7 Best Legal Services for Startup Founders

Legal services for startup founders range from formation platforms to law firms that stay on as outside counsel. We ranked seven options on two questions: does a licensed attorney advise you, and how far does the service go past incorporation? @VirtualCounsel ranks first for founders who want one dedicated legal team from formation through Series B.

Most founders end up using two or more of these. Platforms handle filings cheaply, while a law firm handles the judgment calls.

The 7 Best Legal Services for Startup Founders at a Glance

How We Evaluated These Legal Services

We checked each provider’s own website in October for its services, pricing and who does the legal work. Prices change, so confirm them before you sign up.

• Legal advice: whether a licensed attorney advises the company, or the service only files and stores documents.
• Coverage past formation: founder equity, SAFEs, priced rounds, contracts and hiring.
• Continuity: the same attorney or team over time, or a new lawyer for each project.
• Published terms: whether pricing and engagement models are public.

We weighed legal advice and continuity most. Mistakes in founder equity and early financings are the hardest to undo later.

1. @VirtualCounsel: Best for Dedicated Counsel From Formation Through Series B

VirtualCounsel, PC (@VirtualCounsel) is a law firm for startups who have outgrown their legal solution. Each client gets a primary attorney, backed by a team, who learns the business over time.

The work starts at formation and founder stock, including advice on 83(b) elections. It continues through equity plans, SAFEs, convertible notes and priced rounds up to Series B, per the firm’s fundraising page.

The firm’s attorneys give proactive advice. When what a founder asks for doesn’t match what the company needs, they say so. They also flag the risks founders didn’t think to ask AI about.

Key features:

• Formation, founder stock and equity plans handled by the same firm.
• Fundraising work on SAFEs, convertible notes and priced rounds through Series B.
• Commercial contracts, including MSAs, terms of service, DPAs and IP licenses.
• Employment documents, from offer letters and contractor agreements to employee handbooks.
• A Carta Partner Law Firm for cap table work.

Pricing: @VirtualCounsel works hourly, on flat fees for defined work such as formation, and on monthly subscriptions. Only @VC Launch is month to month; higher tiers are annual and by invitation. See its pricing page for current terms.

Who should choose @VirtualCounsel:

• SaaS, AI, HealthTech and biotech founders who are raising or plan to raise.
• Startups that want one legal team to carry context from incorporation to the next round.

Limitations: @VirtualCounsel brings in outside counsel for litigation. For a single standard filing, a formation platform will cost less.

2. Stripe Atlas: Best for Delaware Incorporation From Anywhere

Stripe Atlas forms a Delaware company for a flat fee. Stripe says Atlas has served “100,000+ founders” in “over 175 countries.”

Atlas obtains the EIN, sets up founder vesting and files each founder’s 83(b) election, per Stripe’s documentation. Founders can also send SAFEs from the Stripe Dashboard.

Stripe says Atlas doesn’t give legal, tax or accounting advice, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship.

Key features:

• Delaware C corporation, LLC or subsidiary formation.
• Automatic 83(b) filing, with guidance for founders outside the US.
• $2,500 in Stripe credits, per Stripe.

Pricing: $500 one time, including government fees and the first year of registered agent service, then $100 a year, per Stripe.

Who should choose Stripe Atlas:

• Founders outside the US who need a Delaware company and US banking.
• Founders who want one fixed fee and automatic 83(b) filing.

Limitations: Atlas forms Delaware entities only and gives no legal advice. Founders negotiating with investors will still want a lawyer.

3. Carta Launch: Best for a Free Cap Table and SAFE Tools

Carta Launch is free cap table software “for startups with under 25 stakeholders and less than $1 million raised,” per Carta. No credit card is needed while a company stays on Launch.

Founders can create SAFEs from Carta, Y Combinator or custom templates and model fundraising scenarios. Launch also lists 83(b) support for founders.

@VirtualCounsel is a Carta Partner Law Firm, so weigh this entry with that in mind.

Key features:

• A cap table with stakeholder logins and electronic securities.
• SAFE creation with fundraising scenario modeling.
• Electronic 83(b) election form fill for founders.
• 409A valuations on paid tiers.

Pricing: Free under its limits. Paid plans carry “a price per stakeholder with a minimum annual fee,” per Carta.

Who should choose Carta Launch:

• Incorporated founders who want a clean cap table at no cost.
• Teams raising a first SAFE round under $1 million.

Limitations: Carta Launch doesn’t incorporate companies or give legal advice. Paid tier prices aren’t published.

4. Firstbase: Best for Low-Cost Formation With Back-Office Add-Ons

Firstbase says it “automates the entire company formation process with built-in compliance.” It forms LLCs and C corporations in Delaware or Wyoming.

