Limitations of Pre-Paid Legal Services

Pre-paid legal plans are promoted under the promise of cheap legal
coverage, an attractive alternative to the high fees charged by regular
attorneys and law practices. But under the gloss of accessible legal
services for the general public, lie a number of limitations.

First, there is a limit on the scope of the legal services provided.
Most of what is provided on an unlimited-basis is phone based: calls to
your attorney for advice and consultation on legal matters, or phone
calls made on your behalf to third parties. Other benefits bundled in the
plan are limited: regular visits to your attorney’s office is restricted
o a dozen or so hours per month, the wills you want drafted or sample
contracts reviewed will be carried out on two or three copies per year.

More complex legal matters involving more time and effort on the part
of your attorney are not provided outright. If you need representation
in a court for a lawsuit on the recovery of damages, or a complex lease
contract reviewed and approved, then you have to pay regular lawyer fees.

Some discounts of up to 25% apply, but you could get the same discounts
if not better by the simple virtue of simple negotiations and clever
comparison shopping.

Second is the restriction on your choice of attorney and the quality of
legal work provided. Although you are free to choose your own attorney,
client-lawyer relationship and the building of rapport are harder to come
by in this scheme.

Pre-paid legal plans are fraught with the “rookie” syndrome: the
providers usually resort to employing newly-licensed or trainee
attorneys in a cost-cutting exercise. Someone who does mostly wills,
trusts and sample contracts is probably not a good fit for a more complex
legal issue like the custody of children. In this day of age of increasing
specialization, it is better to ask someone with specialised knowledge and
years of experience then it is to rely on a novice with a limited
professional track-record.

If you go down the traditional way, then there is restricted “pool of
attorneys” you can choose from. Your research will be easier and a lot
more comprehensive. You can set up interviews with lawyers, ask for
referrals from friends, previous customers or check your local bar
association. You are more likely to get a top-notch lawyer with who to
build rapport get competent advice and trust the judgement.