You may have insurance coverage for health,auto. life, and your home, but what about possible legal expenses that may crop up?
The question is not if you'll need a lawyer, but when. According to the American Bar Association (ABA) "Americans have come to view legal assistance as a necessity". However, most Americans have not retained an attorney more than one time, due in large part, to the very high fees associated with hiring a lawyer. That being said, if you need to have your criminal history cleared from the public record and you reside in Florida, perform an internet search for "expunge criminal record Florida" to find the related resources.
Prepaid legal insurance might just be the answer you have been looking for. The concept is simple, for a fixed monthly subscription, you get telephone access to advice from a lawyer. You pay a fixed amount in advance each month to defray the cost of legal services furnished in the future. The services rendered cover many areas of law, ranging from reviewing legal contracts, to writing a will, to bankruptcy, real estate purchases, and divorce.
Prepaid legal services can be advantageous for people who cannot otherwise afford to retain an attorney whenever one is needed. You effectively have a network of attorneys you can use as retainer to seek preliminary advice about what the issues are and how the procedures work whenever legal matters arise. More comprehensive legal services that are not available under the plan are usually offered at reduced rates.
The fact of the matter is that over half the people who join these prepaid plans cancel after the initial year. One reason could be that many members do not require any legal assistance during their first year, so they opt out. Another reason for terminating a plan is the fact that the services offered are not broad in scope and will not cover you if you need any extensive legal assistance. Most plans have certain caps or maximums as far as benefits provided are concerned, and purport to offer discount on standard attorney fees instead. However, you may be able to get just as good a rate by checking around by yourself. To get your past criminal history expunged, or removed, you cannot utilize a prepaid legal plan, you must do an internet search for a "expungement attorney Florida" to locate this type of attorney in the state of Florida.
Another problem with pre-paid legal plans is the likelihood of getting assigned to a novice attorney. Because of cost considerations, many of the companies behind prepaid services assign trainee or inexperienced attorneys to handle phone consultation and drafting of simple legal documents. You are also less likely to build rapport and understanding, two of the most important attributes of choosing a good attorney, as over 90% of the work is done over the phone.