LegalShield
Happy Valley, OR 97086
Testimonials
A LegalShield success story, with LegalShield's Identity Theft Shield.
Wanted to share .......Just this past week a member called me because she had already tried to get help with AT&T's fraud dept for SIX IPhone X’s improperly put on her account – she had received a bill for $1,920 and could not pay that so her and her disabled husband's phone were turned off as a result because an AT&T’s fraud person said that her husband had authorized for them online, when in fact, that did not happen.
She was upset and wanted to cancel her AT&T account but was told that to do so would be $8,000!! She absolutely did not have that! She, therefore, called me from LegalShield/ID Shield and asked what her membership coverage could do for her? I told her to first start with our ID Theft investigators and if need be, to then contact her Law Firm as well.
It simply took one of our Investigators speaking to AT&T’s fraud dept for 1 ½ hours and during that time, not only were ALL fraudulent charges removed, but her & her husband’s phones were immediately turned back on and operational again – just in time for the weekend!
Needless to say, she was EXTREMELY grateful to have her LegalShield/ID Shield coverage in place to help her out!
MB
More than 46 years ago, we opened our doors to protect people and that is still what we do today for millions of individuals and tens of thousands of businesses across the United States and Canada. Here are just a few of the success stories from LegalShield members who have completed their Will.
- Amazingly good service…and value. An attorney friend said he would charge me $1500 to draft a relatively simple Will. Not only did LegalShield do this for free as part of my plan but they got it back to me more quickly than my attorney friend could have, the day after I submitted the questionnaire. Florida Member
- Our attorney was extremely helpful and prompt in his response to our request to get Wills completed for my husband and myself. He took time to explain his recommendations and has made himself available to answer any further questions. We have used our LegalShield membership many times both personally and for my business and I recommend it to my clients all the time. Indiana Member
- I called LegalShield for legal questions and they have been so prompt in returning our calls and answering our questions. We also recently had a final Will prepared for me and my wife. We were both pleasantly surprised at the speed and accuracy of these documents. We are happy knowing that we can always turn to LegalShield for help and support. Thank you. Minnesota Member, Douglas D.
I AM SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!! LegalShield just saved my Elderly Parent's House.
For the past few weeks, my 95-year-old Dad has been a process of doing a Reverse Mortgage on his home with a Home Equity Company in Toronto. Our Provider Law Firm, Mills & Mills LLP referred my dad to a Referral Law Firm in London, Ontario to have the documents reviewed so he could understand the breakdown of policies and interest. I went with my Dad to the Law Firm on two separate appointments and everything appeared to be completely legitimate according to our Lawyer, meaning that if he wanted to go through with the Reverse Mortgage, when my Dad passes away that my Mother would not have to pay back anything back until she decided to sell the house no matter how long that was going to be. Well, early today on September 27, 2018, the final paperwork was sent to our Lawyer so that my Dad and Mom could go in and sign. I went with my Parents to our appointment at 10:00am and our Lawyer advised them to not sign anything because the Home Equity Company changed the policy which did not coincide with the original agreement reviewed. This meant that if my Parents signed, my Mom would have to sell the House within 6 months of my Dad passing and going through the stressful process of finding another home. Our Lawyer made a phone Call on my Parents behalf to the Home Equity Company right in front of us in his office to discuss the situation and told them that it was unacceptable and they are going to have to change the terms back to the original agreement that was given to them verbally and on paper in the policy. So what have we had to pay for so far? What has this cost us so far? About $0.00 Dollars. Without LegalShield, my Mother would have been on the hook.
Thank you, LegalShield. -
“I didn't realize the power of our LegalShield plan until we needed legal assistance regarding our teenage daughter's brand new automobile. She contacted our Provider Law Firm because the dealership from whom she had purchased her car failed repeatedly to repair the same exact problem in a two-month timeframe. Her attorney assured her she was dealing with a lemon law situation; he wrote a letter which he mailed directly to the car manufacturer's corporate headquarters. Five weeks later, arrangements were made to exchange her original car with a brand new model. The ‘transfer of collateral’ was handled through the dealership and cost her absolutely nothing! I can't thank you enough for empowering her with the legal tools of support as she works toward her independence to adulthood. We are a family of true believers in the LegalShield product!”
— Another Happy Member
Oregon State Bar Bulletin — JANUARY 2014
Another Way
By Michael Duane Brown
Access to justice is a problem for all of us, not just minorities or economically disadvantaged. “How much justice can you afford?” Too often the answer is, “Not much.” Our lives are degraded by injustice, both trivial and traumatic. The problem is lawyers cost too much.
