Legal123 vs Cleardocs: Which Is Better for Australian Businesses?

Last updated: 12 June 2026

Legal123 is a licensed Australian Incorporated Legal Practice that sells lawyer-drafted templates for running your business, plus pay-as-you-go legal advice ($99 per 30-minute call) and fixed-fee custom drafting. Cleardocs is a Thomson Reuters owned document platform focused on setting up companies, trusts and SMSFs, with master documents signed off by the law firm Maddocks. They mostly solve different problems.

If you need the legal documents that run your business day to day, like website terms, client agreements, NDAs and employment documents, plus a lawyer you can actually talk to, Legal123 is the stronger choice. If you are registering a company, setting up a family trust or establishing an SMSF, Cleardocs is built for exactly that, and Legal123 does not offer those set-up packages.

We’ve helped over 10,200 Australian businesses since 2009, so we know what most small business owners actually need and what they don’t.

At a Glance

• Both charge one-time fees per document, with no subscriptions. Legal123 templates range from $39 to $299 (excluding GST). Cleardocs documents are priced individually, with GST and ASIC fees included where applicable, for example $166.10 for a family trust deed.
• Legal123 is a licensed Incorporated Legal Practice (ILP) regulated by the Law Society of NSW. Cleardocs states plainly on its own website that it is not a law firm; its master documents are signed off by Maddocks, a top-20 Australian law firm.
• The product ranges barely overlap. Cleardocs focuses on company registration, trusts and SMSFs. Legal123 focuses on business operations documents (website legals, client agreements, NDAs, employment) plus legal advice and custom drafting.
• Legal123 offers a $99 30-minute legal advice call and fixed-fee custom drafting from $275. Cleardocs does not offer legal advice or custom drafting; Maddocks provides a free support line for questions about documents ordered.
• Cleardocs has served over 100,000 customers since 2002 and is an authorised ASIC software provider. Legal123 has a 4.9/5 Google rating from Australian small business customers.

Key Differences: Legal123 vs Cleardocs

• Legal123 is a licensed Australian Incorporated Legal Practice (ILP). Cleardocs is a document technology platform owned by Thomson Reuters and is not a law firm.
• Cleardocs specialises in structures: company registration, family trusts, unit trusts and SMSFs, lodged directly with ASIC. Legal123 specialises in the documents that run a business: website legals, client agreements, NDAs and employment documents.
• Legal123 includes video walkthrough instructions and free updates when Australian legislation changes. Cleardocs keeps its master documents current via Maddocks, and sells separate update packages for documents like SMSF deeds and constitutions.
• Legal123 offers legal advice ($99 Book-a-Call) and fixed-fee custom drafting from $275. Cleardocs offers neither; legal questions about ordered documents go to a Maddocks support line.
• Cleardocs prices include GST and ASIC fees where applicable, so headline prices look higher but include government charges. Legal123 prices exclude GST.

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Legal123 vs Cleardocs: Feature Comparison

Feature	Legal123	Cleardocs
Business type	Licensed Australian ILP	Document platform owned by Thomson Reuters; not a law firm
Templates drafted by	Australian lawyers	Master documents signed off by Maddocks (top-20 Australian law firm)
Australian law compliant	Yes, all states and territories	Yes, Australian documents
Pricing model	One-time purchase, pay as you need	One-time purchase per document; GST and ASIC fees included where applicable
Free legislation updates	Yes	Master documents kept current; update packages for purchased documents sold separately
Video walkthrough instructions	Yes	Not publicly stated; help text and guides provided
Phone and email template support	Yes, from Australian lawyers	Yes, local customer support helpline
Legal advice option	Yes, $99 30-minute call, no subscription needed	No advice service; free Maddocks support line for questions about documents ordered
Google rating	4.9/5 on Google	Not publicly stated
Custom document drafting	Yes, fixed fee from $275	Not offered
Money-back guarantee	Yes (technical issues)	Not publicly stated
Operating since	2009	2002
Number of templates	30-plus focused Australian templates	190-plus documents focused on companies, trusts and SMSFs
Company, trust and SMSF set-up	Not offered	Yes, core focus; ASIC company registration in about 20 minutes
Website legal documents (Privacy Policy, T&Cs, Disclaimer)	Yes, Website Legal Package	Not offered
ASIC lodgement	No	Yes, authorised ASIC software provider and registered agent

The most important difference is what each business actually sells. Cleardocs is a structures specialist: companies, trusts and SMSFs, lodged with ASIC through its own registered software. Legal123 is an online law firm for the documents and advice a business needs once it is running: website legals, client agreements, NDAs, employment documents, legal advice calls and custom drafting. For many Australian businesses the honest answer is that these two services are complementary, not substitutes.

