this is what frustrates me. i cant afford a lawyer. from the looks of it, i cant afford to incorporate either. how is anyone supposed to bootstrap themselves these days?
Although, as has been said, you don't need an LLC if your business is not "there" yet.
If you are in the US, you can just use your SSN and sign up directly with your payment processor as a sole proprietor.
If things take off, you can start worrying about talking to a lawyer. You really won't have any reason to form an LLC until you need to hire real employees (W-2 employees).