Legal help just a phone call away

Nancy and Thomas Moore of Darien just bought a home and needed an attorney for the closing.  Instead of aking their friends for a referral, they used a lawyer recommended to them from a pre-paid legal plan.

Pre-paid legal plans offer legal advice and services on simple legal problems for one annual fee.

“This group is great.  They’re very efficient and real problem-solvers.  The lawyers took the time to answer all of our questions,” Nancy Moore said.

The legal service also produced other bonuses.  The Moore couple paid $425 for the closing, half of the normal $800 to $1,000 fee often charged in the region.

Pre-paid legal plans such as the Meriden-based Legal Service Plans Inc. act like a health maintenance organization for legal advice and services.

For an annual fee, members are assigned to an attorney in a geographic area.  They can seek advice by a toll-free number on simple legal matters, said Kevin Heckman, vice president of Legal Service Plans.

In addition to advice by phone, members can have the lawyer draft letters, review a loan or make up a simple will annually.  These services are not subject to additional fees.

“The greatest benefit to members is immediate access to an attorney.  Often people call and we can prevent a problem from becoming a legal problem,” said Thomas Murtha, partner with the Bridgeport law firm, Maher & Murtha.

Maher & Murtha has served as access attorneys for the region for Legal Service Plans for the past seven years.  The six-lawyer firm receives an average of 20 to 40 calls daily from legal plan members.  They either handle the problem themselves or refer

The conclusion of this article was not available for reprint.
-Joan Stableford, Connecticut Post

Friday, March 11, 1994

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