The second important difference is the legal model. Legal123 is itself a licensed Incorporated Legal Practice regulated by the Law Society of NSW, so the lawyers who draft your templates are the same firm supporting you. Cleardocs is a technology platform, not a law firm, and relies on Maddocks to sign off its master documents and answer legal questions about documents ordered.

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Pricing: Legal123 vs Cleardocs

Legal123 templates are priced individually, typically ranging from $39 to $299 depending on the document. You pay once and use the template as many times as you need. When you need actual legal advice, a 30-minute Book-a-Call with our Practice Director is $99, and custom document drafting is a fixed fee from $275. There are no monthly fees and no subscription.

Cleardocs also charges per document, with no subscription. Its prices include GST, and ASIC fees are included where a government lodgement is involved. Current examples from its website: Company Registration $756.00 (a $145.00 Cleardocs fee plus the $611.00 ASIC fee), Discretionary (Family) Trust $166.10, Superannuation Trust (SMSF) $167.20, Employment Contract from $117.70, Service Agreement $151.25, and the Small Business Bundle at $912.30, which bundles company registration, business name, ABN, TFN and GST registrations with a standard employment contract.

Is Legal123 cheaper than Cleardocs?

It depends on the job, because the two ranges barely overlap. On the documents both sell, prices are in the same ballpark: a Legal123 employment or contractor template sits in the $39 to $299 range excluding GST, while Cleardocs’ Employment Contract starts at $117.70 including GST. Where Cleardocs looks more expensive, like the $756.00 company registration, most of that figure is the $611.00 ASIC fee that any provider must pass on.

The real cost question is what happens after the documents. With Legal123, advice is $99 for 30 minutes and custom drafting starts at $275 fixed fee. With Cleardocs there is no advice or drafting service to buy at any price, so if your situation does not fit a standard document, you will be engaging a law firm anyway.

How much does Cleardocs cost?

There is no subscription. You register for free and pay per document. Examples from the Cleardocs site: Discretionary (Family) Trust $166.10, Superannuation Trust (SMSF) $167.20, SMSF Set Up plus Corporate Trustee registration $908.00, Company Registration $756.00, Small Business Bundle $912.30, ClearWill Online $180.40, Deed of Confidentiality from $112.20, Partnership Agreement $249.15 and Shareholders Agreement $272.80. All Cleardocs prices include GST, with ASIC fees included where applicable. Optional printing and binding starts from $88.00.

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What Is Cleardocs?

Established in 2002, Cleardocs is an Australian online legal document platform owned by Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Limited (ABN 64 058 914 668). It provides more than 190 documents covering company registration, trusts, SMSFs, HR and estate planning, and has served over 100,000 customers.

Cleardocs is an authorised ASIC software provider, which means company registrations are lodged electronically and an ACN typically comes back within minutes. Its master documents are signed off by Maddocks, a top-20 Australian law firm, and Maddocks provides a free legal support line for questions about documents ordered through the platform.

What’s publicly known about Cleardocs:

• Owner: Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Limited (ABN 64 058 914 668)
• Business model: pay-per-document platform; free registration, no subscription
• Focus: companies, trusts, SMSFs, plus HR and estate planning documents
• Library: 190-plus documents; 100,000-plus customers since 2002
• Legal backing: master documents signed off by Maddocks; Maddocks support line for ordered documents
• Integrations and partners: BGL, Class, Heffron, and a free white-label option (Cleardocs Pro) for accounting and advisory firms

Is Cleardocs a law firm?

No, and Cleardocs is upfront about this. Its own website states: “Cleardocs is not a law firm.” The legal substance behind the platform comes from Maddocks, which signs off the master documents and answers frequently asked legal questions on the site. That is a credible arrangement backed by a respected firm. The practical difference is that Cleardocs itself cannot advise you, draft something custom, or tell you whether a document suits your situation; its site directs customers to obtain independent legal, accounting and financial advice.

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What Is Legal123?

Legal123 is an Australian online law firm that has been providing lawyer-drafted legal templates and custom legal documents since 2009. Founded by Vanessa Emilio, Legal123 Pty Ltd (ABN 66 153 012 269) is a fully licensed Incorporated Legal Practice (ILP), registered with ASIC and regulated by the Law Society of NSW.

