by Beernpotatoes » Thu Jul 09, 2015 4:25 am
JamishT: It's got to be better than LegalZoom. I'm not sure how LegalZoom is even allowed to operate. I have seen the utter crap that service puts out and I've seen how badly people have screwed themselves up using "generic documents" that they downloaded for a few dollars...
But as for the legal insurance services? Maybe. You'd really need to look at what it is they're offering. The idea is supposed to be a parallel to health insurance, but the services I've seen in the past didn't work the same way. With many prepaid legal plans, you pay am monthly fee and then you get to call a lawyer for free when something comes up. But, you usually have to pay if the participating lawyer has to go beyond initial advice. They also allow you to get a simple will and some other basic documents for free or for highly discounted rates.
That part is good, but you should compare what they offer to the fact that most law firms offer a free initial consultation anyway,so you need to determine if the rate you're getting from the prepaid legal service is really enough of a discount over the rate you'd pay if you had to hire a lawyer on your own. Second, you may already have access to legal representation. Many people don't realize it, but most home insurance policies include legal representation on a variety of issues. And your auto policy will hire a lawyer for you if you get sued over and accident. If you're the one who got hurt, a private lawyer will work on a contingency basis meaning that you only pay if and when you collect.
Bottom line: It's only worth it if you can be sure that the serivice is offering you something you're not already getting for free.
Can't a guy screw someone out of an honest buck without getting a big hassle?