Complaints
This profile includes complaints for LegalShield's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 348 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 122 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:09/05/2025
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have been a LegalShield client since the days of Pre-Paid Legal, approximately 20 years. In that time, I’ve only used the service a handful of times. Unfortunately, each experience has left me dissatisfied, with poor communication, rushed conversations, and little to no actionable legal guidance.
The attorneys I’ve spoken with rarely provide clear advice and often seem eager to end the call as quickly as possible. On one occasion, an attorney called while audibly eating and then ended the conversation in just a couple of minutes. These are not isolated incidents but part of a long pattern of disappointing service. In every interaction, I’ve walked away feeling more confused than helped.
My most recent issue involved a request for assistance in filing a FOIA request. Rather than helping directly, the assigned law firm referred me to a third-party firm, which never followed up. After two months with no communication, I reached out to both firms for a status update.
The assigned law firm claimed they had sent an email and left a voicemail as their initial response. However, I never received either. When I asked them to confirm my contact information, they did so accurately, yet I still have no record of any messages. This lack of follow-through is consistent with their past handling of my rare requests for support.
When I voiced my frustration to a secretary at the assigned law firm ****** *******, I was told that she agreed that if I wasn't happy with the service, I should just cancel my membership. After two decades of paying monthly for access to legal assistance, being told to simply walk away without resolution felt dismissive and unprofessional.
At this point, I feel that my membership has not delivered the value promised. I’m seeking a formal review of this matter, including a refund for recent months during which my FOIA request was ignored or mishandled, and steps to ensure no other member is treated with similar disregard.
Business Response
Date: 09/10/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 09/10/2025
I accept LegalShield’s response as a good faith initial step toward resolving my concerns. I appreciate their acknowledgment of the issues I raised, the internal review they have initiated, and the temporary credit applied to my account.
However, I would like to clearly state that this matter is not yet resolved. While I’m encouraged by the actions LegalShield has promised, they have not yet completed their investigation or provided any follow-up or findings related to the communication issues, rushed legal advice, or breakdown in the referral process.
That said, within an hour prior to LegalShield submitting their BBB response, the third-party law firm they referred me to did reach out with a draft FOIA letter, which they stated they intend to send to the appropriate state agency. This is the first meaningful progress I’ve seen on this matter, and I’m cautiously optimistic that the situation is beginning to move in the right direction.
I am open to continued engagement and sincerely hope that LegalShield follows through on their stated commitments. I appreciate the BBB’s assistance in facilitating this complaint.Initial Complaint
Date:09/05/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I've been paying Legal Shield $18 from every bi-weekly pay check since Jan-2025. I now am in danger of losing my job with the Federal Government because a previous employer told them I was fired and that is not true. I had 3 days to fill out documents in my defence. Legal Shield said there was a conflict of interest and would outsource my needs to another attorney. Meanwhile the third day came and I filled out the paperwork under duress of termination from my employment. Now, a day later I'm finding out legal shield is leaving me on my own to pay this outsourced attorney $5,300. Legal Shield says the benefit of having them is I will get a discount with this outsourced attorney. I feel that I have been scammed and I will be going after my money. This is NOT legal help, this is 100% an insurance fraud. They collect money and when services are needed they show you a bunch of fine print and wiggle out. It's unacceptable business practices.Business Response
Date: 09/09/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:09/04/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
They told me is was free and plus they didn't help with the problem I have in workBusiness Response
Date: 09/09/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:09/04/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I canceled my LegalShield membership by email on August 19, 2025, and received an automated confirmation that same day. Despite this, my account was charged via ACH debit on August 22, 2025, causing an overdraft fee to my bank account.
I followed up on September 3 to request a refund and to clarify that I did not authorize any further charges. I received another canned response with no action, apology, or solution.
This unauthorized charge has caused financial hardship, and I will be initiating a Regulation E (R07) ACH dispute with my bank to recover the funds if this is not resolved quickly.
I am requesting:
- A full refund of the charge made after the cancellation was requested
- Reimbursement for the $19.00 overdraft fee incurred.
- Formal confirmation that my LegalShield Subscription has been cancelled
I have attached the full email chain, including the cancellation request, follow-up, and their non-response.Business Response
Date: 09/08/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:09/03/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Legal shield charge me 44.90 two times within 5 days.
Told me I can't get a refund!Business Response
Date: 09/09/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:08/28/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I purchased a LegalShield membership that included the Gun Owner Supplement. While I was a member, I was referred to attorneys for legal issues, but those attorneys did not provide the promised services. Despite paying them directly (in addition to my monthly LegalShield fees), my cases were left unresolved and dismissed without prejudice. LegalShield did not provide the coverage I paid for.
In addition, I have repeatedly requested a copy of my membership contract over the past two years. LegalShield has refused to provide me with this, claiming I am no longer a member and therefore not entitled to it. This refusal has continued into the past 12 months.
My complaint is based on failure to provide contracted services and ongoing refusal to provide requested documents, not on buyer’s remorse or pricing. I am seeking accountability, refund of fees paid for services never delivered, and a copy of my full membership contract.Business Response
Date: 09/09/2025
Please see attachedInitial Complaint
Date:08/27/2025
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I started my LegalShield membership on 7/18 and submitted a consultation request on 7/21. Their website allows you to choose “as soon as possible,” which states you will be contacted within 8 business hours. Instead, I was not contacted until 7/24.
When I was contacted, I did not receive meaningful legal assistance. The assigned attorney (Attorney J) asked, “What do you want from us,” but did not provide an explanation for why they could not help. Repeated attempts to get clarification were unsuccessful.
Over the following month, I tried to resolve the matter with LegalShield by submitting additional complaints, but I did not receive a resolution. I requested another attorney but was told a second attorney had reviewed my case and agreed with the first one—without ever allowing me to speak to them.
I eventually submitted another consultation request for the same issue and finally received proper assistance (a referral to another attorney). However, this process took nearly a month, during which I paid for two months of service but effectively only received assistance for one case. This delay weakened my case because I missed deadline.Business Response
Date: 09/02/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Business Response
Date: 09/10/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 09/11/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
**** *****Initial Complaint
Date:08/27/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
WAS CHARGED FOR A YEAR OF SERVICE AFTER i REQUESTED A CANCELLATION OF SERVICESBusiness Response
Date: 09/02/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:08/26/2025
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
In December of 2020 I called to cancel my plan with this company, but recently I noticed a charge from them on my bank statement. I called the company and they confirmed that they have record of my cancellation request but they did not proceed with cancellation because they did not receive a follow up email. I was never told that I needed to send a written follow up, nor was I provided with any email address to send this email to. The response I received from the customer service rep is it is my responsibility to check my bank statements if I did not want to continue getting charged. While I can understand that yes I should have been more aware of the $37 monthly charge, but they are completely avoiding any responsibility when they have record of this request.Business Response
Date: 08/29/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Initial Complaint
Date:08/23/2025
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I signed up up for legal shield advantage in June 2025 and qualified for their fast start bonus within the the first 2 weeks. They have refused to pay as promised and keep giving excuses, stalling, and refusing to pay the promised bonus while still expecting me to pay their monthly fee while they manually review my bonus. Charging me money and not paying what I’m owed.Business Response
Date: 08/26/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.Customer Answer
Date: 08/29/2025
Complaint: ********
I am rejecting this response because:As you see in the photo above legal shield, confirmed my fast start qualification and still denied me the money that they promised
Sincerely,
******* *****Business Response
Date: 09/02/2025
Response in attached document. Thank you.
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