Understanding the pros and cons to prepaid legal services means you have to know what you are getting upfront. It does not matter if you need to put together a will, talk to an attorney about a lien on your home, or even if you are going to trial because you have access to everything. Granted, there may be a little more cost involved with certain scenarios, but the whole point to this type of system is to save you money.
Below you find various reasons as to why you should use prepaid legal services, as well as things that could stand in your way. Whatever the outcome, that is up to you. Our job is to give you as much knowledge on the subject as possible. This way when it is time to make the ultimate choice, you feel extremely comfortable with your decision.
The Pros
When you first think about all the positive things associated with prepaid legal services, money is usually the first thing that comes to mind. As a customer you pay a monthly fee to have access to everything. Since there are different packages available, it is hard to give you the exact price, but we have seen as small as $10 a month to higher marks like $150 or $200. It all depends on what you can afford and the types of service deals you need.
See, basically what you are doing is paying this monthly for the day that you do need representation. It is much easier to pay $40 a month than paying $1,500 upfront for the same types of legal attorneys. The easiest way to look at prepaid legal services is that it’s almost like car or health insurance. You pay a monthly fee in the event that an occurrence takes place where you need the services.
Then of course the biggest benefit is being able to have phone consultations with a representative, having them write out letters if need be, and all the extras. It is like having a big firm taking care of you whenever need be so you will never have to worry about the issues at hand. While all of this sounds great, there are a few things you need to know on the other side of the spectrum.
The Cons
Over and above everything, prepaid legal services usually have just one firm for a particular central location. This means that you do not really have a choice in the matter. This is especially true when it comes down to the attorney who represents you. He or she will not be on a list you get to choose from or anything of that nature. They will simply be assigned to your case and then give you a call.
Sometimes you will even come across a few firms offering prepaid legal services, but their reputation is not very high. This is why you have to go out and do your own research. Take the time to learn the ins and outs of each offering out there and figure out what works for you. Some individuals feel this would be considered a negative point considering the time involved researching everything. Also the reason why it is listed here.
The Conclusion
In the end it depends on your lifestyle, the type of help you need, and how bad you need it. If you look things over like we talked about before, you have a much better chance of having a positive result from it all. Then again, if you just hop on the bus with the first prepaid legal service company you see, things may not work out the way you had hoped. We are pulling for the former reason.
