Common Services offered by Pre-paid Legal Plans

Considering a pre-paid legal plan? He's a run-down of the services you're most likely to get and also some legal documents you need to sign before you enroll.

Telephone and Office Consultation: You have unlimited telephone access to a panel of attorneys regarding any legal matter of interest to you. You can also make brief consultation visits to your lawyer for up to 30 minutes per day at no cost to you. The only condition placed on these two benefits is that you enquire about a different legal matter.

This aspect of coverage provided by legal plans is one of the most beneficial because it promotes preventive law. Preventive law is very much like preventive medicine – it helps in anticipating potential problems and taking the appropriate legal steps so that unnecessary legal problems or risks are avoided. With a simple phone call to your lawyer you can avoid getting embroiled in a hellish legal situation, and you can even identify legal rights you don't even know you had.

Follow-Up Service: The panel of lawyers will write letters and make phone calls on your behalf to adverse third parties. Such follow-up service may be all it takes to solve many of your legal problems.

Legal document review: Simple personal legal documents, such as your insurance policies, sales contracts and leases will be reviewed. Any questions of legal nature that you have about the documents will also get answered by your attorney.

Drafting of wills: A will is a written document that regulates how you want your property distributed after your death. Your attorney will draft your will according to your state's laws so that it's valid when you die. He will also advise you on any provisions you might want to consider, such as appointing a guardian and establishing a trust.

Discount on regular fees: Any additional services not covered in the written fee agreement will be at regular fees – either hourly or flat – with a discount between 20 to 30%. These services generally include family matters, such as divorce and the custody of children, and court representation, such as traffic tickets and lawsuits.

Some of the legal paperwork you need to read carefully, agree on and sign include the following:

Written fee agreement: This is an agreement that outlines what services are provided in the plan, how much it costs and the methods of payment.

Grievance procedure: This document details the procedures that will be taken by the provide to resolve any complaints about attorneys or disputes regarding service fees.