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What are Pre-Paid Legal Plans and How Do You Choose The Right Prepaid Legal Service in Austin?

Did you know ? Over 100 million Americans use pre-paid legal services. 

Many people use prepaid legal services in Austin, and here, the options for legal service providers is endless. Watch this video and read on to learn about prepaid legal services.

Also called legal insurance, these plans are similar to those provided by Health
Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and cover the legal needs of the member,
spouse and any dependent children.

Austin Price Check ! With a prepaid legal service plan, the customer pays a fixed monthly subscription fee of up to $25 for the services of pre-selected lawyers.

The most basic plans provide advice and consultation by telephone. Plan members typically receive a certain number of hours of free office consultation with their assigned attorney. Some plans include review and advice on simple legal documents, preparation, drafting or an update of a simple will. Phone calls can be made and letters can be written on behalf of members when needed.   

There are more comprehensive plans available as well. These plans cover clients’ personal legal needs such as contracts, wills and deeds, legal representation in negotiations and courts cases related to family matters, bankruptcy and real estate
issues.

With so many plans available how do you choose?  Choosing a pre-paid can save you a substantial amount of money, but choosing a plan you need and a provider you can trust is different.

Here is a number of things to look for in a legal plan from the
very start:

First, review your own legal needs before you choose a legal plan.
Figure out exactly how much you will actually in need of legal services.  Will you need to actually talk to someone on a regular basis or will most of the work be done via contracts, letters and other important documents?  For instance, if you are a
business owner, lawsuits, lease and contract negotiations could be high on
your list and you would be looking for a legal plan that provides coverage
accordingly. If you are a wife, mother and caretaker of your elderly parents, you will probably want someone who focuses more on estate planning, wills, etc.

Next, it is important to know what legal coverage you already have. If
you have car insurance, then you are covered for liability and medical
protection, home insurance covers you for injuries sustained on your
property. Your existing insurance policies already cover some of your
legal costs and there is no need to pay for that coverage when you select
with a legal plan.  Call all of your current providers and prepare a list of where you are covered and how much they are prepared to cover under certain circumstances.

Understand the coverage terms. Legal plans are offered in different models and
differ in the specifics of what they cover. While phone consultation and
simple drafting and reviewing of simple contracts are included across the
board, more elaborate and complicated legal matters are not covered.

Be prepared ! 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’ll need to do some homework before you select your legal provider. Here are some questions you should ask while researching your providers:

1. What’s the firm’s reputation in my area?
2. How many years have they been in business?
3. Have they been operating in my local area for at least a year without complaints?
4. How skilled are they attorneys?
5. Do they cover the locale where my business operates?

You can also find information about legal providers from the state bar association, the Better Business Bureau and the Consumer Affairs
Office.

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