LegalShield Review (2024): Is the MLM Just a Pyramid Scheme?

LegalShield Reviews: Pros, Cons, And Best Alternatives

In this LegalShield review, I’ll try to answer the age-old issue about multilevel marketing: “Is it a pyramid scheme?”

I’ll also explain what Legal Shield is and whether it can give you financial independence and a steady income stream.

Now, in this review, I want to be entirely honest, so…

MLMs like LegalShield are a bit of a mixed bag. They CAN be a legitimate way to make money, but some have a reputation for literally ruining people’s lives – so it’s important to know what you’re getting, since each one is unique.

Like most of my readers, you were probably introduced to this one via a friend or some influencer you trust online.

And it makes sense why so many people recommend them:

Making money outside of a 9-5 can be… life-changing, to say the least.

So in this article, I want to help you explore two things:

1. If MLMs are actually a worthwhile business to pursue
2. If LegalShield is a worthwhile MLM

Before that, I want to clear the air on something.

There are A LOT of people out there who bash all MLMs in any form. I am not one of those people.

Instead, I want to genuinely educate you about them so that you can make an informed decision on how to proceed.

If you’re unfamiliar with what MLMs actually do:

They’re businesses in which you pay money to a company for the ability to sell their products. 

Sometimes the products are actually kind of decent (I still remember my mom throwing pampered-chef parties when I was younger).

Other times the products are really poorly made and come with a high price tag.

Typically, the only way to really make money is to get people (mostly friends & family) to sign up with you for a recurring subscription.

If the product is 100% legitimate & valuable, it’s entirely possible to get people to sign-up and continue paying you.

If the product is subpar, you’ll usually burn those bridges kinda quickly and end up with $0 coming in each month.

The biggest issue I’ve seen is that this puts significant stress on your personal relationships, as you’re reliant on selling to your “network.”

Think about it: if you KNEW that every time your friend Sally called, she’d be trying to sell you on one of her products… you’d eventually stop answering Sally’s calls.

Now, this doesn’t mean MLMs are outright bad… it means you need to know what type of MLM you’re getting yourself into before you sign up. 

Again, some MLMs provide real value to people, but MOST don’t – and so in this article we’re going to explore what the case is with LegalShield.

But before that, I want to ask you a question: what if there was a way to build actual recurring, semi-passive income? 

Income that:

• Doesn’t have inventory
• Doesn’t make you sell to your friends & family
• Doesn’t force you to recruit people onto your “team”

Something that you could make anywhere from $2,000 – $10,000 with consistently, month after month?

A stream of income that you can build as high (or low) as you feel like building it?

If that sounds interesting, you might want to think about using the Digital Rental Method.

If you wanna see what LegalShield looks like on the inside, keep reading.

Legal Shield Review

Founder: Harland Stonecipher, a life insurance provider.

Product Name: LegalShield

Founder: Harland Stonecipher

Product Type: Multi-Level Marketing Company and a Legal Services Provider

Best For: Individual job seekers

Summary: The goal of Legal Shield is to ensure that everyone has access to a low-cost, qualified attorney. This is the only economical, legal service available, with a monthly subscription fee of $19.95.

Product Currency: USD

Editor’s Rating: 1.8

Recommended: NO

What Is Legal Shield? Is It A Legal Services Provider / Law Firm?

LegalShield is a pioneer in this industry, founded more than 48 years ago to provide affordable legal services.

It’s a multilevel marketing company that provides low-cost legal protection to individuals and small enterprises.

Customers can acquire legal representation and advice from a criminal law expert at a fixed monthly rate on various topics, rather than the expensive hourly rates often offered by law firms.

The company has been in operation since 1972 and currently has 1.7 million subscribers.

In all 50 states, LegalShield’s attorney network consists of 39 legal firms and 900 attorneys with an average of 22 years of experience.

Small Enterprises Can Obtain The Following Legal Services In Return For A Fixed Monthly Fee:

• Legal advice in general
• Legal consultations on specific issues
• Review of documents and contracts
• Collecting debts assistant
• Make calls or write letters on your company’s behalf
• Services for trial defense

In addition to this, LegalShield offers a separate website called “Launch” for starting a business.

LegalShield also offers the following two services:

• Personal legal protection
• Coverage for identity theft

LegalShield is a low-cost identity theft protection program.

LegalShield Pricing

LegalShield costs you a monthly fixed price for legal protection.

The more you pay each month, the more comprehensive the coverage becomes.

