Legal Insurance in the United States

Plans that allow persons to prepay legal services. Legal Insurance (Judicial Personnel issue) plans are similar in design to insurance programs for medical services. Legal Insurance (Judicial Personnel issue) may be available as part of an employee benefit plan, although persons may individually subscribe as well. The plans that are available vary considerably, but most entitle subscribers to a specific amount of attorney time annually. Insured persons are either able to consult any attorney of their choice or select a lawyer from a specified group. Current estimates indicate that between five and ten million people are covered by Legal Insurance (Judicial Personnel issue) plans in the United States.

See Also

Legal Clinic (Judicial Personnel issue) Legal Services Corporation (Judicial Personnel issue).

Analysis and Relevance

Legal Insurance ( U.S.) plans were devised to improve access of the nonindigent to legal services. Such insurance plans are not governmental programs, but rather come exclusively from private insurance companies. Persons who subscribe as individuals utilize plans more fully than do persons whose plans are provided as a job benefit. As a rule, these plans are used to respond to such legal problems as divorce, child custody and support, and wills rather than business matters. Legal Insurance ( U.S.) plans have been reasonably well received, although people generally attach less urgency to prepaid legal services than to medical insurance. At the same time, Legal Insurance ( U.S.) represents one method by which the economic middle class can gain greater access to legal services.

Notes and References

1. Definition of Legal Insurance from the American Law Dictionary, 1991, California