Legal Insurance Blog

Due to economic restraints companies are losing valued employees at an alarming rate. The two main reasons seem to be the inability to increase salaries as well as employees either finding a better offer or they simply wish to go into business for themselves. While the rate of cutbacks has significantly dropped since 2010, studies have shown companies are now in a panic as they struggle to find experienced, well qualified individuals who are willing to work for salaries equal to or less than what they were making even a few years ago. As a result, the term employee poaching has become popular because larger companies are offering positions to people who currently have a job rather than to those who are looking for a job. The belief being that if someone was able to keep their job through the years of downsizing they must be a valued employee and therefore have more to offer than someone who was a victim of downsizing. Smaller companies are then forced to hire someone who is either inexperienced or not as qualified to handle the tasks of the former employee who has left them. The irony is that it actually is not about the money, in fact here are some of the main reasons why top employees leave their current job for another.

• Benefits packages: top ranked companies offer better benefits that include health insurance, prepaid legal services, dental care, and even financial assistance such as credit unions.
• Performance bonuses: Larger companies are not actually offering higher salaries but they do offer quarterly or annual bonuses as well as stock options to their employees based on performance. This gives an employee more incentive to go with a company where their hard work will pay off.
• Location: many small businesses around the country moved out of major cities due to the high cost of rent and taxes. This forces people to commute longer to work if they already live in the city.
• Advancement: A smaller business cannot advance employees as quickly or as highly as larger companies can.
How can a smaller business compete with this? One of the fastest ways is to improve the benefits packages offered to employees. Smaller businesses are capable of strengthening their employee benefits packages as a way of sweetening the deal to current employees. The good news is that some of these added benefits do not cost the company anything. An example of this is pre-paid legal services at Countrywide which offers optional legal services which are paid 100% by the employee through small payroll deductions. The employee is protected from major legal fees should they need an attorney for any matter such as divorce, foreclosure, identity theft, legal documents or anything else. The company benefits by strengthening their benefits package without spending any money to do so. You are not losing your employees because of how much money you give them, you are losing them because of how much money you are not saving them. If someone has to pay more in gas to commute to your place of business, and they have to pay for their own legal service plans, health insurance and other things because your benefits packages does not offer them these services, why would they stay?

The majority of us will never be involved in a high drama trial so why would we need prepaid legal services? You have a great job in Mountain View, CA and life is good. You make a good salary, you have money in savings, you pay your bills, and things are fine. Your human recourses department announces at work that there is a new addition to the employee benefits program, pre-paid legal services at Countrywide. Like your health coverage and everything else your company offers you as far as employee benefits you have the option to add this or decline it. You don't even know a lawyer; you haven't needed one your entire life, so why would you start paying for one now? You do a little research and find out that the payments are made through small payroll deduction which is nice. By signing up you have access to a huge network of attorneys that cover many legal issues that I may need. The best part is you do not have to worry about cost because I can call for advice, have face to face consultations, examination of my documents, and many more services are covered by those small payroll deductions.

It sounds great but you pass because again, you have never needed the services of an attorney in your entire life. So a few months go by and you want to buy a house, or you get a speeding ticket, or you need to refinance your mortgage, or you need to set up your will, or a family member died and you are inheriting money or something else happens and you need an attorney. So what do you do, you go straight for the phone book because that's the only resource you have.

Studies have shown that over 81% of mistakes made in the legal field by the average person are actually related to paper work, either the person does not understand what they are reading/signing, or they do not know what needs to be filed. The fact is that unless you have knowledge of how to handle a legal situation the smartest thing you can do is to get an attorney to assist you. Now the average cost of an attorney, even for simple legal matters like helping you with documents, can be very expensive. However, if you have the benefit of prepaid legal services through your employer you do not have to worry about the cost and you can have immediate assistance from a qualified and experienced attorney.

"I called off work on a Monday morning the weekend after Irene hit," Paul Schollenberger says. He went on, "My basement was a flooded mess." Schollenberger got to experience first-hand how unfortunate it is to not have legal counsel for insurance issues. Prepaid legal services could have helped to be the calm after the storm.

