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 to 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 specialisation, 
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. 

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