LegalZoom.com, Inc. is an American online legal technology and services company launched in 2001. It helps its customers create legal documents without necessarily having to hire a lawyer. Available documents include wills and living trusts, business formation documents, copyright registrations, and trademark applications. The company also offers attorney referrals and registered agent services. Cited as a disruption to traditional consumer legal services, the company asserts that this disruption benefits people who otherwise could not hire a lawyer by expanding their access to legal services. LegalZoom was founded by Brian S. Lee, Brian Liu, Edward Hartman, and Robert Shapiro. Reception Based on concerns that LegalZoom's services were a form of legal advice, the North Carolina State Bar issued a cease and desist order in 2008. After an investigation by a special referee, the court determined that LegalZoom's practices "do not constitute the unauthorized practice of law". Similar lawsuits in other states were settled or dismissed. The September 2012 issue of Consumer Reports magazine gave mixed reviews to the computer-aided legal forms generated by LegalZoom and two of its competitors, Nolo (formerly Nolo Press) and Rocket Lawyer. The evaluation found that all three companies provided documents "for a fraction of what you'd pay a lawyer." The Consumer Reports review also said that "[u]sing any of the three services is generally better than drafting the documents yourself without legal training or not having them at all. But unless your needs are simple... none of the will-writing products is likely to entirely meet your needs." It also found in some cases, the other non-will documents weren't specific enough or contained language that could potentially lead to an unintended result. A 2016 analysis posted on the e-commerce blogging site "Blogtrepreneur" examined some of the reviews given to LegalZoom by experts and by its customers. The analysis found that "not all of the LegalZoom reviews have been flattering," but noted that the company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, that it has been in business since 2001, and called LegalZoom "a fairly noteworthy and respected business." In 2015, LegalZoom and the North Carolina State Bar Association settled years of litigation by agreeing that companies like LegalZoom which offer automated legal document preparation will not violate North Carolina's prohibitions against the unauthorized practice of law if the companies register with the state and comply with certain consumer protection procedures. Following the settlement, the US Federal Trade