"I had no idea my homeowner's policy did not include flood insurance," Schollenberger reflected. He, like so many others, figured that reading comprehension and patience was enough to be able to decipher legal documents. Sadly, legal jargon and formalities used in binding legal documents often require an attorney to interpret.

Countrywide Prepaid Legal Services can help provide counsel to employees in need of review of legal documents. In fact, at Countrywide, members (who can sign up for benefits individually, or through employment benefits and pay via simple pay-roll deductions) receive unlimited legal counsel. This includes, but is not limited to, the aforesaid legal document review, unlimited telephone consultation, and legal letters on the individual's behalf. All of this is, of course, included in one fee -far more affordable than an expensive retainer that dwindles quickly!

Schollenberger committed himself to a homeowner's policy thinking his home, though not in a popular flood zone, was insured to be repaired from any natural disaster damage. "I'm fixing everything myself, and I just got done putting the rec room in to begin with! I'm practically depleting my savings," says Schollenberger. He added that his issues from flood damage are not merely cosmetic. The aforementioned rec room is growing mold, which is an obvious health hazard.

Not only has Schollenberger had to miss a day of work immediately after Irene, but many subsequent days. He noted that for weeks after, and until recently, he has missed half and entire days from work. He says, "Oh yeah, new guys down here everyday. Pumping the water out, then contractors giving estimates. Now mold experts. I have to meet with them all, and pay them all."

Certainly, prepaid legal services could have been put to good use for Schollenberger. Had his homeowner's policy been reviewed before the contract was signed, Schollenberger would be more present (and productive) in the office. And his prized Phillies jersey wouldn't be lost to mud stains.

"Yeah [...] can't replace that. Can't afford that again! That's what I get for not putting it in a frame, I guess."

In our last blog, we discussed the possibilities facing homeowners after Hurricane Irene rained down upon the east coast. Often, homeowners are under the impression that their homeowner's policy protects them from almost anything, including flooding and storm damage. Unfortunately, homeowners insurance policies can be very nuanced and complicated. One might lack certain coverage that they think they have. Prepaid legal services can help assure that one's policy protects them in the way they imagine.

Hurricane Irene brought floodwaters to those who normally do not see them. Those new to being touched by flooding surely got a rapid-fire lesson in homeowner's policies, having never had to file such a claim -or, for that matter, finding out they could not.

Paul Schollenberger is one of those who got a startling reply after inquiring with his homeowner's insurance provider post-Irene. Schollenberger, from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a 26-year-old college graduate. After moving back home with his parents after graduation, Schollenberger scrimped and saved from his first paychecks as an advertising consultant. Eventually, he was able to put a down-payment on a house.

"It's not much, just a row home in the town I grew up in," says Schollenberger. He went on, "I love it though. Did all the renovations myself." Schollenberger is now in a financial nightmare, trying to salvage his first home and pride and joy in the wake of Hurriance Irene and a lack of prepaid legal services.

You have braved your local grocery store. Fought your way through the chaotic aisles and shoved your neighbor out of the bottled beverage section faster than you rushed to the store. Alas, no bottled water. There's a storm coming, this time a hurricane, and you are not the only one thinking about stocking up on essentials. Back to the car to try another store. Eventually, you are settled in, canned foods and bottled water in the pantry, when the rain comes. And comes. The basement floods. Hail dents the siding. There is nothing you can do but watch as the damage ensues. Would you feel better if you knew prepaid legal services were bearing the storm with you?

You should. As this article from ABC News points out, the storm might just be the beginning of your problems. The damage done to your home can be devastating. If you think your home owner's policy has got you covered, you might just want to think again. Ed Rogan, of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance says that most general home owner's policies do not contain flood insurance. Not only are you not covered, but you might not know it, says Rogan. Prepaid legal services can provide an additional safety net for you so you can rest assured with your bottled water as the storm beats upon your home.

With prepaid legal services through Countrywide, you can have an attorney take the time to review legal documents, like your home owner's policy, without a hefty retainer. Sure, you are not a fool, but all that legal jargon and the plethora of stipulations might just catch you, and by the time you realize it, you and your home might just be six feet under water. It is best to have an attorney review all contracts you plan on entering before you sign on the dotted line. Further, in the event that you have an unhandled claim, you can rest comfortably, knowing you have the legal firepower behind you to fight your case.

