Rocket Lawyer

In 1996, Moore graduated from UC Berkeley School of Law and began his career as an attorney at Venture Law Group where he participated in the early-stage representation of Yahoo! and Web TV.Rocket Lawyer. [http://www.rocketlawyer.com/about-us.rl#board About: Board of Directors]. Rocket Lawyer. 2012. In 1998, he founded OnStation Corporation to provide software to the automotive industry.{{Cite web|date=|title=Rocket Lawyer's Charley Moore sees lawyer collaboration as the future|url=https://www.abajournal.com/legalrebels/article/rebels_podcast_episode_004|access-date=2020-06-18|website=ABA Journal|language=en}} Then, in 2008, he founded Rocket Lawyer to provide an affordable way for companies to access legal advice. Moore's idea for Rocket Lawyer was to create an easy to use platform where legal documents could be created and shared by everyone. In 2009, he sold his company, OnStation Corp, and used the money from the sale to grow Rocket Lawyer.

From the beginning, the company has targeted entrepreneurs; its initial sales model offered a basic plan and a pro plan, both of which charged entrepreneurs for individual legal documents at a lower cost than standard attorney rates.Klein, Karen. [https://web.archive.org/web/20091026143921/http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2009/sb20091023_229168.htm To Beat the Recession, Reinvent Your Business]. Bloomberg. October 23, 2009.Spors, Kelly. [https://online.wsj.com/article/S70712MEMOS.html?mod=RSS_Startup_Journal&sjrss=wsj Automatic IRAs For Small Employers?]. The Wall Street Journal. August 27, 2007. Under the basic plan, the company provided interactive legal templates and step-by-step instructions to help businesses. The pro plan gave customers access to consultations, document review, and legal representation from local attorneys.{{Cite web|date=2013-01-14|title=Rocket Lawyer Acquired LawPivot, Adds Quick Legal Advice Service|url=https://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/01/14/rocket-lawyer-acquires-lawpivot/|website=The Next Web|language=en-us}}

After the late-2000s recession, Rocket Lawyer switched to a monthly subscription-based model to increase sales. After making this change, Rocket Lawyer increased its annual revenue from $1 million in 2008 to $5 million in 2009, and increased its monthly visitors from 150,000 to 900,000 over the same period.

In January 2009, Rocket Lawyer raised $2 million from LexisNexis{{cite news | last = Loizos | first = Connie | title = RocketLawyer Raises Cash from LexisNexis | publisher = PE HUB | date = January 7, 2009 | url = https://www.pehub.com/2009/01/rocketlawyer-raises-cash-from-lexisnexis/ | access-date = June 20, 2017}} and appointed LexisNexis executive Ralph Calistri to its board.{{cite web |url=https://www.rocketlawyer.com/news/press-release-02-19-09.aspx |title=Rocket Lawyer |website=www.rocketlawyer.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208152051/http://rocketlawyer.com/news/press-release-02-19-09.aspx |archive-date=2009-02-08}} In December 2009, Dan Nye, the former CEO of LinkedIn, joined Rocket Lawyer's board of directors. After a few months as a board member, Nye was named president and CEO.Carr, David. [https://www.forbes.com/2010/10/27/webminutes-linkedin-taxes-technology-legal.html Making Your Business Legal]. Forbes. October 27, 2010.Lewis, Katherine Reynolds. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/business/smallbusiness/23sbiz.html?_r=3&src=busln Making the Decision to Replace Yourself]. The New York Times. December 22, 2010. This allowed Moore to transition to Executive Chairman. Nye focused on improving Rocket Lawyer's customer service and utilizing an analytical approach to new products, including allowing customers to create free legal documents. This helped Rocket Lawyer boost new accounts from tens of thousands a month to over 100,000 a month.

