This legal benefits plan covers a wide range of services, from family law to traffic law, and from the creation of wills, living wills, legal trusts and powers of attorneys to addressing personal injury issues, filing bankruptcies, navigating foreclosures and much more. This plan covers families in case of identity theft, as well, and also provides financial wellness services. The most commonly used services include estate planning, family law (including divorce, adoption, child custody and child support) and traffic violations, plus financial issues including bankruptcy and foreclosure.

Think of choosing an attorney from your legal insurance plan as like picking up a phone book and selecting from a list of carefully-vetted local choices. To be included in the Family Defender™ network, an attorney must meet strict criteria, including having at least five years of experience. Attorneys included in the plan must be properly licensed through their states' bar associations, without any complaints or disciplinary history. U.S. Legal Services vets attorneys annually and, over the past 40 years, we have developed a significant network of qualified attorneys from across the country to serve our members. Network attorneys are available in most states in the United States and we continue to expand that network. Call 1-800-356-5297 if you are a member and need assistance in choosing a network attorney.

Specifics vary based upon the specific plan chosen by a company. In general, a member pays around $20 monthly with U.S. Legal services paying 100 percent of all attorneys fees for covered issues. This includes consultation calls and in-office visits. If your company already offers Family Defender™, please check your specific plan and its coverage for exact details and contact us with any questions by calling 1-800-356-5297 or emailing us through our contact page.

Employees benefit from this legal insurance by having peace of mind, knowing that legal assistance is accessible at an affordable price. If and when legal help is needed, it's available, right at hand, regardless of the person's income or assets. This can provide a huge sense of relief and allow employees to focus more on their daily activities at work and at home. Stress is reduced with this ready outlet to discuss and address legal issues.

Employers benefit when they offer legal insurance because their employees are more focused at work, with reduced rates of absenteeism and less wasted time, because they have ready access to attorneys when needed. Stress can be hard on a person's health, so less stress can translate into lower healthcare costs. Plus, when employees resolve a legal issue because of their ready access to affordable legal benefits provided through their workplace, this can help to strengthen employee loyalty to the company. A legal benefits plan can help in recruiting talented employees and retaining a strong workforce, and our plans are easy to administer at no cost to employers. Here's more about how a legal benefits plan can help companies.

To get started offering your employees this legal benefits plan, simply call us at 1-800-356-5297 to get a quote or contact us online.

During the open enrollment period at your workplace, you can enroll in three different ways. You can call us at 1-800-356-5297, or you can enroll online - or you can talk to your company's human resources department or benefits administrator. Once you are a member, we are ready to assist you by answering questions and/or helping you to find a network attorney. You can also access your account online. There, you can research legal topics and even view/create legal forms and wills.

Employee Assistance Plans (EAPs) sometimes offer a limited form of legal benefits. Usually, they provide access to initial legal consultations and offer legal fee discounts. Family Defender™, though, provides your employees with comprehensive coverage for the most-needed legal services. Fees are actually paid by the plan, whereas EAPs sometimes offer a discount on attorney fees. You can find more information about the differences between legal benefits plans and EAPs.

Family Defender™ is actually a holistic legal and financial solution for members, with the plan also offering financial wellness services that empower members. They have access to financial planners, as well as to attorneys.

Our plan portfolio includes the Identity Defender™, a plan enhancement that provides assistance with incidents of identity fraud and identity theft. Identity theft protection is increasingly in demand by employees as a legal benefit because of the growing numbers of identity theft crimes. Just a couple of years ago, more than 13 million Americans were victimized by identity theft criminals, at a cost of $15 billion. Identity theft can affect your ability to get a job, rent an apartment, get a mortgage or a car loan or buy insurance.