There is no secret that the best way for a company to run is to have all the wheels turning with as few clogs as possible and there is a way pre-paid legal services can help. Think of your business in Dallas, Texas as a football team. Now the most success you will have is to draft well, have the same solid structure at coach, management and even quarterback for years. Those are the teams that have the most success and the ones that often fail are the ones that draft poorly and have new coaches, new managers, and new players every few years. You need to build a consistent structure that will not fail. Of course there will always be new players and a few new coaches as people's lives and goals change but the less you have to change, the better you off you are. The same can be said for any business, the stronger the structure, the better the company runs. That means it is very important to not only find the right players or employees but to make sure they stay with you for a long time. So how can you do that? Well salary is one thing but that's not the only thing. A major factor in why people take one job over another is which company offers the best benefits such as health coverage, financial planning, and even legal service plans.

Since 1995, the top 100 companies in the United States (based on strength within industry as well as financial gains) are all listed within the top 150 corporations to work for.

The list of top 150 corporations to work for does not have anything to do with how much money you can make, it has to do with structure, benefits and the ability to move up in the company. Think about that for a moment, having the best employees, having the best company isn't based on what you are actually paying people? That actually makes sense and it is a big reason why you need to offer a great employee benefits package which includes pre-paid legal services from Countrywide. These services are great because they offer your employees access to a network of qualified and experienced attorneys who cover nearly every legal field imaginable including; foreclosure, identity theft, bankruptcy, divorce, wills and other legal documents, and so much more. The added bonus is that you do not have to pay for these prepaid legal services, your employees do but that cost is covered with very small payroll deductions. The numbers don't lie and if you want to have a company that is strong from the bottom up you need to build a structure that includes a strong benefits program.

When we hear about foreclosure in Chicago, Illinois and legal service plans we always think that someone was laid off from work and cannot afford to cover the mortgage payments on their home. However, that is not always the case; in fact often times foreclosure issues hit people who have steady jobs. So what happened that forced people into a financial bind and could cost them their own homes? The problem is that companies that have stayed in business have struggled to increase salaries while the cost of living has still managed to go up every year. Believe it or not despite being in a recession the cost of living for today is much higher than it was a decade ago when the economy was considered to be thriving. Take a look at some of the increases we have had to deal with since a decade ago.

Fuel had an average cost of $1.50 in the year 2000
Water and sanitation was less than $30 a month in many areas in the year 2000
Electric was less than $150 a month for most homes in the year 2000

Today the prices for all of those have more than doubled but salaries have not increased by that much. If you purchased your home before 2000 and you are paying the same mortgage rates you were at that time, you will still be paying more per year for the home based on electric, water, and other services. If you purchased your home after the year 2004 during the housing price boom then you are paying as much as twice of what the home is valued at now and you are paying more to live in it than ever. So as you can see it is very simple for someone with a steady job to actually face foreclosure issues and that's where having prepaid legal services can help. If your employer offers employee benefits, one of those benefits could be pre-paid legal services at Countrywide. The great thing about this benefit is it allows you to speak face to face with an attorney who can help you through the process of foreclosure either in an attempt to avoid it or let you know what your options are and file all necessary paper work. When it comes to hanging onto your home you want to have an attorney there to make sure all your options have been exhausted and everything that can be done is being done. Hiring your own attorney can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars which you obviously do not have. This is the biggest advantage to pre-paid legal services; the cost is already covered thanks to small payroll deductions so you can focus solely on the issue at hand.

Divorce makes you poor. Unless you aren't in the top 1% of the country that have millions of dollars (and hopefully a good prenuptial agreement), divorce will be costly. It is very expensive to deal with a lawyer on a regular basis. Did you know, that usually every meeting, and even short phone calls to an attorney are things you are billed for? Surely, it is incredibly expensive to get the best overall legal treatment you can. Prepaid legal services can lessen the financial blow.

