5 Red Flags to Watch Out for in Legal Services for Businesses (Don’t Hire Legal Help Until You Read This)
Are you looking for legal services for businesses? Make sure to avoid these major red flags before you hire a legal professional!
Every business is different and has different legal needs, so one size does not fit all. You need legal support for your business’s specific needs. As a lawyer myself who provides legal services for businesses in all types of niches like yours, I can tell you exactly what you need for your business and what to watch out for when hiring legal services.
In this blog post, I’m spelling out what you need to look for in proper legal services for businesses, and I’ll cover the following:
Why just googling “small business legal services near me” or any random business lawyer doesn’t get you the best legal services for your business
Why generic contracts and services provided on Rocket Lawyer and Legal Zoom might not be the right choice for your niche
What red flags to watch out for and how to get the best online legal services for small business owners
After learning all about what you don’t want in legal services for businesses, you’ll get the best legal services to protect and enhance your business.
This post is all about the red flags to avoid when hiring legal services for businesses and how to ensure your business gets the legal help it needs to succeed.
Best Legal Services for Businesses
5 red flags to avoid (incl. why services like Rocket Lawyer and Legal Zoom don’t cut it)
1. Generic Templates Marketed as “Custom”
Many online services like Rocket Lawyer and Legal Zoom market their contracts as being fully customizable, but there are a few issues with these services that make them not actually custom services.
Many of these contracts include a standard process that is not specified step-by-step. They’ll just let you describe what your services cover but not exactly how your process works:
How do you execute your services?
What tools do you use for meetings?
When do you have meetings?
How long is each meeting?
When do you provide the deliverables?
When is feedback required from your client?
What specific tasks are included in your scope?
What is not included in your scope?
These are all things that are not even covered in most of these contracts.
But if you do not have clear processes and boundaries set in your contract, you’ll have major misunderstandings with your clients. Those misunderstandings will result in disgruntled clients leaving bad reviews or, worse, legal claims and disputes!
You need legal services for businesses that actually pay specific attention to your specific niche and the processes within your business.
Super fast turnaround with no questionnaire or intake process leads to generic, crappy business contracts.
2. No Understanding of Niche-Specific Risks
The other issue with many legal services for businesses is that they do not have a full understanding of niche-specific risks.
A lot of business contracts from both online services and seasoned lawyers are actually generic and do not include specific protections for specific niches within niches that are absolutely crucial.
For example, a health coach will need different liability disclaimers than a real estate coach. These contracts will have general disclaimers for results and outcomes, for example, but not specifically for coaches in the health niche or coaches in the real estate niche, which run completely different risks.
The proper legal services for businesses should provide:
Contracts and general terms and conditions with niche-specific disclaimers and disclaimers tailored to the types of services you provide
A tailored privacy policy for the type of data your business collects and how your business uses that data
Indemnities for niche-specific claims that can be made by your client or any third party against your business
The right legal structuring for the type and size of your business.
Even go one step further and help you create pricing and payment mechanisms that work for your business
If the legal services for businesses do not contain these 5 essential qualities, they’ll hurt your business instead of helping you!
3. Don’t Customize Your Contract to Your Business Model
Two businesses in the same niche can still have completely different business models. For example:
One service-based business could work with a traditional time-based business model where they get paid by the hour.
Another business could have a project-based business model, where they ask for a fixed fee for a specific product or service package.
And another business could have a subscription-based business model for their services or products.
Too many of these legal services for businesses have one standard type of contract for one standard type of business model. But there’s not just one way of doing business for each type of business.
So make sure when you look for legal services for businesses that they provide the option for you to curate your contracts to your specific business model.
4. Vague or Inflexible Pricing or Deliverables
Another major red flag to watch out for when looking for legal services for businesses is when (1) the actual total cost of the services is unclear or (2) what you get for the price is unclear. For example:
Most legal services for businesses will make you pay by the hour and give you an “estimate” of the costs, but the risk is on you if it turns out it costs them more time (while you didn’t ask for any extras).
Some online template customization services will only allow you to “customize” a template through their platform and then provide a PDF version of your contract, so you can’t actually customize it yourself.