The average hourly rate for Oregon practitioners is $242. Clients cannot afford the time to state the problem, let alone hire the lawyer to fix it! “Equal justice for all” is not reality for folks locked out of the justice system by high cost of lawyers.
Without affordable lawyers, there is a downward baseline shift in what we’ve come to expect from life. “Customer service” has become a punchline of gallows humor, with increasing frustration from unfairness permeating daily living. How can we be a great nation of promise and “beacon of justice” to others, if we don’t have it ourselves?
As a lawyer, I wanted to help people. OK, truthfully, I wanted to be a well-paid “hired gun.” With some maturity, I also wanted significance in my life. Too often, I could not help deserving people, even with both facts and law on their side, because of the cost. The best legal advice I could give them was to not hire any lawyer, because the cost was too high. It haunts me, that I was unable to help these folks.
I submit that the solution is prepaid legal plans, which provide members with affordable access to quality lawyers. Amazon eBooks changed how books are bought, sold and published. Legal plans change how clients obtain legal services. If a person is a member of a legal plan, they get legal service. If not, they don’t … because lawyers cost too much.
Prepaid legal plans have been endorsed by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), a savvy group with no interest other than equal justice for all.
Legal plans dramatically increase access to justice, because they dramatically improve the cost-benefit ratio.
A legal plan turns the tables on those who cause injustice. Wrongdoers tend to ignore the pleas of those without a legal plan, because they know that legal redress for the victim costs too much. However, victims with a legal plan already have a lawyer, and it’s the wrong-doer cannot afford the legal cost to offend. A call or letter from a lawyer can quickly change everything.
The question for practitioners is whether legal plans are a competitive threat or a new opportunity? If consumers win by avoiding high fees for legal services, must the practitioner lose? Not necessarily.
As the cost of legal services goes down with a legal plan, the demand for legal services goes up. Folks use lawyers more, if they do not have to pay high hourly fees.
Legal plans connect the client with the right lawyer, one who is available and can do the legal work. The lawyer avoids marketing expense to locate the client. The client avoids spending time looking for a lawyer, when they really want/need to be talking with a lawyer. That’s a win for both lawyer and client.
What about the high hourly fees? If the lawyer is not hired to receive fees, surely that has to hurt lawyers’ income? Not necessarily. In situations where the party cannot afford the lawyer, or if the party needs legal services outside the lawyer’s practice area, the lawyer would not receive any income from the party.
Even in those situations lawyers can benefit financially, if the lawyer is also an associate for the legal plan. Lawyers can enroll as members those who: 1) cannot afford to hire the lawyer; or 2) the lawyer could not otherwise represent. This creates an additional income stream from commissions and residual income, paid by the legal plan to the lawyer.
When a lawyer enrolls a person in a legal plan, the lawyer helps the person who could not otherwise afford the lawyer and also the person needing services outside the lawyer’s practice area.
Instead of saying, “Sorry, I can’t help you,” the lawyer can say, “Let me show you another option.”
If person has the money, he can hire the lawyer who can directly provide the service. If the person cannot afford the lawyer, then the person and the lawyer would benefit by the lawyer offering to enroll the person in a legal plan. As Humphrey Bogart’s “Rick” said to “Louis” at the end of Casablanca, this could be “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Duane Brown is a former prosecutor and trial lawyer in a law partnership. He is now a mediator/arbitrator and also business and group specialist for LegalShield.
© 2014 Michael Duane Brown
Member contacted our office for assistance in obtaining a refund of money she paid for a real estate education program. Member signed up for a professional educational program that was supposed to teach her about real estate. What she received was a handful of online seminars and access to a leads database, where all the leads were dead and the five “guaranteed” sales that were promised never happened. Member also received only a few brief telephone mentoring calls and the mentor never flew out to meet with her in person, as promised. Our attorney wrote a letter to the company advising that Member was not satisfied with the program and demanded a refund of the fees paid. A settlement was reached after some negotiation between attorneys. Recovery for Member, $22,500.00.
I purchased a manufactured home a couple of years ago. When I moved in, I discovered that the roof needed to be replaced immediate as it was over 20 years old and we were headed into winter. That was the year we had quite a bit of snow In Dec. The home was advertised with a new roof, so I called the company that I purchased it through and asked them to pay for the roof. I was told that I had purchased the house ‘as is’ so I had no recourse. I talked to my Legal Shield attorney who followed up with a letter on my behalf. They responded with a letter stating I had no recourse because I purchased the house ‘as is’. I ended up consulting with my attorney several times on a course of action and after his advise, filed a small claims suit. The realtor then called me and asked if I would settle out of court. I ended up with a check for the full cost of my new roof as well as my costs to file. I really appreciate all the advise and assistance I received from my LS attorney. So happy to have them in my corner!