Imagine yourself in Alexis' shoes. Alexis, a recently divorced Philadelphia mom in her early 50s with one child in college and one finishing up high school, has been left financially devastated after her divorce. Alexis worked, since high school, as a dental hygienist. While she made a decent middle class living, she certainly depended on her husband's larger salary (he was a machinist at a local factory) to raise their two children.

After her husband decided to leave, Alexis was left saddled with the family bills while trying to work and raise the children. Though the bills belonged to both Alexis and her husband, his whereabouts were unknown. Alexis had to find a way to pay for all expenses, including bills her husband helped to create, by herself. With the family income split in half, Alexis was forced to work at night as a waitress. The only way to escape her enormous and mounting debt was to divorce her husband. Alas, every attorney Alexis spoke to required a retainer of $3,000 to $5,000. Alexis continues to struggle, and is still legally married. Prepaid legal services could help remove this enormous burden.

Continue reading "Divorce Makes You Poor: Prepaid Legal Services Can Help" »

Jill and her husband just split up. Her income has been cut in half. She now raises three kids, all under age 10, by herself. So far this morning, she has gotten up at 5:30 and made six meals -breakfast and lunch for her children. By 7:30, she has gotten the children and herself ready for school and work. When she finally gets on the expressway to work, she gets a phone call -the oldest needs her homework dropped off at school. Now, running 10 minutes behind schedule, Jill gets on the expressway for the second time, only to have a car rear-end her. The cops come. The car needs work. By the time Jill gets to work for a half-day, her productivity is questionable. Prepaid Legal Services can help ease employee woes by helping to provide a safety net for people like Jill.

Steffani Wilk and Nancy Rothbard, professors at Ohio State University and Penn's Wharton School respectively, conducted a study that quantifies the correlation and causation between employee mood and office productivity. In an article released by Wharton summarizing the study, the writer states,

"They discovered, the mood you bring with you to work has a stronger effect on the day's mood -- and on work performance -- than mood changes caused by events in the workplace. This finding, according to Rothbard, suggests that a business's performance might be enhanced by efforts to help employees cope with mood-affecting influences in their private lives -- including advising employees on how to best handle commuting hassles or offering counseling for family problems."

Continue reading "Smiling Face Via Prepaid Legal Boost Service" »

You are reading this online right now. You might check your email in a few minutes. Oh, and do not forget about adding money to your child's college credit card. And somewhere, in between checking out funny videos on Youtube and posting in your favorite hobby forum, you will buy an expensive gift with your debit card and have it shipped directly to the recipient. You lead your life in a virtual, online world, but are you safe there? You lock your car and your house -are you locking your online activity to keep the virtual criminals at bay? Pre-paid legal services can help keep an eye on your online activity to ensure you are not being hacked.

By now you are thinking, "I don't need extra online security. I have passwords and secure servers for that!" Think again. According to John Pozadzides in this article on computer passwords, 20% of internet users use the same passwords from a list of 10. That means that hackers can immediately access passwords for various accounts for 20% of online users.

The remaining 80%? Pozadzides writes, "One of the simplest ways to gain access to your information is through the use of a brute-force attack. This is accomplished when a hacker uses a specially written piece of software to attempt to log into a site using your credentials." Chances are, you use one or two password for all your online accounts. Once a hacker implements their system, they can quickly gain access to your bank accounts and other personal information. Revisit our previous blog post on identity theft for a personal story on the effect of a hacker. Pre-paid legal services through Countrywide can protect individuals from a nightmare at the hands of a hacker.

Countrywide offers identity theft prevention and assistance to help take a proactive approach to online identity theft. After all, it is not a matter of will it happen, but rather, when? Countrywide offers a Personal Legal Protector Plan that offers individuals professional legal advice regarding contracts, documents, simple wills, advice on small claims, advice on government programs, unlimited legal letters, telephone calls on your behalf, and even face-to-face consultations. Included in this plan? Completely necessary identity theft assistance.

Countrywide offers 24/7 credit monitoring and $25,000 in identity theft insurance, and of course, more legal consultation if necessary when a hacker finally finds -and attacks- you.

