Expanding Opportunity: How Legal Access Is Evolving for America’s Small Businesses

Empowering Small Businesses

Every small business starts with an idea, but sustaining that business requires more than vision. It requires legal protection.

For many entrepreneurs, accessing reliable legal support has long been complicated, expensive, and out of reach, often leaving small business owners at a disadvantage. Rocket Lawyer is working to change that by simplifying legal services, bringing together trusted, personalized legal information and access to human legal professionals in one integrated experience.

As the U.S. approaches its 250th anniversary, the next chapter of economic opportunity is being shaped, and innovation is playing a critical role in expanding access to essential services. This moment builds on a long tradition of supporting small businesses as a cornerstone of the American economy. In 1953, the Small Business Act established the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to “aid, counsel, assist and protect” small businesses. Today, small businesses account for roughly 40–50% of U.S. GDP (gross domestic product)* and employ nearly half of the workforce, continuing to drive innovation, job creation, and local growth.

Despite the importance of small businesses, their access to legal services remains a challenge. For many, the legal system can still feel complex, expensive, and out of reach, highlighting a gap between opportunity and access.

Rocket Lawyer addresses this gap by providing an integrated experience that helps users navigate important legal moments with clarity. By combining AI-powered tools with seamless access to human legal professionals, the solution enables members to understand their options, take action, and move forward with confidence.

“Since becoming a Rocket Lawyer customer in 2022, I’ve saved $22,000,” said Lesley Nickus, Founder of Scary Plants Media. “I don’t think I could have built my business if I had to pay for everything upfront.”

Stories like Nickus’s reflect a broader reality. Small businesses, more than 33 million across the U.S., make up 99.9% of all companies**, yet many still lack access to simple, affordable legal support.

A New Approach to Legal Services

Rocket Lawyer’s approach is grounded in a simple idea: legal services should be accessible and affordable for everyone.

Traditional legal support costs on average over $300 per hour***, placing it out of reach for many individuals and small businesses. Advances in AI are now helping bridge that gap. Through Rocket Lawyer’s Rocket Copilot, members can create, review, and sign documents, get answers to legal questions, and connect with attorneys when needed—all in one place.

“We see a future where every small business owner has access to the legal information, advice, and services they need to protect their business and their families,” said Paul Hollerbach, CEO of Rocket Lawyer. “AI is accelerating this shift, expanding access and making it easier to get the legal support small businesses need.”

At a time when AI tools are rapidly evolving, trust remains critical. Rocket Lawyer is designed to provide guided, reliable legal support without requiring users to navigate legal complexity on their own, while keeping their information private and secure.

Expanding Access, Strengthening Opportunity

“Small business owners are the lifeblood of America, creative, smart people building something of their own,” said Deborah Holstein, Chief Growth Officer at Rocket Lawyer. “Legal support needs to evolve to meet them, because every business owner deserves that protection.”

That need is significant and growing. Research shows that one in three small business owners knows another business that experienced a major legal issue in the past year****, underscoring how critical accessible legal support has become.

By making legal services more affordable and easier to use, Rocket Lawyer is helping level the playing field for small businesses. With the right legal foundation in place, entrepreneurs are better equipped not just to protect what they’ve built, but to grow it, and to participate more fully in the next chapter of America’s economic story.

*Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, “Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business”, July 23, 2024.

**Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy, “Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business, 2023,” March 7, 2023.

***Source: Clio Legal Trends Report, 2026. Aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of U.S. legal professionals.

****Source: Researchscape, 2026 SMB Survey, conducted Q1/Q2 2026, n=1,102 U.S. adults. Commissioned by Rocket Lawyer.