Stumbling blocks of pre-paid legal services

One of the stumbling blocks of pre-paid legal services is quality of service. Newly licensed attorneys, phone calls not getting answered, and that ointment on any client-lawyer relationship: fee disputes, typically involving bills made to your credit card to cover for services not included in your contract. This is just a specimen of the many problems people face with their plan providers.

Make sure you select a plan that has clear guidelines as to how to settle dispute when they arise. A company that has a good in-house mechanism to handle complaints will generally assign a senior attorney with the authority to handle customer complaints of and disputes with any attorneys in the network. Secondary sources of resolution may include your state insurance department or bar association.

Check their outlet for complaints against pre-paid services. You will need to do some homework before you select your legal provider. Some good places to start your background research are your state bar association, the Better Business Bureau, and the Consumer Affairs Office.

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 do not even know you had.

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. 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. 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 is valid when you die.

Your lawyer will also advise you on any provisions you might want to consider, such as appointing a guardian and establishing a trust. Any additional services not covered in the written fee agreement will be at regular fees, either hourly or flat fees 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 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 details the procedures that will be taken by the provide to resolve any complaints about attorneys or disputes regarding service fees. If you are a member of a pre-paid access plan and are not getting the legal services you think you need, then it is probably time to upgrade to a more comprehensive plan. A comprehensive prepaid legal service plan is designed to cover for most of your legal service needs each year.

Access services, such as legal advice and information by toll-free number and follow-up service, are provided at no cost to you.