LegalShield’s legal membership plans, which comprise their legal plan and LegalShield corporate solutions, have the following prices and information:

Small Biz 10 (10 Or Fewer Employees) @ $39 Per Month

• For an hour’s worth of legal labor, you get unlimited phone consultations.
• Every year, you will receive three phone consultations on specific legal matters (half-hour calls).
• Every year, 20 documents are reviewed (a maximum of 6 each month, totaling 16 pages).
• Every year, you will receive a total of 20 phone calls or letters (with a maximum of 6 each month).
• Every month, you will receive five debt collection letters.
• Additional work is eligible for a 25% discount on the attorney’s hourly charge.
• A maximum of two users can be designated.

Small Biz 50 (50 Or Fewer Employees) $89 Per Month

• For an hour’s worth of legal labor, you can have unlimited phone consultations.
• Every year, you will receive three phone consultations with particular legal difficulties (half-hour calls).
• Every year, 30 documents are reviewed (maximum of 6 per month, 16 pages).
• 30 phone calls or letters each year (maximum of 6 per month).
• Each month, you will receive ten debt collection letters.
• Additional work will receive a 25% discount on the attorney’s hourly cost.
• There are a maximum of three designated users.
• 75 hours of trial defense every year, plus a maximum of 15 hours of pre-trial preparation.

Small Biz 100 (100 Or Fewer Employees) @ $149 Per Month

• For an hour’s worth of legal labor, you get unlimited phone consultations.
• Every year, I have three phone consultations on specific legal matters (half-hour calls).
• Every year, 40 documents are examined (maximum of 6 per month, 16 pages).
• A total of 40 phone calls or letters are made per year (with a maximum of 6 each month).
• Every month, 15 debt collection letters are sent.
• Additional work is eligible for a 25% discount on the attorney’s hourly charge.
• Trial defense hours are limited to 75 per year, with a maximum of 25 hours of pre-trial preparation.
• There are a maximum of 5 users who can be designated.

Home Business Supplement Plus Additional $9.95 Per Month

• For an hour’s worth of legal labor, you get unlimited phone consultations.
• Every year, you will receive two phone consultations with particular legal difficulties (half-hour calls).
• Every year, three documents (16 pages) are examined.
• Six phone calls or letters per year (maximum of 6 in a single month).
• Every month, you will get three debt collection letters.
• Help with IRS audits.

Trial Defense Supplement Plus Additional $9.95 Per Month

Pre-trial and trial preparation are crucial if you need to defend yourself or your company in court.

Business Formation Services

Prices start at $145, not including state filing fees.

Registered Agent

Registered Agent costs $120 per year.

Keep in mind that your legal work will be done by a law firm from LegalShield’s network, regardless of the plan you choose.

Regrettably, not all law firms provide all of the benefits listed in each plan. Prices may also vary significantly based on your location.

As you can see from the table above, there is a wide range of charges based on the kind of legal support your company will need.

If you work as a freelancer, the home business supplement you can add to your legal plan ($24.95 per month) might be enough.

Select the appropriate plan for the number of employees for other small businesses.

As previously said, each plan places restrictions on the lawyer’s time, so make sure you understand all of the details before signing up.

For instance, the lawyer may devote up to one hour of legal time to a general phone conversation.

After that, you must pay the attorney’s standard hourly rate, minus a 25% reduction.

You can only request a maximum of six document reviews per month, and you can only ask for a maximum of 15 pages for document reviews.

If you need an attorney to contact or send letters on your behalf to a third party, you are limited to six calls or letters per month.

If you go beyond these limits, you must pay the attorney’s regular fee less a 25% reduction.

LegalShield Pros

Home Business Supplement

LegalShield is the only online legal service that now offers a home business supplement.

You can add this to your personal legal plan for an additional $9.95 per month, making it a cost-effective way for consultants and freelancers to safeguard themselves, their families, and their businesses under one plan.

Debt Collection Assistance

LegalShield was also the only one who could help with debt collection.

Your lawyer will send debt collection letters to companies who have missed payments every month, as you requested.

Because unpaid invoices are one of the leading causes of cash flow problems for small businesses, this service could be very useful in ensuring that you are paid on time by your customers or clients.

Trial Defense Services

LegalShield can assist you with both trial defense and trial preparation if your company is taken to court.

LegalShield is the only legal service I’m aware of that provides such services, potentially saving you a lot of money and lowering your risk of being sued.

Consistent, Quality Work

While LegalShield cannot guarantee that you will always work with the exact attorney, you can rest sure that you are in good hands.

That means the attorneys will get to know your company/business and ensure that the service level provided on your behalf is consistent.

They also provide you with a Member Bill of Rights, which outlines the quality of service you can expect from your law firm.

Mobile App

LegalShield is unique in that it has its mobile app for both iOS and Android.

This is especially useful for business owners who are too preoccupied to open their laptops or even pick up the phone.

