A few weeks ago, we discussed several pending lawsuits against online forms company LegalZoom.com, including efforts by the DeKalb County Bar Association to ban the company from conducting business in Alabama. This month, a Missouri class-action lawsuit against LegalZoom is scheduled for trial.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Missouri federal judge Nanette K. Laughrey partially rejected LegalZoom’s motion for summary judgment and set the case for trial on August 22.
Much like the Alabama lawsuit, the class-action suit contends that by selling online legal documents, LegalZoom is violating a Missouri law that bars non-lawyers from preparing legal documents.
“The state licensure of attorneys was established to protect the public from those untrained and uneducated in the practice of law,” David Butsch, attorney for the plaintiffs, told the WSJ. The preparation of wills and other legal documents “may seem simple to a layman, but they aren’t,” he added. “There are consequences of signing a will . . .and those consequences can be great and they can’t be properly communicated by a company over the Internet.”
As we previously noted, it will be interesting to see how the court addresses the fine line walked by these legal services companies. In our view, companies like LegalZoom cannot replace the knowledge of an experienced attorney who will evaluate each client’s individual circumstances and make appropriate legal recommendations.
Rutledge & Yaghmai is a full service litigation firm that offers more than fifty-seven years of diverse legal experience. The attorneys of Rutledge & Yaghmai leverage that experience to assist large and small businesses throughout Alabama in achieving their business goals while minimizing their risks.
In addition to offering transactional business services such as Alabama business formation and planning, Rutledge & Yaghmai prides itself on the diversity of Alabama business litigation cases it has handled successfully.
To learn more about the wide range of transactional and business litigation services we offer Alabama businesses, please contact the attorneys of Rutledge & Yaghmai today.
