Empower yourself with legal help for court disputes
Get the affordable legal support you need for civil litigation from trusted, experienced lawyers.
How a provider lawyer can help you
At some point, any business owner is likely to have civil litigation legal questions. If you join LegalShield, you’ll be able to consult with a lawyer for an unlimited amount of minutes on an unlimited number of business legal matters, particularly around civil litigation. Don’t stress about litigation—call your provider lawyer.
Making the decision to go to court
Whether you’re a plaintiff or defendant, the decision to file a case or defend yourself at trial, instead of settling, will have a major impact on your business. Speaking with a lawyer to discuss the facts of your situation and make an informed decision is an important step.
- What is my likelihood of success at trial?
- Will the costs of going to trial outweigh the potential benefits?
- How long will it take to go to trial vs. settling now?
- How much time will this take away from me running my business?
- How much stress will each option cause?
Filing a lawsuit on behalf of your business
If your business has been wronged by a customer, employee or other party and you are planning to file a lawsuit, the basic steps include the following.
- Do everything you are required to do before suing (e.g., like sending a demand letter first)
- Make sure the statute of limitations has not passed and you can still sue
Identify the legal names of the parties you want to sue and where they are located - Determine the appropriate court in which to file your lawsuit (i.e., proper jurisdiction)
- Create a complaint that meets all legal requirements and file it with the court
The good news is that by joining LegalShield you can work with an experienced lawyer to get advice on the best way to legally handle these situations.
Defending your business at trial
If you have been sued, you’ll almost certainly want to work with an experienced litigator to protect your business interests.
LegalShield’s Small Business Plans have trial defense hours included (amount varies by plan) if your business is a named defendant in a covered civil lawsuit. Before you start gearing up for a fight, it’s best to speak with a provider lawyer to have them advise on the issue.
Having your lawyer review documents that may be part of the case is included. Also, your lawyer can make phone calls and write letters to make one last attempt at settling your case, at no additional cost.
With LegalShield, your small business gets the power of legal representation for a fee you can afford.
Common dispute resolutions
The average legal fees for small business litigation are between $3,000-$150,000. Businesses involved in a civil lawsuit may incur additional costs due to lost revenue and the emotional impact on owners and employees. As such, it’s critical to have an experienced lawyer on your team to try to settle disputes before trial and to maximize your chances of a successful outcome should you be forced to go to court.
Settle
Settling disputes before going to trial is typically far less expensive and always less stressful. Here are the main benefits of settling before trial.
- You’ll have certainty about the financial outcome as the parties, rather than a jury, are in control.
- Your dispute will be over much sooner than if you go through an entire trial.
- If you’re owed money, you’ll get it much faster.
- Your lawyer fees will be significantly lower.
- Settlements can be kept private while details about trials are made part of the public record.
Determining whether to settle or go to trial is not a decision that should be taken lightly and not without the advice of competent legal counsel.
Sue
While settling is often preferable, sometimes suing the other party is the only way to get what you deserve. If you’re considering filing a lawsuit, ponder these points.
- Juries tend to award larger damages than you might get in a settlement negotiation.
- You’ll have your day in court and, if you win, trials are public record and the defendant will be held accountable.
- Winning a trial may provide more meaningful closure for you.
- Despite the potential benefits, you risk losing your case and getting nothing.
- Also, trials are stressful, can take a long time and cost a pretty penny that may outweigh the potential benefits.
Let’s face it, filing a lawsuit is not fun. Before you make a decision one way or the other, you owe it to yourself and your business to at least speak with an experienced lawyer.
Join LegalShield today and you can get legal advice about your case and the pros and cons of taking it to trial.
Defend
If your business is sued by an employee, customer or any other party, you need to defend yourself. When deciding on a defense strategy, you’ll want to discuss the following items with a lawyer familiar with the area of law your case deals with.
- What are the facts?
- Should we try to settle or is defending our business at trial the best way to go?
- Besides, the odds of winning or losing at trial, what other factors should we use to make strategic decisions?