If you have any legal questions or need to obtain legal papers, you can utilize the LegalShield app.

LegalShield Cons

No Trial Membership Or Money-Back Guarantee

Competitors of LegalShield provide a money-back guarantee or a limited trial subscription.

For example, Rocket Lawyer offers a free 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

On the other hand, LegalZoom offers a 60-day refund policy or money-back guarantee.

This is not the case with LegalShield; you cannot do either of these things, so you must carefully review every element of the plan you desire to purchase.

If you decide after a few months that you no longer require LegalShield‘s services, you can contact customer care to terminate your membership.

Slow Website

The website of LegalShield isn’t the most user-friendly, and it can be slow at times.

Thankfully, once you’ve purchased your bundle, you won’t need to return to the site too often.

You can contact your lawyer directly or visit the partner law firm’s website.

Limits To Legal Plan

Like any other online legal service, a LegalShield monthly membership has limitations.

Time limits for the lawyer and a limited number of pages for document review are among them.

You will have to pay extra if your legal work exceeds the limitations.

In addition, not all lawyers and law firms qualify for all incentives.

Some perks are at the lawyer’s and firm’s discretion, so you may not be able to use all of the options included in the pricing list.

Spotty Customer Service

LegalShield’s customer service has been the subject of some internet complaints.

I had a poor experience with customer service when I emailed them. The representative did not answer my question.

Summary Of LegalShield Customer Reviews

LegalShield, formerly known as Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., has gotten largely positive feedback on the internet.

Positive LegalShield Reviews

Unlike my personal experience, most people had a good experience with Legal Shield’s attorneys. They were attentive and responsive, and their legal difficulties were successfully resolved.

The majority of customers who gave LegalShield five stars had been members for a long time and had used their services frequently.

They reported that they had saved a significant amount of money since employing LegalShield’s services.

Negative LegalShield Reviews

On the negative side, one specific criticism was that it was difficult to terminate their subscription.

Several users noticed that their credit cards had been debited even after they had canceled them.

Others alleged that the legal firms were not given the resources they needed for their membership advantages.

LegalShield Competitors And Alternatives

LegalShield is an excellent option for businesses that need legal help quickly and at a fixed price.

They do, however, face competition from the following companies:

LegalZoom

LegalZoom, a larger, more well-known competitor to LegalShield, offers some of the same services as LegalShield.

You receive access to the following with their business plan:

• Telephone discussions with attorneys
• Forms of legal action
• Examining documents

They also assist in the development of businesses.

Legal consultations are restricted to 30 minutes and document assessments to 10 pages.

In this sense, LegalShield offers better value—the time limit is only applied to specialist legal consultations and up to 15-page document evaluations.

IncFile

For businesses looking to start a new company, IncFile is a far more cost-effective alternative to LegalShield’s Launch, a business incorporation service.

LegalShield charges $145 for business creation plus state filing fees, whereas IncFile charges only $49 plus state filing fees.

Unless, of course, you want to handle everything on your own, that is the lowest rate for business formation that I found online.

UpCounsel

The LegalShield plans are great if you need a quick answer to a legal question or if you need an attorney to help you handle a fundamental problem.

However, a service like UpCounsel may be preferred for more severe concerns.

Can You Really Make Money With LegalShield?

Yes, you certainly can!

But…

Many people deal with a lot of things that come with Network Marketing.

Check out our list of the Top 5 Reasons Why Most Network Marketers Fail.

Don’t get me wrong…

You can undoubtedly make money with LegalShield, but if you’re going to put in the effort to learn the ropes (which isn’t simple), you might as well make some real money while you’re doing it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Does LegalShield Help With?

LegalShield provides legal services to small businesses, including consultations, trial defense, document and contract review, and debt collection.

2. How Do You Cancel LegalShield?

If you no longer require LegalShield’s services, you may cancel your membership by contacting customer care.

3. What Does A LegalShield Law Associate Do?

To supplement their income, the majority of Law Associates promote and sell LegalShield plans.

4. Does LegalShield Do Estate Planning?

Yes, they can have a skilled and registered estate planning attorney create your Last Will, Living Will, and Power of Attorney.

5. Does LegalShield Cover Car Accidents?

Suppose you are a LegalShield member involved in a car accident. In that case, you will have emergency access 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for legal emergencies covered by your membership, such as car accidents resulting in personal injury or bodily harm.

The Bottom Line: Is It A Scam?

So, time for the $1,000,000 question: is LegalShield a scam?

No, not technically. They aren’t going to run off with your money and not give you what you paid for. It’s 100% possible to make money with this program.

That being said, it’s not nearly as simple as they want you to think it is.

