal issues. They will work diligently to provide you with the appropriate legal advice and actionable steps to take while strictly adhering to our membership contract of benefits.
Understanding your membership benefits is important. We have systems and resources in place for members to notify us if they are not satisfied with the services provided. We encourage all members with questions about their specific membership benefits or service complaints to contact our LegalShield Member Services Team at (800)-654-7757 or via chat at www.legalshield.com between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, where a team member would be happy to provide support.

Sep. 21st, 2022

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Wyoming Guy Cheyenne, WY

I’ve been a member with Legalshield for at least eight years, and in that time I’ve had a few small issues consultation with my primary provider law firm was generally very good. Recently a referral for a family law matter shows me where the significant problem is. Legalshield will refer you to their provider for a discounted rate. Only their provider in my case the provider had been censored by the state bar five years previous and didn’t have a single review that was positive online. I requested a different provider and this was the only option for the entire state. Legalshield is careful not to promise in their member guidebook that they will give you a good lawyer just that they will give you one of their lawyers. It’s obvious to me that they don’t screen For quality referral providers like they would if it was their life on the line. I strongly and emphatically do not recommend Legalshield. They get you for the small things in your membership but you can do that much more effectively and reasonably through other providers and other offerings online. Do yourself a favor and stay clear of Legalshield

2 years ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We appreciate your feedback and would like to provide some clarification. The provider lawyers in our network are committed to assisting our members with their legal issues. They will work diligently to provide you with the appropriate legal advice and actionable steps to take while strictly adhering to our membership contract of benefits. If a referral is needed, if a member feels that a proper referral was not received, our team is more than happy to provide another referral. We have systems and resources in place for members to notify us if they are not satisfied with the services provided. We encourage all members with questions about their specific membership benefits or service complaints to contact our Member Services Team at (800)-654-7757 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, where a team member would be happy to provide support.

Mar. 15th, 2022

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Mnm420 Clearwater, FL

I needed some legal advice about a court case I was involved in but they just referred me to some attorney for a "discounted" cost to retain, but even so it was way too expensive so it did me no good. These people are just for very basic legal needs, wills, eviction notices, etc. Not for complicated litigation... Edit:In response to the reply from legal shield, the opposing party in my wage case (my employer) has an attorney on retainer that has always represented him so its highly unlikely that Legal Shield has previously represented my employer.

1 year ago Edited May 31, 2022

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Reply from LegalShield

Thank you for your feedback. We're disappointed to hear that you feel our services did not meet your needs. We would like to provide some clarification. The provider lawyers in our network are dedicated to assisting our members with their legal issues. They will work diligently to provide you with the appropriate legal advice and actionable steps to take while strictly adhering to our membership contract of benefits. If a member feels that a proper referral was not received, our team is more than happy to provide another referral. Understanding the full benefits of a LegalShield Membership is important.
We have systems and resources in place for members to notify us if they are not satisfied with the services provided. We encourage all members with questions about their specific membership benefits or service complaints to contact our LegalShield Member Services Team at (800)-654-7757 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, where a team member would be happy to provide support.

May. 27th, 2022

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MM Largo, FL

I thought that LegalShield would be able to offer me some advice on a court case I am involved in to recover unpaid wages from my further employer. I was wrong. They only referred me to another attorney for which I would have to pay a retainer. This is more for vet basic legal functions like creating a will or drafting an eviction letter-generic stuff. Also, when I cancelled my membership they still charged me for another month. The maximum page limit for documents they will review is 15 pages.

2 years ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Thank you for your feedback. We're disappointed to hear that you feel our services did not meet your needs and we would like to provide some clarification. The provider lawyers in our network are dedicated to assisting our members with their legal issues. They will work diligently to provide you with the appropriate legal advice and actionable steps to take while strictly adhering to our membership contract of benefits. The legal system requires every law firm to perform a conflict check. Ethically a law firm cannot represent a client if they have previously represented the adverse party. Therefore, a referral is made. The same membership benefits will be provided through the referral lawyers, however, if additional representation is needed for services that are outside of your membership benefits, you may continue to use your referral provider lawyer. The additional services are 25% off the law firm's standard hourly rates. Your provider lawyer will go over these fees and let you know when the 25% discount applies. Please note, this discount does not include contingency matters.

Mar. 7th, 2022

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Bob Paol Milford, DE

I have been with Legal Shield since 2006. Most of their attorneys are helpful and knowledgeable. There have been wrong quite a few times costing me hours of my time and had me file more than once incorrectly. Costing me hundreds in court cost and time. The document department need to be replaced/fired in my opinion as a paying member. Buyer beware is my opinion

2 years ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Bob, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for your previous experience and thank you for this important feedback. We want to provide clarification. LegalShield manages our member's subscriptions to our legal and identity theft protection plans. Our network of provider law firms administers the legal plan benefits to legal plan members. While we do not play a role in administering legal services, we do hold our provider law firms accountable to service level agreements (SLAs) that are mutually agreed upon by LegalShield and the provider law firms. We provide our members with resources to let us know if their provider law firm is not meeting those SLAs and will work to remediate any issues related to those SLAs. We encourage all members who are unsatisfied with their service to reach out to our Member Service team at (800)-654-7757 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, where a member of our team will be happy to assist in providing a resolution.

Mar. 10th, 2022

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Bryan Osuna Louisville, CO

Pretty much useless. The woman who called me for my consultation told me almost nothing of value and then tried to sell me services. She also wasn't very friendly. I tried using the services for a month and it provided no value. They also make cancelling a complete pain in a$$. I don't recommend LegalShield.

1 year ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Bryan, thank you for the feedback. We're disappointed to hear that you feel our services did not meet your needs. Per our policy, cancellation requests must be provided in writing. We regret to hear about your cancellation, which we have confirmed has been processed as you requested and certainly hope to assist you in the future should you return as a member.
We have systems and resources in place for members to notify us if they are not satisfied with the services provided. We encourage all members with questions about their specific membership benefits or service complaints to contact our LegalShield Member Services Team at (800)-654-7757 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, where a team member would be happy to provide support.

Jun. 6th, 2022

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RICHARD WATTS Sacramento, CA

THEY GAVE ME A ATTOR.IN LA.PARKER,S.IM THE FAMILY OF SIR J.W,THAT MADE THE MOTOR.IM HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY OWN INS.PROGRESSIVE,FULL TIME RV.TRUCK,AND RV.MY LIC.EXPIRED DURING THE LAPS OF IN.I HAVE NO HOME AND HAVE NO CLUE WHAT TO DO.500,000 IN INS.AND NOTHING.THANK YOU.R.D.W THE POWER THAT LITES THE WORLD.

2 years ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Richard, thank you for your feedback. We have systems and resources in place for members to notify us if they are not satisfied with the services provided. We encourage all members with questions about their specific membership benefits or service complaints to contact our Member Services Team at (800)-654-7757 between 7-7 CST Monday-Friday, where a team member would be happy to provide support.

Mar. 16th, 2022

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Herman Davis Beaumont, TX

Legal Shield the company is fine, but the business concept separates family. My family member spends too much time doing the business and less time with extended family. Worry less live more.

8 years ago

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Raven Brodsky New York, NY

They were only ever asked for help once in the years I paid for this service. It is just not needed often enough to matter for me.

2 years ago

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Reply from LegalShield

Thank you for your feedback. We're disappointed to hear that you feel our services did not meet your needs. If you need legal help in the future, we hope you consider LegalShield.

Mar. 16th, 2022