In 2010, Rocket Lawyer received $7 million in equity financing from Investor Growth Capital in order to expand operations.Resources for Entrepreneurs Staff. [http://www.gaebler.com/News/Small-Business-Finance/Small-businesses-avoid-getting-legal-help-because-of-high-cost-800125433.htm Small Businesses Avoid Getting Legal Help Because Of High Cost]. Gaebler. October 19, 2010. In July 2011, the company raised $18.5 million in a Series D round of financing from August Capital, Google Ventures and Investor Growth Capital.Fisher, Daniel. [https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2011/08/11/google-jumps-into-online-law-business-with-rocket-lawyer/ Google Jumps Into Online-Law Business With Rocket Lawyer]. Forbes. August 11, 2011.Takahashi, Dean. [https://venturebeat.com/2011/08/11/rocket-lawyer-raises-18-5m-for-web-based-do-it-yourself-legal-assistance/ Rocket Lawyer raises $18.5M for web-based do-it-yourself legal assistance]. VentureBeat. August 11, 2011.Van Grove, Jennifer. [https://venturebeat.com/2012/01/04/rocket-lawyer-raises-10m/ Do-it-yourself legal site Rocket Lawyer raises $10.8M]. VentureBeat. January 4, 2012. Five months later, in December 2011, Rocket Lawyer raised an additional $10.79 million from Industry Ventures, bringing its total funding to $43 million. By 2011, Rocket Lawyer reached $20 million in annual revenue.Rubin, Courtney. [http://www.inc.com/courtney-rubin/rocket-lawyer-raises-$11-million.html Big Money for Cheap Legal Services]. Inc. Magazine. January 5, 2012.

In 2012 Rocket Lawyer launched in the UK, and then in 2016 they launched in continental Europe in partnership with the French legal publisher Éditions Lefebvre Sarrut, a direct competitor of Rocket Lawyer's lead seed investor LexisNexis.http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/rocket-lawyer-and-els-bringing-affordable-legal-service-to-europe-2156065.htm {{Dead link|date=August 2022}}

In January 2013, the company acquired LawPivot, a legal question-and-answer service. From October 2015 to January 2016, Rocket Lawyer partnered with the American Bar Association (ABA) on a pilot project designed to help consumers find lawyers and attorneys find business.{{Cite web|title=LSC's James Sandman: We Need Technology & Paraprofessionals|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/lscs-james-sandman-we-need-technology-paraprofessionals|website=Bloomberg Law}} Information from the project was used to help the ABA with potential future Law Connect programs.

In September 2018, Rocket Lawyer started integrating blockchain technology into its legal transactions in order to provide “smart contracts” for its clients. The service was beta-tested in 2018, and offered commercially starting in 2019. Under the new service, called Rocket Wallet, contracts are secured and executed automatically with blockchain encryption technology.{{Cite web|title=Online lawyers to offer 'smart contracts' next year|url=https://www.globallegalpost.com/big-stories/online-lawyers-to-offer-smart-contracts-next-year-4593250/|access-date=2020-06-23|website=Global Legal Post}} Rocket Lawyer works with the blockchain company ConsenSys and OpenLaw to provide Rocket Wallet.{{Cite web|title=Rocket Lawyer Joins The Blockchain Revolution To Improve Access To Legal Services|url=https://abovethelaw.com/2018/09/rocket-lawyer-joins-the-blockchain-revolution-to-improve-access-to-legal-services/|access-date=2020-06-25|website=Above the Law|date=10 September 2018 |language=en-US}}

In 2018, Rocket Lawyer UK received a waiver from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to allow practicing solicitors to advise Rocket Lawyer's clients.{{Cite web|date=2018-05-13|title=Exclusive: Rocket Lawyer receives waiver to employ solicitors|url=https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/exclusive-rocket-lawyer-receives-waiver-to-employ-solicitors|access-date=2020-07-13|website=Legal Futures|language=en-GB}} In 2017, the SRA had approved a rule change to allow solicitors to practice from unregulated firms. The rule was not introduced until 2019, so, in the meantime, SRA offered waivers to qualifying companies.

Rocket Lawyer created the COViD-19 Legal Center in April 2020, with free advice, information, and legal documents for business owners during the pandemic. It provided a worksheet to help owners determine what benefits and loans they were eligible for.{{Cite web|date=2020-04-21|title=Small business owners worry they won't survive coronavirus without federal loans, but experts say they have options|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/21/how-small-businesses-can-survive-coronavirus-without-federal-loans.html|access-date=2020-07-20|website=CNBC|language=en}} In September, they became the first national company to be approved by the Utah Supreme Court to participate in the state's "regulatory sandbox", a seven-year pilot program for non-lawyer ownership of legal services.{{Cite web|title=Rocket Lawyer Seeks Non-Lawyer Firm Ownership Test in Arizona|url=https://news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-practice/rocket-lawyer-seeks-non-lawyer-firm-ownership-test-in-arizona|access-date=2021-08-04|website=news.bloomberglaw.com|language=en}}

Rocket Lawyer provides online legal services for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses ranging from prenuptial agreements to incorporating businesses.Rocket Lawyer. [http://www.sys-con.com/node/1624682 Your Legal 'I Do' List: Rocket Lawyer Provides Legal Tips for Getting Married]. Marketwire. November 23, 2010. The online legal services are available to Rocket Lawyer account holders, and give access to online legal forms, help articles, and also extend to discounts with local attorneys. Rocket Lawyer's online database of legal forms was the original premise of the company, and has since expanded to include various other services.