There’s A LOT of work to be done up front, and no guarantee that you’ll be successful. The commissions are also fairly small.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for doing hard work now, so that I can reap the benefits later.

But if you’re going to work really hard for 3 months, and your reward is a $100 check… it’s not really a great opportunity.

If I’m gonna do that, I want the rewards to be HIGH and virtually guaranteed.

I’d rather put in that same 3 months of work (in my spare time) & build a handful of Digital Rental Properties that each produce $500-$2,000 checks every single month afterward (AKA recurring income).

And the cool part is that you can do it in a lot less time than 3-months (I personally did it in my first 2 weeks of using the Digital Rental Method).

Unlike with MLMs, you can do it from anywhere in the world, so it’s a genuine “laptop-lifestyle” business.

All you need is an internet connection.

Some of my friends are Digital Rental Method that run their 6-figure businesses from:

• Camping trips at national parks
• Beachfront in Hawaii
• On the road in a camper-van (with a pet pig!)

They focus on living an enjoyable life first, and focus on income second. All thanks to this program. 

They can take weeks or months off, and money keeps rolling in. 

Living happily is the top priority. 

If the thought of living perpetually at your dream vacation spot interests you, using the Digital Rental Method might be for you!

What Is My#1 Recommendation For Making Money Online In 2024?

I’ve personally tried all of the major online business models:

• I’ve sold fidget spinners through Amazon FBA
• I’ve drop-shipped a toilet-bowl putting green on Shopify
• I’ve sold women’s health supplements via Clickbank affiliate marketing

And I made money with all of them, so trust me when I say: there is no “perfect” business model.

I’ve also been on the other side of old friends trying to sell me their fancy new MLM products.

That being said, my #1 recommendation for making real money online is, hands-down: being a Digital Landlord.

Whether you’re a complete newbie, or you’ve been around the block before but have never had that “big win” to propel you forward, using the Digital Rental Method is for you. 

Why?

Time: If you’ve got a spare hour-or-two each day, you can do this. If you want to drop everything and go all-in, you can do this. More time obviously means faster results, but even putting in a few hours per day is enough to see real success.

And because of that flexibility, you don’t need to trade your time for money. Once the income starts, it’s recurring.

That means you can take a month off, travel the country, pursue a passion project, chill on the beach, or charter a boat across the world.

But you can only do that once you’ve created an income stream that doesn’t require YOU to be there all day, every day.

Ownership & Control: With MLMs, you don’t really “own” anything – everything belongs to the MLM.
If you read the contracts, they can kick you out at any time, or change your commission at any time (it’s happened in a few high-profile MLM cases recently).
Why pour your soul into a business that could be taken away from you at the drop of a dime?
With the Digital Rental Method, you literally own all of the assets, which means you have ultimate control.

Big Margins: With MLMs, you’re often going to have really slim margins. That means you need to have a VERY large network to make serious money. This usually entails spending A LOT of money on ads and other methods for recruiting members.

using the Digital Rental Method, your profit margin is nearly 100%. Watch here to learn how.

Just a reminder: these Digital Rental Properties are worth (at a minimum) $500/mo in semi-passive income. And each time you create another one, your income increases, and the effort put into creating the next property decreases.

Best case scenario, you have properties bringing in over $3,000+/mo on auto-pilot.

It’s Effectively Copy-Paste: Here’s my favorite part: once you have your first Digital Rental Property up, you can literally copy-paste another version of it and find another willing “renter” in a few days. DOUBLING your income doesn’t get much easier than that…

If you wanted to double your income with an MLM, you would need to sell twice as much inventory. And I can guarantee you, that’s a lot harder than a few clicks & a phone call.

You’re Helping REAL People: My biggest gripe with MLMs is that you’re likely going to ruin your personal relationships.
The MLM may have convinced you that you’re actually helping people, but it’s often not really true.

But With the Digital Rental Method, you’re helping solve REAL problems that people are ASKING for help with:

Small local businesses around the world need one thing: customers. Without them, their business would fall apart. If we can provide those customers, they’re going to be really happy – and they’re going to pay you for it.

You’re helping a struggling mother or father put FOOD on the table for their families, put their kids through college, or simply live life a little bit more comfortably.

Having this type of impact on the world is what will help you sleep soundly at night.

So, the rest is up to you. You could keep looking at other MLM programs like LegalShield, which might make you money 12 months from now.

You could keep researching and researching for the next few months (or few years), never making a concrete decision.

OR, you can look deep inside, think about those dreams, hopes, & desires, and make the decision to ACTUALLY make it happen, just like it has for thousands of other students before you.

Making a fortune while actually helping real people that need it.

If this sounds like you, click here to see how it all works.