Law & Society

Just imagine what would be like if you had a lawyer whom you could call any time to get advice regarding any legal problem and you didn't have to be concerned about the cost. The lawyer could take care of drafting a will for you, do check over purchase contract of a home, stand for your teenager in traffic court, manage a "life contract" for nursing home care, represent you if you: are being sued, being accused of a criminal offence, have been called for making a statement to the police, have been in a grave accident, are dealing a lawsuit or bankruptcy, are thinking about adopting a child, are opening a business and even getting you a divorce! A legal plan? may be the right solution for you as it is with millions of others in the United States who have access to legal services through some kind of legal plan. With loads of "prepaid legal plans," these services could be yours for just a minimal amount payable per month. They can even be "free" if your employer provides legal services as an employer-paid fringe benefit. Your concerns about having affordable legal help when you want it are eliminated. What is a basically affordable legal plans? - It comes in several shapes and sizes. A "prepaid legal plan" is any sort of arrangement in which a person pays before for the legal services which they might need in the future. In many ways, it is much like a medical benefit plan: A client pays a flat amount every year or month in return for certain service benefits to be used as and if required. A "group legal plan" may contain some prepaid feature, such as those offered by employers as an enrolment choice and paid through a payroll deduction. Group legal plan advantages - generally available without charge to members of an organization, union, cooperative, or any other group – it features cost free telephone legal advice along with fee discounts from a participating lawyer for other services. More or less all legal plans provide legal advice and consultation through telephone as a basic service and may also sum up brief office consultations, examination of plain legal documents, preparation of a simple will, and short letters written or phone calls made by a lawyer. Other plans present more complete coverage for trials, matrimonial problems, bankruptcy, real estate affairs, etc. In addition to the member, nearly all plans include or offer coverage for his or her spouse and dependent offspring. Why are legal plans required? - It allows a member consult to a lawyer whenever he or she might have a problem, without thinking about the cost. With the correct legal advice most problems can be avoided or promptly resolved. And if additional services, such as representation in court are wanted, a legal plans may help a member find the right lawyer, pay full or part of the legal bills or rather offer a lawyer to handle the case at no cost to the member. Sixty-five to seventy-five percent of all problems brought to lawyers through plans can be solved through nothing more than advice and a little amount of review. Affordable legal plans can also save members money in complicated legal issues. Even where a plan does not pay a lawyer's total bill, the member generally gains from discount rates that plans can negotiate with panel lawyers. Finally, sponsoring it also benefits employers as employees with legal issues are more trustworthy and productive when legal help is offered and this plan enables employer attract and keep quality employees.