Legal123 has helped over 10,200 Australian businesses. Every template is drafted by qualified Australian lawyers, complies with current Australian federal legislation, and is valid across all states and territories.

Every template purchase includes video walkthrough instructions so you know exactly how to complete your document, plus phone and email support from our team of Australian lawyers for any template-related questions.

Templates are the first rung of the ladder, not the whole firm. When you need actual legal advice, a 30-minute Book-a-Call with Practice Director Vanessa Emilio is $99, with no subscription required. When a template doesn’t fit, custom drafting is a fixed fee from $275, quoted within 24 to 48 hours and typically delivered within 72 hours. Legal123 also offers fixed-fee Contract Review, Website Legal Review, Will Writing and Trademark Registration services, plus a 3-Month Legal Transformation program ($2,097) that audits, drafts and implements your business legals end to end with direct lawyer access throughout.

Is Legal123 a real law firm?

Yes. Legal123 Pty Ltd is a fully licensed Australian Incorporated Legal Practice. We are registered with ASIC, regulated by the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner and the Law Society of NSW, and have been operating since 2009. Our templates are drafted by practising Australian lawyers, not automated generators or international template libraries.

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Key Differences Between Legal123 and Cleardocs

Do Legal123 and Cleardocs sell the same documents?

Mostly, no. Cleardocs’ catalogue is built around structures: registering companies, establishing family and unit trusts, setting up SMSFs and keeping those entities compliant. Legal123’s catalogue is built around operating a business: website terms, privacy policies, client and contractor agreements, NDAs and employment documents.

The overlap is a handful of HR and general business documents, such as employment contracts, confidentiality deeds, service agreements and wills. For everything else, the choice is made for you by what you actually need. Neither website legals from Cleardocs nor an SMSF deed from Legal123 is available at any price.

In our experience working with over 10,200 Australian businesses, a common pattern is to set up a structure once, then need operating documents and advice repeatedly as the business grows. That second, ongoing need is what Legal123 is built for, and a $99 Book-a-Call covers the legal questions a document platform cannot answer.

Does Cleardocs update templates when Australian law changes?

Cleardocs works with Maddocks to keep its master documents current with legislative and case law changes, which is a genuine strength of the Maddocks arrangement. However, updating a document you have already purchased is generally a separate paid product, for example Update to SMSF at $157.80 or Change to Constitution at $163.35. A free update policy for previously purchased documents is not publicly stated.

Legal123 updates every affected template when Australian legislation changes and notifies customers by email. This is included at no extra cost. For documents like privacy policies (affected by changes to the Privacy Act 1988) or employment agreements (affected by Fair Work Act amendments), knowing your template stays up to date matters.

Which has better reviews: Legal123 or Cleardocs?

Legal123 has a 4.9/5 rating on Google and a 4.91/5 average from 400-plus post-purchase reviews. Cleardocs does not publish a Google or Trustpilot rating on its website, and we could not find a substantial published review base, so a fair side-by-side comparison is not possible.

Cleardocs’ trust signals are of a different kind: 100,000-plus customers since 2002, Thomson Reuters ownership, ASIC authorisation and the Maddocks sign-off. Those are credible markers, even without a published review score.

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When Cleardocs Might Be the Better Choice

Cleardocs may be the better choice if:

• You are registering a company, setting up a family or unit trust, or establishing an SMSF. This is Cleardocs’ core business, it is an authorised ASIC software provider, and Legal123 does not offer these set-up packages.
• You are an accountant, financial adviser or SMSF administrator creating entity documents for clients regularly. Cleardocs integrates with BGL, Class and Heffron, and its free Cleardocs Pro option white-labels the document interface on your own website.
• You are an SMSF trustee needing specialised superannuation documents, like pension packs, borrowing documents, deed updates or investment strategies, which Legal123 does not provide.
• You want entity documents backed by a top-20 law firm’s sign-off at document-platform prices, and you do not need advice about your specific situation.

For the legal documents that run your business day to day, like website terms, client agreements, NDAs and employment documents, and for actual legal advice and custom drafting at fixed fees, Legal123 is the stronger choice. But we’d rather you choose the right solution for your situation than buy from us and be disappointed.

Not sure which option suits you? Contact us before you buy. We’re happy to tell you honestly whether our templates fit your needs or whether you’d be better served elsewhere.

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FAQ: Legal123 vs Cleardocs