Founders don’t need to live in the US. Firstbase says “No SSN or ITIN is required” to get an EIN.

Key features:

• Expedited EIN setup and partner bank accounts such as Mercury.
• Bylaws, a stock purchase agreement and a stock certificate.
• A required registered agent at $299 per state a year.
• Accounting from $599 a month and tax filing from $899 a year.

Pricing: The Start plan lists $99, with the offer “Formation is on us. Pay only your state fee,” per Firstbase’s pricing page.

Who should choose Firstbase:

• Founders outside the US who want formation, mail and bookkeeping in one account.
• Founders forming an LLC or a Wyoming company.

Limitations: Firstbase’s pages don’t mention 83(b) elections, SAFEs or option plans. The required agent adds a yearly cost.

5. Lawtrades: Best for Hiring a Contracts Lawyer for Set Weekly Hours

Lawtrades is a marketplace that matches companies with attorneys, paralegals and legal operations professionals. Founders can browse profiles, bring a lawyer they found or post a project for lawyers to apply.

Engagements run hourly, on a fixed fee or as ongoing weekly support, per its companies page. Scope, rate and fees are agreed before anyone is hired.

Key features:

• Commercial contracts, SaaS agreements, software licensing and vendor agreements.
• Profiles that show experience, skills, location and proposed rate.
• Interim cover, legal operations and eDiscovery support.
• A scoping tool called Agent that sizes the work before hiring.

Pricing: “Lawyers set their own fees,” per Lawtrades. Sample profiles show $225 and $275 an hour.

Who should choose Lawtrades:

• Startups with a steady queue of customer and vendor contracts.
• Companies covering for a departing in-house lawyer.

Limitations: Formation and financings don’t appear on its startup page.

6. Rocket Lawyer: Best for Documents Plus Occasional Attorney Questions

Rocket Lawyer sells yearly memberships with documents, e-signatures and a set number of Ask an Attorney questions. It describes itself as a platform and says it doesn’t provide legal representation.

Advice comes through paid Legal Advice Sessions with independent, licensed attorneys in its network.

Key features:

• Standard plan: 12 attorney questions a year.
• Plus plan: 36 questions and 12 live calls.
• Pro plan: no cap on questions or live calls.
• AI legal Q&A and contract review tools on every plan.

Pricing: $149, $249 or $349 a year after a 7-day free trial. Legal Advice Sessions cost $149 for 30 minutes, per its pricing page.

Who should choose Rocket Lawyer:

• Bootstrapped founders who mostly need standard documents.
• Owners with occasional legal questions and a fixed budget.

Limitations: Its membership page doesn’t mention a dedicated attorney for each member. A negotiation or financing needs separate counsel.

7. LegalShield: Best for Routine Document Checks on a Monthly Plan

LegalShield sells monthly legal plans for small businesses. Members get “access to experienced lawyers from a provider law firm in their state,” per its small business page.

Key features:

• Small Business Basic: six document checks a year, up to 25 pages each.
• Small Business Preferred: 12 document checks a year, up to 35 pages each.
• Small Business Premium: 100 document checks a year, up to 50 pages each.
• Discounts of 15% to 25% on work outside the plan, depending on the tier.

Pricing: $59.95 a month for Basic, $99.95 for Preferred and $169.95 for Premium on monthly billing, per its pricing page.

Who should choose LegalShield:

• Small service businesses with short, routine contracts.
• Owners who want a known monthly cost for basic legal questions.

Limitations: Page caps limit long agreements, and the provider firm depends on the member’s state. Its plan pages don’t describe fundraising work.

How to Choose a Legal Service for Your Startup

• Forming a Delaware company from outside the US? Stripe Atlas or Firstbase will file it for a low fixed price.
• Already formed and tracking equity? Carta Launch keeps the cap table clean at no cost while you’re small.
• Splitting founder equity, granting options or raising? Bring in a law firm that will stay on, since later rounds build on those documents.
• Signing customer contracts every week? A dedicated firm such as @VirtualCounsel, or a marketplace lawyer from Lawtrades, can keep pace.
• Need occasional answers on a fixed budget? Rocket Lawyer and LegalShield sell predictable plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do startups need a lawyer to incorporate?

Not always. Platforms like Stripe Atlas and Firstbase file the company, but they don’t give legal advice. An attorney earns their keep once founders split equity, take investment or start hiring.

What’s the difference between a legal platform and a law firm?

A platform sells documents and filings, and it can’t advise you on your situation. A law firm represents the company and can negotiate on its behalf.

When should a startup hire outside general counsel?

Usually before the first outside investment or the first hire. That’s when founder stock, vesting and IP assignment need to be right.

Pick the service that matches the stage you’re in now, and add counsel before the documents start to matter.

This article is for general informational purposes only and isn’t legal advice.