You're in debt? It sounds like you have an illness or something doesn't it? There's little that can help, especially legal service plans right? Well the fact is that the majority of Americans are facing some form of debt and many of them are living paycheck to paycheck right now. They share a collective motto right now, "every day, little by little." Unfortunately the big bad lenders, who were so greedy and ambitious a few years ago in approving bad loan after bad loan, have grown tired and impatient. They want their money and they want it now! Ironically these are the same companies that needed help from the government so they could stay in business. But they don't care about that, they want your debt paid now and if you can't handle that then they have no problem forcing you into foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Can you believe that there are actually lenders who have refused to take payments from clients because they do not want them to get caught up? This is a serious problem and as frustrating as it is, there is not much you can do. You cannot afford a high end lawyer who can challenge these bullies and get them off your back. But there might be a way to get the help you need if you have pre-paid legal services at Countrywide. This is not a debt settlement plan; this is not fighting fire with fire. Any intelligent person will tell you that the best route is to fight fire with water and in this case the water is prepaid legal services.

The way it works is by having this employee benefit you do not have to pay for face to face consultations. You also do not have to look through the phone book to find an attorney who specializes in bankruptcy.

All you have to do is look into your legal service plans, find an attorney that specializes in the area you need assistance in, and set up a face to face consultation. What is the cost to you for this face to face time with a qualified and experienced attorney? Absolutely nothing because it is already paid for through small payroll deductions. That is the benefit of having prepaid legal services, you do not have to worry about the cost of legal assistance and you do not have to worry about finding an attorney. You will have access to a large network of qualified and experienced attorneys who can help you figure out your legal options when it comes to debt and bankruptcy.

The real estate market in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and other parts of the country for that matter are very interesting right now and there's a way prepaid legal services can have an impact. There are different points of view in the real estate market, some people are looking to take advantage of the low prices, desperate sellers, and buying either a home for themselves or an investment property. Other people are in over their heads and will soon be facing foreclosure or even bankruptcy. Whichever side you are on, you will benefit greatly from legal assistance whether you realize it or not. Need link and key word

Let's use the example of someone who is in danger of foreclosure or even bankruptcy. Many lenders have grown tired of playing nice and trying to be patient with you while you try to get back on your feet. They send threats; even refuse payments so they can start the process of foreclosure early. You may think it's a joke but some lenders actually have refused payments because they feel the homeowner will continue to struggle making them. If you had pre-paid legal services provided by your employer you would be able to get an experienced attorney who could help you fight the lender and their bullying tactics.

What if you are doing great financially and you are looking to buy a new home either for yourself or as an investment property? There will be little need for an attorney because everything will pretty much be cut and dry right? Chances are you are buying a property that is either in foreclosure or has desperate owners. But what if you agree to a price and then come to find out there are termites? What if you discover the house needs a new roof? What are your options then? That's when having pre-paid legal services at Countrywide will come in handy because you have unlimited consultations with an experienced attorney to find out the answers to all your real estate questions.

The way prepaid legal services works is your employer offers it to you through your employee benefits packages. If you agree to have the legal service plans it is paid by small payroll deductions. If you ever need legal assistance then you simply contact the vast network of local attorneys who are well qualified to assist you with any legal matter you may have. Another great benefit is that you do not pay for consultations, including face to face ones as everything is already paid through the legal service plans benefit. This gives you great legal assistance anytime you need it at a price that is impossible to beat on your own.

When you look at which employee benefit is the most valuable you have to look at more than convenience. Yes it is great to have health insurance that lets you worry about getting healthy rather than paying the doctors' bills but are you really getting an amazing deal with health insurance offered by your employer? Studies have shown that over thirty percent of people who have medical coverage through their employer are actually paying more than they would if they found their own policy elsewhere. People assume that having legal service plans provided through their employer is a less valuable benefit than medical coverage. However, if you compare the two there is a clear cut winner and that is pre-paid legal services at Countrywide. The reason this is the clear cut winner is because it is impossible to get the same kind of service for the same price without using prepaid legal services.

