A LegalZoom.com Inc. unit can give law advice in Arizona, the state said as it advances an effort to back non-lawyer-owned legal companies.
The Arizona Supreme Court approval means LZ Legal Services can hire attorneys as employees rather than rely solely on an independent network of lawyers who contracted with the company.
LegalZoom, which went public in late June, becomes the largest company, and at least the ninth overall, approved for the Arizona program that began last year with the goal of making legal services more accessible to low- and middle-income consumers.
“These reform efforts create opportunities to bring innovative new solutions to market,” LegalZoom General Counsel Nicole Miller said in a Friday statement. “We encourage other states to pursue similar reforms.”
Companies previously approved for ABS licenses in Arizona include Trajan Estate LLC, an estate planning law firm co-owned by a non-attorney fiduciary adviser, and some similar-sized operations.
Five of the eight were licensed in late August, including eLegacy Law, which will provide online estate planning services, and Legal Help Partners, which will operate as a personal injury law and mass tort law firm. That operation is co-owned by a lawyer and two marketers, according to reports.
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:
See Breaking News in Context
Bloomberg Law provides trusted coverage of current events enhanced with legal analysis.
Already a subscriber?
Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.