- Even if I have a good chance of winning, would it be better for my business and my stress to settle and move on?
- What documents or other evidence do I need to gather for a successful defense?
- How much will defending my business at trial cost and how long would the trial take to come to a final resolution?
- What are the worst-case scenarios if I lose?
Don’t stress and guess. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible and, at the very least, they can help you understand your options and start taking action to put this problem in your past as soon as possible.
How it works
Use the app or your computer to fill out a short form and tell us what kind of help you need.
Speak with an experienced lawyer who knows your state laws, usually within a business day.
Get trusted legal advice, resolve your issue, and move forward with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Skip the hourly legal bills. Starting at $59/month, get access to an experienced provider law firm who can handle a wide range of legal needs—without the stress of unpredictable costs. From consultations and document checks to drafting debt collection letters and trial defense hours for defending your business in the event of a covered lawsuit or IRS audit, the LegalShield Small Business Plans have services available. Even using it once can save you thousands.
Getting help is easy. Sign up, and our team will connect you with a vetted law firm that can help with small business issues. Plus, our simple app puts your legal benefits and MEMEBERPerks right at your fingertips—anytime, anywhere.
LegalShield small business plans cover many day-to-day legal needs that small businesses encounter, including consultations, document reviews, and collection letters—at no extra cost.
Certain matters, such as issues outside your business state, are included only on specific plan tiers. If your situation isn’t fully covered—whether it’s out-of-state support or a specialized legal matter—your provider law firm can still help through our Member Discount, giving you savings off their standard hourly rates.
Members receive access to experienced lawyers from a provider law firm in their state. LegalShield connects members with these firms, but all the legal advice is provided directly by a licensed lawyer.
Prevention First
- Lawyers can help check contracts, research legal questions, and flag issues before they become expensive problems.
Professional Legal Assistance
- Lawyers can send letters, make calls, and represent the business in certain situations.
Yes, we have vetted licensed law firms available in every state.
Small businesses across a wide range of industries can benefit from our services. This includes consultants, contractors, retailers, service providers, startups, freelancers, and growing companies. Running a small business means making legal decisions all the time — contracts, compliance, customer issues, and more. LegalShield Small Business plans give businesses of all kinds affordable access to experienced lawyers who can answer questions, review documents, and step in when needed, so you don't have to handle legal issues alone or worry about unpredictable hourly legal fees.
Business owners can get help with a wide range of legal topics, including contract questions, business formation, compliance requirements, vendor and customer disputes, and employee-related issues.
The lawyers can review a wide variety of business documents, including vendor agreements, client contracts, leases, service agreements, NDAs, and partnership agreements. They’ll examine the document before you sign and help identify potential risks, unclear terms, and important legal considerations.
Employees can communicate with the lawyer only if they are listed as designated spokespersons on the account.
If you need legal support beyond what’s included in your plan, you can continue working with your provider law firm at a discounted rate. Members receive the following discounts on additional services:
- Small Business Basic Plan: 15%
- Small Business Preferred Plan: 20%
- Small Business Premium Plan: 25%
All LegalShield Small Business plans include legal advice and consultation for landlords. If your rental property is located in a different state, you’ll need a Small Business Preferred Plan or Small Business Premium Plan to receive services beyond consultation.
A provider lawyer can also:
- Conduct legal research
- Send letters or make phone calls on your behalf of your business
- Review property-related documents
This ensures you have the legal support you need to manage your rental business with confidence.
All LegalShield Small Business plans include advice and consultation on partnerships.
A provider lawyer can also:
- Conduct legal research
- Review partnership-related agreements
Business owners can unlock extra benefits if they:
- Have both a LegalShield personal legal plan and a LegalShield Small Business plan
- Activate Business Owner coverage in their account
Once activated, the Business Owner can receive phone consultations, document reviews, IRS audit support, and trial defense hours for personal legal matters related to their business—things that are normally excluded. These services still follow the limits of the personal plan, but the usual business exclusion is waived.
Yes. After signing up, you’ll need to activate the business owner benefit in your account.