Though we don't always anticipate it, nearly everyone will need an attorney at some point in their lifetime. By offering a group legal benefit plan, employers can help their enrolled employees pay legal expenses when an attorney is necessary. This includes any number of legal services.
Sometimes, life throws us an unfortunate curveball—divorce, child custody, foreclosure, bankruptcy—and having an attorney can feel like the only option. However, it's not always life's emergencies that necessitate legal help.
Sometimes, the smartest move is to get legal guidance to help you prevent those curveballs. Here are a few common situations where an attorney's guidance can help.
Creating a Will or Trust
There are few better ways to protect a family's future than through a will or trust. A will reflects a person's wishes regarding the distribution of their legal affairs after death, including assets (savings and investments), estate (properties) and care of any minor children. A trust spells out similar wishes should a person pass away or become incapacitated, and often without having to go through the dreaded probate process. Learn more about the differences here.
An attorney can be a skilled guide in setting up wills and trusts, helping an employee include all the necessary details and meet the legal requirements to prevent unnecessary headaches when the time comes. The last thing anyone wants for grieving family members to deal with after their passing is preventable legal woes.
Buying and Selling Real Estate
It's often said that buying and selling a home is one of the largest transactions a person will make in their lifetime. With the exchange of so much money—typically hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more—it just makes sense to hire an attorney. This is the case whether someone is buying, selling or refinancing a home or property. In fact, some states require a real estate attorney to be present at closing for buyers.1
How can an attorney help? An attorney will prepare and review important (and often complicated) documents like purchase contracts, mortgage and title documents, and other agreements. Essentially, the attorney ensures that the transaction is legal and binding—and most importantly, is executed in the best interest of the client.
Adopting a Child
Adoption is momentously life-changing for everyone involved, but it can present a variety of legal obstacles. Because of system complexities, state and federal adoption laws, and long timelines, it is important to have an attorney who can shepherd adoptive parents through the process.
For adoptive parents, having an attorney helps them focus on what's most important: creating a loving home to begin their life together as a family.
Group Legal Benefits from U.S. Legal Services
Allstate Benefits partners with U.S. Legal Services to offer a wide variety of group benefit plans that help employees and their families feel secure and protected.
With Family Defender™ from U.S. Legal Services, covered benefits can include (but are not limited to):
| Consultations |
Wills and Trusts |
Living Wills |
Estate Planning |
Debt Collection Defense |
| Foreclosure Assistance |
Real Estate |
Juvenile Law |
Consumer Law |
Criminal Law |
| Online Will Preparation |
Online Legal Library |
Domestic Adoption |
Divorce |
Child Support |
| Child Custody |
Bankruptcy |
DUI |
Traffic Violations |
|
Specially designed group plans are also available for law enforcement officers, firefighters and commercial drivers. Note that limitations and exclusions may apply.
Adding group legal services to an employer's benefits package:
- Helps employees navigate some of life's most stressful times without the extra worry of affording legal advice.
- Boosts employee engagement by helping to alleviate the toll that stress can take on employees who are going through legal issues.
- Shows employees that their employer is focused on supporting their overall well-being with a full spectrum of benefits.
- Helps the business stand out in a crowded job market by appealing to candidates who are looking for employers that offer more comprehensive benefits.
When employers offer group legal coverage to their workforce, they are empowering employees to protect themselves and their families today and down the road.
Visit our legal services page to learn more or contact a sales representative to learn about our employee benefits package options.
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