Family Legal Plan

For as little as $14.97 a month or $147 a year, you can have access to a nationwide network of attorneys for all your personal legal needs.

Benefit Features

Platinum Legal Club is a discount legal referral service with a nationwide network of over 22,000 plan attorneys who provide free and discounted legal care for over 1 million families. Membership includes you, your spouse or domestic partner, dependent children under the age of 25 and any dependents that may be living with you, such as a parent or grandparent.

Free Legal Services:*

family 2 The following nine (9) services are available at no charge.

Initial phone consultations for each new legal matter (no time limit)
Initial face to face consultations for each new legal matter (no time limit)
Review of independent legal documents (6 page maximum per document, no limit to the number of new independent documents)
Plan attorneys will prepare a free Simple Will for you and your family, as well as update the Will annually for free. (See definition of Simple Will in Section 3 of the Plan Guidebook). Alternatively, members have access to a more comprehensive and customized web based Simple Will
A state specific, web based, free Living Will form is available to Members. This form can be notarized by a Notary Public.
Plan attorneys will help Members represent themselves in small claims court
Assistance in solving problems with government programs, such as INS and welfare
When deemed appropriate by your plan attorney, he or she will write letters on your behalf (one letter per legal matter, with no limit on the number of new legal matters)
When deemed appropriate by your plan attorney, he or she will make phone calls on your behalf (one phone call per legal matter, with no limit on the number of new legal matters)

*In certain situations, attorney liability may require plan attorneys to ask for a retainer from the member prior to providing some of the free Legal Services.

Deeply Discounted Legal Services:**

The following are eight (8) commonly used legal services for which
plan attorneys have agreed to charge a one-time, deeply discounted fee.

LEGAL SERVICES	MEMBER RATE	NON-MEMBER RATE
Traffic Ticket Defense	$89.00	$199.00
Name Change	$155.00	$365.00
Simple Will with Minor’s Trust	$250.00	$530.00
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy	$750.00	$1,500.00
Non-Support (Spouse / Child)	$275.00	$1,490.00
Simple Divorce	$275.00	$1,100.00
Regular Incorporation	$295.00	$585.00
Personal Real Estate Closing	$250.00	$675.00

**Court costs, filing fees and time charged for travel to and from any courts are additional.

Guaranteed Low Hourly Rate:

Plan attorneys have contracted to charge no more than $125.00 per hour, or 40% off their usual and customary hourly rate, whichever is greater, for legal care that goes beyond the free and discounted services described above.

Retainers:

In the case of extended legal care, plan attorneys may ask you for a retainer. Any retainer sought will be computed by multiplying the number of hours a plan attorney believes a case will take, by the plan’s discounted hourly rate. For instance; 10 hours x $125.00 = a retainer of $1,250.00. Any unused portion of the retainer will be returned to you.

Contingency Fee Discounts:

The contingency fee discount will be a 10% reduction of the state maximum rate or the attorney’s usual rate, whichever is lower.

Compare Platinum Legal Family Plan ($14.97/mo) to
Legal Shield Family Plan ($19.95/mo)…

	Platinum Legal Family Plan	Legal Shield Family Plan
Hourly Billing Rate:	40% off usual hourly rate	25% off usual hourly rate
Who Is Covered:	Entire family including spouse/domestic partner children to age 25 and family members living w/family example: parent(s), grandparent(s)	Never-married dependent children of the member or member’s spouse, under 26 years of age and must be permanent residents of the member’s household or full-time students. Dependent children under age 18 for whom the member or member’s spouse is legal guardian. Any dependent child, regardless of age, who is physically disabled or mentally incapacitated and unable to make legally binding decisions, unable to be employed, 51% or more financially dependent upon the member and member’s spouse and lives at home with the member or member’s spouse. NOTE EXCLUSIONS: ALL married children, children not permanent residents of member’s household or part time students are excluded from the plan coverage. Domestic partners and other family members residing at residence such as parent(s), grandparents(s) are also excluded from plan coverage.
Pre-existing Condition Exclusions:	None	* See Exclusions Below
Portability of Product:	Yes	With limitations: Plan benefits and prices can change by state
Free Phone Consultations:	Initial phone for each new matter (no time limit)	Initial phone for each new matter (no time limit)
Free Face-to-Face Consultations:	Initial face-to-face consultations for each new legal matter (no time limit)	NOT AVAILABLE
Free Phone Call on members’ behalf:	For each new legal matter no time limit	For each new legal matter no time limit
Free Letter on members’ behalf:	1 free letter per legal matter no limit to the numbers of new legal matters	1 free letter will be written per legal matter with no limit to the numbers of new legal matters
Simple Divorce:	$275 One time fee	90 day from effective day exclusion then trial defense 25% off attorney standard hourly rate
Non-Spousal Support Court Attendance:	$275 One time fee	25% off attorney standard hourly rate
Simple Will:	Free Simple Will for member and their family. Free annual updates	Free Simple Will for member only. Additional family members $20 each
Trust:	$250 One time fee	25% off attorney standard hourly rate
Traffic Ticket Speeding Ticket Defense:	$89 One time fee	25% off attorney standard hourly rate
Real Estate Attendance at Closing:	$250 One time fee	25% off attorney standard hourly rate
Real Estate Document Review:	Review of an unlimited number of new documents 6 pages each document. Documents may be presented in person.	Plan attorney will review an unlimited number of new documents 10 pages each document. Documents will NOT be accepted in person and may only be mailed for review.
Assistance with Government Programs:	Free legal for INS and Welfare etc	Coverage may be available at 25% off attorney standard hourly rate

* Legal Shield Exclusions List:
15 Day Exclusion on ALL motor vehicles matters. 90 Day Exclusion on ALL uncontested name change, uncontested adoptions, uncontested separation, uncontested divorcee.

Motor Vehicle Total Exclusions Regardless of Time: Any matter where it is alleged that covered person is under the influence of impaired by the use of alcohol or drugs, whether prescribed or not. Any traffic ticket received while operation a commercial vehicle. Hit and Run related charges, leaving the scene of an accident. Charges where the covered person is operating a vehicle without a valid drivers license, statutory required insurance, auto registration, or properly working equipment.

Trial Defense Benefit Exclusions: Any claim or charges relating to alcohol, or drugs whether prescribed or not. Any charges that arise as a result of any business ownership. Dependents are not covered by this benefit. Does not provide for assistance in matters relating to the dissolution of marriage, separation, annulment, child custody or other divorce or domestic related matters. Class action suits or interventions are excluded. Pre-existng conditions are excluded. Any civil or criminal charges against the covered member while operating a commercial vehicle. Does not cover garnishment, attachment or any oth3er post judgment relief action.

IRS Audit Legal Services Benefit Exclusions: Garnishment, attachment of any other post judgment relief action. Class actions or interventions, charges of tax fraud or income tax evasion. Trust returns, business or corporate returns, payroll and information returns, pre-existing conditions, requests for information made by the IRS.

As you can see, Platinum Legal offers more service for less.

Just as most people carry medical insurance for catastrophic events, a legal protection plan can provide you an advocate, advice, and even litigation should something come up.