Other services will even claim they offer free legal advice for small businesses, but they don’t actually give you answers to your questions, and after your time is up, you start paying $500 an hour.
You should know exactly what you’re paying for — and the actual price for the full service. The best prepaid legal services will give you the following:
Clear upfront pricing
A straightforward outline of what you’ll get for that price
A complete overview of services that are not included and what any additional services will cost
5. No Customized Offers for Your Specific Needs
There are many contract templates and other standard legal services for businesses that work great for many businesses, but not every standard offering will be the right fit for your business. There are many different reasons for which you may need a custom solution.
But the mere fact that you need something a little more custom should not mean you need to spend $1,000s in legal fees to get what you need.
Ensure the legal services for businesses you choose will at least provide the following solutions:
If you need special terms and conditions for an uncommon service, you can request a custom fixed fee.
If you’re asking for a service that is a bit unpredictable in costs, like contract negotiations, you can ask for a fee cap so you won’t overspend.
If you need recurring services for your business, like ongoing contract drafting for each client or ongoing business maintenance programs for your LLC, ask them to provide a custom subscription service.
Choose legal services for businesses that are actually business-oriented. You want your lawyer to think like a business owner!
Best online legal services for small business owners
When you choose my legal services for businesses, you’re not just getting a quick legal fix — you’re getting thoughtful, high-quality legal support designed to protect your business, save you time, and help you grow with confidence.
Whether you need a custom contract or T&C, other legal documents for compliance, business formation, ongoing business support, or other legal services for businesses — here’s how I make sure you get exactly what your business needs:
Legal Support Built Around Your Business: I take the time to understand your services, business model, and industry so your legal documents reflect the way you actually run your business — not some generic one-size-fits-all approach.
Niche-Specific Protections That Actually Work: From liability disclaimers to privacy terms and payment structures, you’ll get clauses and legal solutions tailored to your specific niche and business risks — not generic language that leaves you vulnerable.
Contracts, Terms, and Policies That Make You More Money: I’ll make sure your contracts, invoices, and policies include strong payment terms, extra fees for extra work, and boundaries that protect your time — so you’re not working for free or dealing with endless client back-and-forth.
Want legal services for businesses that actually make sense for your business?
Check out all my legal services here!
How My Legal Services for Businesses Work
Getting expert legal support for your business shouldn’t be complicated. Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Choose Your Service (or Book a Free Call!): Head to my Custom Contract Services page and purchase the service you need. Not sure which legal document is right for you or don’t see exactly what you’re looking for? No problem — you can book a free 15-minute call with me to create a tailored solution at a fixed fee.
Step 2: Fill Out a Simple Questionnaire: Within 72 hours after your purchase, you’ll receive a detailed but easy-to-complete questionnaire where you’ll share everything I need to get started. If anything’s missing or unclear, I’ll reach out to make sure I have it all.
Step 3: I Deliver Your Tailored Legal Document: Once I have all the details, I’ll create your customized legal document — whether it’s a contract, policy, disclaimer, or something else. You’ll receive it within 7 business daysor 3 days if you choose the Rush Service Add-On.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I need changes after I receive my document?
If you need changes, you can order a Revision Round Add-On at a fixed fee. Each add-on includes:
One email with your requested edits
One round of revisions based on that feedback
Up to 3 changes to existing clauses or 2 additional clauses
Delivery within 7 business days, or 3 business days with the Rush Service Add-On
What if I need my contract or document faster?
Need a quick turnaround? Just select the 3-Day Rush Service at checkout, and you’ll receive your completed document within 3 business days instead of 7.
Can you help if my business is a little different?
Absolutely. If you don’t see your exact service listed or you’re not sure what you need, you can book a free 15-minute call, and I’ll help you figure out the best legal solution at a clear, fixed fee.
This post was all about what red flags to watch out for when finding legal services for businesses and what solutions you need for your business!
Want to know what to look for in contract legal services? Read this blog post on What to Look for in Contract Legal Services for Your Business (and Major Red Flags to Avoid)!
Learn more about all my legal contract services on this page!
