I've started writing content for my legal information website.My problem now is I'm not sure if I should be posting legals articles on the website for my target audience for free if the essence of the business is to provide legal information as a paid service. What are some content ideas for this kind of website? Also, are there sources that provide legal articles for free to post on one's website?

My website will be generally similar in terms of the service provided to this one

http://www.answersnow.com.au/index.html

but do i need to make it more informative or content rich without giving too much away?

In your area more than any other I can think of, this should not be the problem you are thinking.

For one thing, you can give out the best information you can and make money from google ads and other approaches as well (ads and affiliate selling) if you want. So the better your content and marketing of the site, the more you can make that way.

But with legal services there is a distinct difference from other areas. In every case (at least most) there should be a professional involved to look at individual circumstances when it comes to applying the information you will offer.

In a disclaimer page, linked in a footnote on every page, you should tell people that this is an educational site and that they should seek professional help in preparing most legal documents, etc.

You can also include this reminder occasionally in the text of articles. For example: "It is important that your legal advisor takes into consideration the specific laws in your jurisdiction when determining which of these procedures is best for you."

And of course, you will be able to offer your services as appropriate.

__________________
Good Success!
James
Douglas County Master Gardeners
"We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we expect."

Thanks James! I'm currently working on my articles at the moment. Your point about inserting the disclaimer into every article is well said and received.

I think the best way to do the disclaimer, and one that is looked for and appears professional, is to put it into a footer. It can be listed as a link along side a copyright statement and perhaps a couple of other things.

An example, a little more complex, can be seen on the CNN Money site:

http://money.cnn.com/index.html

In this case they have a "terms of service" link and the disclaimer is a part of that.

__________________
Good Success!
James
Douglas County Master Gardeners
"We don't always get what we want, but we always get what we expect."