Avvo – Here’s how to use Avvo’s services based on the type of legal issue you have:

• Post general questions for free to Avvo’s Q&A forum (e.g. How do I form an LLC in New York? What laws do I have comply with when hiring a new employee?). When I tried this, I got responses back in less than 20 minutes. UpCounsel and Prior Legal don’t have free Q&A forums.
• Get free legal templates. You can print, download, e-sign, and share legal forms with others. There’s a step-by-step form builder so you can customize forms for your business’ needs.
• Use Avvo Advisor to speak one-on-one with an attorney about a specific legal matter. It costs $39 to speak with a lawyer on the phone for 15 minutes. While 15 minutes may not seem long, Avvo says most people need less time to get the answer to their question. UpCounsel and Priori Legal don’t offer a similar phone consultation.
• Use fixed rate legal services for more complex but common legal issues. Examples include forming a business and having a contract reviewed.

Hire an attorney through Avvo’s network for legal issues that need more work. Each attorney sets their own fixed or hourly rates based on the nature of the work required, but you will know exactly what you’ll have to pay before hiring a lawyer.

UpCounsel – While UpCounsel doesn’t offer the same range of options as Avvo, its simplicity is nice. There’s just one way to use UpCounsel: you submit a description of your legal problem, and UpCounsel will tell you which attorneys in their network are best qualified to do the job. You can then set up free consultations with the attorneys of your choice and hire your favorite. The attorneys will quote you a cost depending on the type and complexity of the legal work. Like Avvo, UpCounsel offers free legal forms if you’re just in need of a template.

Priori Legal – Priori Legal has two options for getting legal assistance:

1. Request a lawyer – If you have a one-time legal question, you can submit a description of your legal issue and get quotes back within the hour from lawyers who are willing to help you. Attorneys will quote you a cost, depending on the nature and complexity of the issue.
2. FlexCounsel – If your business has ongoing legal needs, you can get on-call legal help for a certain number of hours each month. It costs $150/hour for 5 hours/month, $140/hour for 10 hours/month, and $130/hour for 20 hours/month.

Priori Legal is the only one of the three companies that offers an on-call option for small businesses that have regular legal requirements. It’s a great value because the hourly rate is guaranteed in advance. If you just need legal forms, you can also get free templates on Priori Legal.

Avvo – You can get legal help on Avvo for much less than what it would cost if you went to a law firm. For example, you can consult with a lawyer on the phone for 15 minutes for $39. That equates to $156/hour, which is about 40 % lower than the average charged by an associate attorney. Fixed rates for different legal services include the following: $595 to form an LLC, $995 to form a corporation, $149-199 to have a contract reviewed, or $399 to have a contract drafted. If you have a more complex legal problem, then you can hire an attorney through Avvo’s legal directory. The attorney will quote a price depending on the type of legal issue.

UpCounsel – UpCounsel attorneys charge hourly or fixed rates depending on a variety of factors, such as the type of legal issue, the complexity of the work required, the small business owner’s budget, and the small business owner’s timeline. While the company declined to speak with us, their website indicates that you can save about 60 % off of typical law firm rates.

Priori Legal – Like UpCounsel, Prior Counsel attorneys charge hourly or fixed rates depending on multiple factors (e.g. experience, practice area, location, etc.). Basha Rubin, the company’s CEO, said that rates are typically 70-80 % less than typical law firm rates. Lawyers on Priori’s network are required to give at least a 17.5 % discount off market rates for Priori customers.

For small businesses with ongoing legal needs, there’s a product called FlexCounsel that has fixed pricing:

• $150/hour gets you 5 hours of legal work per month.
• $140/hour gets you 10 hours of legal work per month.
• $130/hour gets you 20 hours of legal work per month.

Avvo – When I posted a question to Avvo’s forum, it took just 17 minutes for lawyers to begin responding. Most fixed rate legal services are initiated within 1 business day.

UpCounsel – Once you submit a description of your legal problem online, you will get quotes back from attorneys within 1-3 business days. When I tried, it was actually much faster. I got proposals from attorneys within 10 minutes. You can then set up free consultations with the lawyers of your choice before hiring your favorite.

Priori Legal – Priori Legal takes 30-60 minutes to match you to a lawyer. After submitting your legal issue online, Priori Legal staff (which includes attorneys) handpicks the lawyers who are most likely to be able to help you. The result is slower than Avvo but potentially better matches. Once Priori selects some candidates for you, you can contact the attorneys for free consultations and hire the attorney of your choice.

Avvo – Any licensed attorney can have a profile on Avvo. In fact, 97 % of American lawyers have an Avvo profile. To make it easier for customers to choose a lawyer, those lawyers receive an Avvo Rating based on multiple factors such as years of experience, practice area, and any awards received. The average Avvo rating is currently 4.4 out of 5 stars. Attorneys also receive customer ratings. Avvo lists the highest rated lawyers at the top of the screen. The company did not disclose the average years of experience for its attorneys.

UpCounsel – UpCounsel has the most stringent requirements for allowing attorneys on its network. Only about 5 % of attorneys who apply are accepted to the platform. Many of these attorneys previously worked at large law firms or Fortune 500 companies. On average, they have 14 years of experience. You can see how other people rated their lawyers.

Priori Legal – Priori Legal’s attorneys are the most experienced on average. They must have a minimum of 5 years of experience. On average, Priori attorneys have 18 years of experience. But compared to UpCounsel, they accept about 20 % of applicants. To remain on Priori Legal’s network, attorneys must maintain 95 % positive ratings from customers.

Avvo – Avvo has a generous satisfaction guarantee and refund policy. There’s no strict time limit to claim a refund, but the company says it’s about 90 days. If you’re unhappy with the work a lawyer did, Avvo may give you a refund or work with that lawyer or another lawyer to have the problem fixed.

UpCounsel – UpCounsel believes that “You should never have to pay for work that doesn’t meet your standards.” They will either match you to a different lawyer at no additional cost or refund your payment if you’re unhappy with a lawyer’s work.

Priori Legal –  If you’re unhappy with the work a lawyer did for you, Priori Legal will match you to a different lawyer at no additional cost. The company doesn’t provide refunds however.