At last week’s Off the Clock #6, we got into a very interesting discussion about the number of  solo and small firm attorneys (and perhaps big firm attorneys) who are competing with online “legal service” outfits such as LegalZoom, Nolo, and LawDepot.com.

An interesting experiment came out of that discussion, namely I agreed to buy my Will (I actually need one) through LegalZoom, record my process in doing so, and then compare the process and product with the process and product of obtaining a Will from one of my colleagues, who I will hire to draft a Will.  Another Off the Clock participant agreed she would look at employment-related contracts and compare her own contracts and work product with that of an online ‘do-it-yourself’ vendor.

The first fruit of that experiment is underway. I just purchased a ‘Standard Will’ through LegalZoom, at a total cost of $71.95, which includes printing and shipping. I will post the video of that process shortly, which I found fascinating and a bit troublesome, particularly as I answered questions at times not fully knowing the impact of my answers. I will also review the Will I receive and compare it to a Will I get from an attorney I hire. Honestly, I have no preconceived notions about this, though my natural inclination as an attorney is to doubt that online legal ‘do-it-yourself’ services can deliver quality services. But, how do we, as attorneys, compete with increasingly popular and cheap services such as LegalZoom?

So, stay tuned, though comments and thoughts about this process now are certainly welcome.