A survey conducted by LegalShield, one of the nation's leading providers of legal safeguards for individuals, families and small businesses, revealed that debt collection, followed closely by threats of customer lawsuits, internet security and contractual agreements, are the top legal risks facing small businesses.

In correlation with these survey results, LegalShield announced today that it will be upgrading its prepaid legal service plans for small business owners. The updated plans are categorized based on the number of employees within the small businesses and include the following: Small Biz 10 for small businesses with 10 or fewer employees for just $39 a month; Small Biz 50, for small businesses with 50 or fewer employees for just $89 a month; and Small Biz 100 for small businesses with 100 or fewer employees for just $149 a month.

"Small business owners face a myriad of challenges and unexpected developments every day," said James Rosseau, President of LegalShield Business Solutions. "Affordable legal protection shouldn't be one of them. With our updated legal plans, small business owners can lean on their experienced LegalShield provider law firms for assistance, allowing them to focus on taking their business to new heights instead of being hampered by legal issues."

The small business survey also revealed that the vast majority of small businesses (75 percent) haven't considered using a prepaid legal firm to assist them. Yet, on average, the businesses surveyed spent $3,382 on an attorney in the past twelve months. Meanwhile, a small business enrolled in LegalShield's Small Biz 100 would have spent nearly less than half, with $1,788 in legal costs, while a small business enrolled in Small Biz 10 would have spent almost 90 percent less. Nearly 40 percent of the small businesses surveyed said they won't hire a lawyer when facing legal issues because it's too expensive.