Individual & Family Legal Plan Frequently Asked Questions

Is my legal issue covered? What’s your cancellation policy? Do you cover pre-existing situations? Are my kids covered? Our FAQs below provide answers to many top questions. Learn more below!

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Individual & Family Legal Plan Frequently Asked Questions

What is a pre-paid legal plan and how does it work?

Instead of paying a lawyer by the hour, you pay a small fee (starting at $24.95/month) and have access to an independent lawyer that will provide a huge variety of legal services without a huge legal bill. Services like consultation with a lawyer, document review, drafting of debt collection letters and defense at civil trials are included as standard benefits. Using the plan just once can save you literally thousands of dollars.

Using the plan is as simple as signing up and contacting our team. Once you’re a member, customer support will connect you with an independent lawyer in your area who specializes in the specific legal issue with which you need help. Also, you can download our super-simple app to quickly access your legal benefits and member perks anytime.

Will the plan really cover my specific legal issue?

Personal Plans from LegalShield cover any and all legal issues. Most day to day legal issues are covered by the standard member benefits with no additional fees. If your specific legal need is a bit more exotic and requires additional lawyer support beyond the standard benefits, you can use your lawyer to help you at 25% off their standard hourly rates. No matter the situation, you’re covered at a substantial savings.

If you still have questions about coverage, please review our Plan Overview page, our Coverage & Pricing Page, or our Membership Agreement. If you prefer to speak to someone live, simply contact our customer support team to discuss your specific situation.

What is your cancellation policy and how do I cancel?

Does the plan cover pre-existing situations?

The short answer is yes. Most pre-existing situations are covered by your plan. There are a few exclusions and exceptions, such as needing to have a membership no later than the same day you receive a traffic ticket, but most pre-existing situations are covered.

How long after I join can I use the plan?

You can use your plan as soon as your membership application is reviewed and your account is set up. The review process takes 12-24 hours (or less) from the moment you purchase your plan (on regular business days). Once accepted, you can be in contact with a lawyer and begin to use the plan benefits and member perks outlined in the membership agreement right away.

If the basic plan benefits don’t cover my specific situation, how much will it cost me?

As discussed on the Coverage & Pricing page, when you need legal help that does not fall under the standard benefits, you can work with your lawyer for 25% off of their standard hourly rates. How much will that cost in the end? The answer depends on factors such as the area of law, your geographic location and your lawyer’s hourly rate. Without more information about your specific situation, it’s impossible to say exactly how much it may cost. What we can say for sure is that if you are a member and work with your lawyer under the discounted rates, you’re going to save hundreds if not thousands of dollars over hiring a lawyer directly. The best way to find out exactly how much something might cost is to purchase a plan, speak to a lawyer and then they can tell you the costs.

Who are the lawyers I’ll work with? Are they experienced?

While LegalShield does not employ the lawyers that provide the services to members, LegalShield has a network of dedicated independent law firms across the United States and Canada made up of seasoned lawyers with an average of 22 years experience. The law firms in our network provide legal protection to over 1.4 million LegalShield members any time they need it, even in covered emergency situations, 24/7, 365 days a year. You can view the names and background information about the provider law firms and many lawyer profiles in our Law Firm Finder.

How can I receive all these legal services for such a low price?

If lawyers charge hundreds of dollars an hour, how can I receive hours and hours of legal services, document preparation and trial defense, plus insane retailer discounts, for such a small fee? We get this question a lot. The answer is actually pretty simple.

We have 1.4 million members. Most of them do not need legal help each month. As such, the fees we collect allow us to pay the law firms monthly to provide services to the members that do need it and still make a profit. Also, retailers want to partner with us to expose their services to our membership. You save. You get protected. The lawyers and LegalShield make a fair profit. The retailers get new customers. It’s a win win win win win all the way around. Few things in life are that good. LegalShield is.

Who is covered under the Personal Plan?

Our Personal Plan is really a family plan. You, your spouse or partner and your dependents living at home are covered under one membership.

There is more information about this on the Personal Plan Coverage & Pricing Page.

How do I speak with a lawyer in an emergency situation?

The best way to get help in an emergency situation is to download our app on an iPhone or Android Device and get connected to a lawyer during emergency situations right through the app. Once you have it downloaded, you can just click to call and connect! It’s simple and fast.

Also, once you join LegalShield, you will get an email which will include a toll-free phone number you can call 24/7, 365.

How much can I save with a membership?

The average lawyer in the U.S. charges between $150-$400 per hour. If you use your membership for even just a few hours a year you could easily save over $1,000. If you have a bunch of small legal issues or one rather complicated issue, you can easily save multiple thousands of dollars over hiring a lawyer directly. Not to mention the stress you’ll save by having a lawyer on call instead of trying to handle legal issues yourself. Also, the lawyers in our network often help our members recover thousands of dollars of damages or avoid thousands of dollars in fees over what they would have experienced had they tried to resolve the legal issue themselves. Obviously every member and usage situation is different, but when used correctly, your membership can easily save significant amounts of money. Not to mention savings from our member perks.

Will I work with the same lawyer each time I need help?

As you may know, great lawyers tend to focus on one or just a few areas of law. You may not work with the same lawyers if you have legal issues in totally different areas of law. However, you will always work with the same law firm. LegalShield takes the selection of provider law firms very seriously. You can be assured that all the lawyers in the provider law firm that covers your location are experienced in their particular area of law and have many years of experience.

Do you have lawyers in my area?

The dedicated independent law firms in our provider network cover the United States and Canada 24/7, 365. There are 900+ lawyers in the network.

Do I have to use the app to use my plan?

No. While we’ve spent a lot of time making the app a seamless user experience, you don’t have to use it to access your benefits. After you purchase a plan, you’ll get an email that will include a toll-free number you can call to take advantage of your member benefits, or you can call the customer care number at top of our website.

Still have questions?

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Plans start at $24.95/month

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