There will be times when you need to contact a law firm to speak with a local attorney about your small business. If you require legal advice, it is essential to know where to turn for the best online legal services.

Small business owners have varying legal needs. They include assistance with intellectual property, legal documents review, real estate planning, and legal representation.

Business law is a complicated subject that requires a US legal lawyer to best handle your company's legal matters.

Whether you need help setting up a business entity or power of attorney, you will want to connect with a local lawyer. One who has many years of experience.

With a quick Google search, online services become available. They help gain legal resources, answer legal questions, and find professional legal assistance.

Whatever your small business legal needs are, you want to find the best online legal services. A lawyer who can provide you with the finest legal help.

What to Look for in a Local Lawyer

Preparation is key. You do not want to find yourself in the middle of a legal dispute scrambling for a lawyer.

Begin looking for a local lawyer before you need help by using online legal services.

A business lawyer is an attorney who focuses their legal practice on issues that affect businesses.

Examples: Taxation and intellectual property. Typically, any legal services to do with the operations and regulations of companies.

Business lawyers assist owners with corporate laws, legal forms, and transfers of businesses. They also conduct research, write legal documents, and negotiate settlement terms.

To run a good business, small business owners must anticipate their company's needs. You need to have a qualified local attorney ready to handle all legal matters.

Here are some qualities to look out for and actions to take. Review them before making a final decision on who to choose for legal help.

Qualities: What to look for in a lawyer

• Years of experience dealing with business legal issues.

• Understanding your case.

• Highly communicative.

• Have a Good Rapport

• On-call or high availability.

• Healthy reputation and track record.

• Reasonable flat fees, monthly fees, or extra fees (filing fees, etc.).

• Offers various payment options (cash, credit cards, debit).

• Customer support.

• Care and empathy.

• Decisiveness

• Provide results

Action: How to find a good lawyer

• Interview with local candidates.

• Contact your business colleagues for referrals and references.

• Check with the local or state bar association.

• Search for lawyers with a commercial referral service.

• Conduct a background check.

• Tour the Lawyer's Law Firm.

• Use online resources to find information about legal service providers in your area.

• Check for the lawyer's online presence. (Online reviews, website, etc.)

When Do You Need a Business Lawyer?

There are some business items you can handle on your own. Some tasks business owners can do themselves, including:

Take on the research aspect of finding a name and choose one for your business. You can also apply for any license and permits the company requires.

In other cases, a business lawyer is necessary. Below are a few examples of business-related duties you cannot handle on your own.

You need a business lawyer when:

• If your business is being sued.

When a former, current, or prospective employee files a lawsuit. It is on the grounds of discrimination in a hiring, firing, or hostile work environment.

• If your business is being investigated.

If local, state, or federal government systems file complaints or investigate your business in violation of any laws

• If an environmental issue arises.

If an environmental issue occurs that involves your business, you may face penalties. Even if your company did not cause an environmental problem.

• If you want to sell your company or gain one

Negotiating the sale of your company or the acquisition of another company or its assets

Best Online Legal Services for Your Business

Various online legal service providers offer the necessary legal forms and resources a business needs.

LegalZoom

Plan: One-time use and monthly plan options. $36 per month for a 6-month plan

Longest money-back guarantee in the industry, at 60 days.

LegalZoom is one of the largest and most popular online legal services. The site has over 4 million businesses and consumers using it.

Services LegalZoom provides:

• Help with business formation services

• A network of professional and vetted attorneys who offer legal advice and document review.

• Other services: Trademark registration, copyright application, patent application, legal forms, and articles.

Rocket Lawyer

Plan: Monthly plan. $39.99, 7-day free trial; cancel anytime.

Receive the first business incorporation for free. (Only pay the required state filing fees).

Rocket Lawyer offers useful online legal services and resources.

Service Rocket Lawyer provides:

• Unlimited access to customizable legal forms.

• Informative legal rules and norms.

• Online legal advice and phone consultation.

Incfile

Plan: Starts at $0 plus government filing fees to form a business. Extra costs for additional services.

Best value if you need to form a business quickly.

Incfile helps entrepreneurs quickly start a new business. It is one of the least expensive online legal services for business formation.

Service Incfile provides:

• Quickly start a new business.

• The company will file all the formation paperwork for you.

• Everything you need to get started.

LegalMatch

Plan: Pricing varies. Lawyers charge their own rates and fee structure.

Able to see how other clients have rated attorneys before choosing.

LegalMatch is a service that helps you find local lawyers. Its vetted lawyers can help you with your legal issue.

Service LegalMatch provides:

• Case submission on LegalMatch’s website.

• Attorneys will review your case, which typically takes a few hours.

• Lawyers that match your business’s location.

UpCounsel

Plan: Pricing varies. Lawyers charge their own rates for all services. They also have their own fee structure.

Free legal forms are available for download.

UpCounsel is an option for those whose legal needs are complex. It is a business law marketplace where you can get proposals from various attorneys.

Post your needs on their network, and 5,000 business attorneys will review it.

Service UpCounsel provides:

• You get to compare proposals based-on the attorney’s hourly rate, reviews from previous clients, etc.

• Gain access to business attorneys, all of whom worked at top corporate law firms or Fortune 500 companies. Including Google and Apple.

• Attorneys that can tackle complicated legal issues.

Atrium

Plan: Monthly subscription-style pricing and three levels of service.

Best Online Legal Service for Startups

Atrium helps high-growth startups that need online legal services. It is a law firm and technology company.

Service Atrium provides:

• All the lawyers who work for Atrium have experience working in-house at startups.

• Lawyers know the ins and outs of legal matters about startups.

• Business formation services, equity grants, mergers and acquisitions, plus more.

Other Online Legal Services: Options - Lawdepot, Legalshield, and Nolo are some other sites that can help with legal matters.

Conclusion

If you are in search of a local agent service that can help with legal plans or with forming a start-up, look at the legal services available online.

Find a local attorney before any business legal trouble happens. You will want a quality-lawyer ready to make their move if or when the shoe drops. What you do not wish for is a quick-pick lawyer who scrambles to put your case together in a pinch.

Even if there are no legal upsets at your company, having a local lawyer to help review and file legal documents is a good idea.

It is vital to have a lawyer nearby that can be there when you need some essential legal advice for your business.