I have used legalzoom and it worked out fine, if you are able to fill in a couple details yourself. I found the forms at be a little bit better than legalzoom because they contain better instructions on how to complete those forms. Rocketlawyer is also an option, but I would put it behind legalzoom and Perfectdocs. This post was edited to remove a link. Please review our Community Best Practices for more information about how best to participate in our online discussions. Thank you.

When it comes to filing, the process can easily be done using LegalZoom, or other online service providers.  Incorporate.com is another source you can use.   My recommendation though, having first hand experience with LLCs, is to speak with a lawyer in the state in which you are planning to file who has experience with ALL of the business structures - even speak with a business accountant - as your taxes and equity / option holders are impacted. So find out first, which is more ideal for you.   For instance, in New York, it's fairly cost prohibitive to set up an LLC for entrepreneurs that are trying to keep costs low. The publication requirements alone can cost an extra $700-$1000 on top of the filing fees. So if you are tight on cash, you can opt for an S-Corp and change as you grow, although it depends on the needs of your business from a tax and investor/equity holder perspective.   First thing you should do is list out all the details of what you need from your business structure, for example; will you need different levels of equity holders, are any of your business partners foreign nationals, is your investor a corporation, will you want to issue options, what are the tax concerns of your equity holders, etc.   A lot of these impact which structure will be most beneficial, or even available.   So think about speaking with a lawyer, as well as an accountant, and get familiar with the differences first, then using an online service provider to do the filing is less of a concern.   Darlene Newman Wicked Start 'Your guide to starting a business'        

It is often less expensive to file the forms yourself. You will probably need the assistance of an attorney to create a legal Operating Agreement for the business after you file the paperwork, so why pay two entities to help you? Either file the paperwork yourself and then have an attorney prepare the OA, or let the attorney do it all. That way, you will be certain that everything is done properly for your specific state rather an generically.

michaelssites, I have not used LegalZoom for lawyer service, but there are some beneifts to having a lawyer you can speak with. Here is an article Navigating Business Law on Your Own vs. Hiring a Lawyer - A 101 for Start-ups. Has anyone used an online legal service? JimD