In addition to the do it yourself legal services, Rocket Lawyer offers consumers and businesses access to a network of lawyers who can review customers' legal documents, answer questions, and provide other legal services. For example, if a user needs assistance in creating or editing a legal document, he or she can be connected directly to a local attorney who can provide guidance.Bentley, Lora. [http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/features/interviews/blog/rocket-lawyer-uses-cloud-to-offer-smbs-affordable-legal-help/?cs=43990 Rocket Lawyer Uses Cloud to Offer SMBs Affordable Legal Help]. IT Business Edge. October 28, 2010.Wilson, Jeffrey L. [https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388368,00.asp Rocket Lawyer On Call Delivers Affordable Attorney Access]. PC Mag. July 12, 2011.

In 2008, Rocket Lawyer introduced Legal Health Score, which helps individuals and businesses understand their level of legal wellness.Titlow, John Paul. [http://www.readwriteweb.com/biz/2010/10/get-affordable-legal-guidance-rocket-lawyer.php Get Affordable Legal Guidance For Your Business with Rocket Lawyer]. ReadWrite Biz. October 20, 2010. The score, which is a number between 1 and 100, is based on considerations like whether a business has incorporated or whether legal contracts are in writing. Rocket Lawyer then provides both a step-by-step walk through of all the basics needed to improve a user's legal heath and a detailed action plan that companies can follow to remedy any legal vulnerabilities.Widman, Jake. [http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2010/10/cloud_legal_ser.html Cloud Legal Service Adds Diagnostic Tool]. InformationWeek SMB. October 20, 2010.Greenstein, Howard. [http://www.inc.com/howard-greenstein/start-up-end-of-year-legal-to-dos.html Start-up End-of-Year Legal To-Dos]. Inc.. December 17, 2010.Bradley, Tony. [https://www.pcworld.com/article/208204/professional_legal_assistance_for_a_small_business_budget.html?tk=hp_new Professional Legal Assistance for a Small Business Budget]. PCWorld. October 19, 2010. Rocket Lawyer offers the Legal Health Score service to all types of accounts.

As of 2017, LegalZoom is Rocket Lawyer's primary Internet-based competitor in the U.S. market for legal form documents.{{cite news | last = Lewis | first = Todd | title = Wonder.Legal To Take On Rocket Lawyer And Legal Zoom | publisher = Nibletz | date = April 6, 2017 | url = http://www.nibletz.com/international/france/wonder-legal | access-date = June 19, 2017}} A personal finance article in USA Today stated the common perception that both LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer allow consumers to save money on legal fees but also require some self-education and legal legwork; in other words, both allow consumers to "save a few bucks by doing some of the work yourself."{{cite news | last = Reeves | first = Jeff | title = Plan ahead: 64% of Americans don't have a will | newspaper = USA Today | date = April 26, 2016 | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2015/07/11/estate-plan-will/71270548/ | access-date = June 19, 2017}}{{promotion inline|date=June 2022}}

Rocket Lawyer's competitors also include Nolo (formerly Nolo Press),{{cite news | last = Morrissey | first = Janet | title = Wills Can Avert Family Warfare, but Have Their Own Hidden Traps | newspaper = The New York Times | date = April 21, 2017 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/your-money/wills-avoiding-family-conflict.html | access-date = June 23, 2017}} the pioneering publisher of do-it-yourself legal guides{{cite news | last1 = Goldberg | first1 = Stephanie |last2 = Poole | first2 = Gary | title = Success At Nolo Press: A Berkeley upstart of the '70s becomes the guru of legal self-help | publisher = BusinessWeek | date = January 30, 2000 | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2000-01-30/success-at-nolo-press | access-date = June 24, 2017}} and the creator of Quicken WillMaker software.{{cite news | last = Carrns | first = Ann | title = Why You Should Get Around to Drawing Up a Will | newspaper = The New York Times | date = February 8, 2017 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/business/how-to-make-a-will.html?src=me | access-date = June 23, 2017}}

• eLawyering

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• {{Official website|https://www.rocketlawyer.com/}}

Category:Online legal services

Category:Law firms established in 2008

Category:Internet properties established in 2008

Category:Online companies of the United States

Category:Companies based in San Francisco

Category:GV companies

Category:Legal organizations based in the United States

Category:American legal websites