If you have to deal with any legal matter, personal injury, divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, buying a home, identity theft, legal documents, or anything else then you are going to need the assistance of an attorney. Without the assistance of an attorney you could be putting your financial wellbeing in serious jeopardy. However, signing up for legal service plans through your employer just so you have access to an attorney at all times is not the main reason why you would want this benefit. The main reason you would want this benefit is because there is no possible way you will find a better deal financially for the assistance of an experienced attorney.

The way Countrywide works is that it gives you unlimited access to a network of qualified, reliable, and experienced attorneys who specialize in the field you need assistance in. Rather than searching through the phone books to find someone all you have to do is tap into the network that is available to you at all times. And what is the cost of this great resource? You do not have to worry about that because prepaid legal services are covered through small payroll deductions. The shock is that these small payroll deductions are actually much smaller than that of medical coverage yet people still think that the best benefit to have is health insurance. Some skeptics may also believe that you will not need legal assistance as much as you will need medical assistance and they may have a point. However, ask anyone who has recently gone through a rough divorce what was more expensive for them the past year, their health care or their attorney's fees? The answer may surprise you.

People make the mistake of labeling anyone who has needed to declare bankruptcy in New York as someone who has lost their job. The fact is that over forty percent of people who declare bankruptcy still have their job; the problem is they no longer make enough money to support themselves and therefore have to declare bankruptcy. You cannot declare on your own and there are too many legal matters to address. There are dozens of things that can play a part in declaring bankruptcy while you still have your job. A spouse loses their job, interest rates on loans sky rocket, you are being sued, you have suffered from identity theft, your savings was drained due to poor investing, and so many more possibilities. Finding the right legal help is important but it will not be cheap. There is a lot of work that needs to be done and if you are unable to find the right representation this matter can grow even more complicated for you.

This is why people who have prepaid legal services offered through their work have an easier time filing for bankruptcy than those who do not have some type of prepaid legal services. The numbers do not lie; the majority of people who have pre-paid legal services offered directly through their employer are able to have all legal matters taken care of within half the time when compared to those who do not have this service offered to them through work. Another interesting fact is that this service also is much cheaper than if you are forced to find legal assistance on your own. The way Pre-Paid Legal Services at Countrywide works is that it is an employee benefit offered through your human resources department. That means it is paid with small payroll deductions which makes payments much easier on you. Also rather than having to find your own attorney which can sometimes feel like playing pin the tail on the donkey with a phone book, you are connected to a vast network of qualified, certified, and experienced attorneys. The great thing about this network of attorneys is that you will have access to someone who has direct experience in the area you need help with. So if you need to file bankruptcy, you will have a bankruptcy attorney to help you. These services cannot be beaten if you are searching for help on your own, and there is no way you will find more affordable legal services.

We live in a busy world. Often, when one wants things done around our homes, they turn to experts to take on the challenge for us. When one hires a contractor to complete work in their home, they are putting their very sanctuary in the hands of another person. Therefore, one needs to be prepared for the worst as they hope for the best when signing themselves up to have construction done on their home.

As reported by NBC News, some home contractors are often not what they appear to be. Victoria Corderi reports, "The home contracting industry nationally does $200 billion in business each year. There certainly are many honest contractors. But authorities estimate that millions of dollars are lost to unscrupulous ones." Just ask the single mother in the article who hired a contractor to remodel her home -instead of a finished basement, the contractor left the home in shambles. The homeowner, left to fix the rotting foundation the contractor left behind, is facing foreclosure and debt exceeding $100,000. Often, there is no legal recourse for homeowners who have their trust violated by seedy contractors.

Pre-paid legal services can ensure that homeowners may rest assured while they have contracting work done on their homes. Instead of signing an unscrupulously written contract without knowing it, pre-paid legal services can provide document review services so a homeowner knows exactly what to expect during the course of their home repair or remodeling.

Countrywide Pre-Paid Legal Services offer members (who can enroll on an individual basis or as part of a benefits package through their employer) a team of credentialed attorneys to review contracts and documents for them. After reviewing documents, an attorney from the pre-paid legal services network lets one know what they might otherwise might miss hidden in the language of the contract. By only signing a contract after careful legal review, a homeowner saves themselves from being left with a contractor's costly and unsightly mess in the event that something goes awry.