To minimize the risk

To minimize the risk of poor service and plummeting employer satisfaction, an employer should conduct both requirements analysis amongst its employee base to cover for their difference needs, and a due research to select the most appropriate legal plan to fit those requirements based on experience, integrity, and track record. Group legal plans in the workplace have experienced rapid growth recently because of their usefulness to both employer and employee alike. For the employee, a group legal plan is a cheap way to get legal coverage in much the same way as other traditional benefits.

For as little as $20 per month deducted from payroll, an employee is put in touch with an attorney who can draft his will, buy or refinance a home, adopt a child, and plan an estate. Unlimited legal advice is offered at no cost to the employee. The benefits for the employer include increased efficiency and productivity from their workforce, and reduced administration costs to handle personal matters.

Another very attractive benefit is the very low cost involved in researching and implementing a group legal plan. In fact, such plans cost employers very little in terms of time and investment. Group plans are structured on a voluntary basis, paid for through payroll deductions from the workforce.

Additionally, the carrier handles all the claims, redundant paperwork, and customer service related to the plan. Throughout the course of your legal problems, you will have to make some tough decisions. If you were involved in an accident then you must choose between bringing criminal damages or press with a plaintiff case, if you have a small business and you were involved in a deal, then you must decide whether to sign it or let it pass.

There is no clear-cut answer in many of these dilemmas, and getting the right lawyer is crucial to you. The number one criterion has to do with a lawyer’s legal ability. You need a lawyer who lays the law down for you, present you with options, explain the ramifications of each decision you make, and give you recommendations on the best course of action.

In this day and age of complicated legal matters, many lawyers are increasingly specialized, and you stand to get better information from someone with a practice focus in a particular area of the law than a generalist who deals with a broad spectrum of legal issues. Building rapport is also very important. Your relationship with your lawyer can make or break your case.

You need a lawyer who gives you candid advice and council you can trust, someone with enough perspective to step back from an issue and look at it from all perspectives. Client-lawyer relationships are very limited within a pre-paid legal plan. Because of the preventive nature of most plans, your contact with your lawyer will be limited on many occasions.

You seldom get to talk to your lawyer face-to-face as most of the consultation is done over the phone. And even when you get to talk to them, it is difficult to build rapport when your office consultations are limited to a dozen hours a year. The good news, however, is you still have some options left.

When you sign up for a legal plan, you get to choose your lawyer and there are a few steps you can take to increase the likelihood of getting a good lawyer. First, you need to ask for referrals from previous clients. Ask around about good attorneys in the network.

Once you get a few names, check their educational background, their qualifications, and their professional track record with your state’s bar association.