Opinion: State of California Group Legal Services Insurance Plan

No one plans for a legal or financial issue to disrupt their lives, yet seven out of 10 Americans find themselves dealing with a legal event each year.¹ You shouldn’t have to face the headaches, lost time and expensive fees that come with tackling today’s legal challenges on your own. Now you have an affordable, trusted benefit to take care of that through the State of California Group Legal Services Insurance Plan.

With The State’s Legal Plan, you’ll have a choice of solutions provided by ARAG^®, a global provider of legal solutions. For 20 years, ARAG has helped State of California employees protect their family, finances and future from tough legal and financial situations like personal bankruptcy, foreclosure, identity theft, buying and selling a home and much more.

Avoid Costly Legal Expenses

It’s understandable when people think of a legal need, they usually focus on the negative events in life. But even positive events such as having a child, buying a home or getting married
can be stressful due to costly legal expenses. Yet only one in four Americans has a plan to pay for legal expenses that occur.¹ And with attorney rates now averaging $435 per hour², even minor legal issues can result in major financial setbacks. Because of the high cost of legal services, many of us go without the legal assistance we often need, making the problem more difficult and longer to resolve.

Powerful Solutions at an Affordable Price

For as little as 58 cents a day, you can enroll in the State’s Legal Plan that empowers you to take control during uncertain times. The State’s legal plan provides you with different ways to address your everyday legal matters, including:

• Online access to resources – As a member, you have a wealth of information through the ARAG Legal Center including an online library of legal resources, helpful articles and Guidebooks, as well as DIY Docs™ to create legally-valid documents online.
• Via telephone –You can call Network Attorneys whenever you need advice and guidance on virtually any personal legal matter. Plus, you also have access to Certified Identity Theft Case Managers to protect you from identity theft as well as the ability to prepare a Will to help protect your family.

In-person consultation and representation – As a member, you have access to individually selected attorneys participating in ARAG’s nationwide network. They’ll consult with you and represent you in court if needed for covered legal matters – and provide reduced fee benefits for non-covered matters.

Best of all…you’ll receive the most comprehensive coverage available from any provider in the legal plan industry – with 100% paid-in-full attorney fees for most covered matters when you work with a Network Attorney. To see a complete list of services and coverages, visit ARAGLegalCenter.com and enter Access Code 10202soc.

It Makes Sense to Enroll in the State’s Legal Plan

For a low monthly premium ($9.84 a month for an individual or $17.39 a month for a family) you can enroll in the State of California Group Legal Services Insurance Plan. Protect your rights and assets by enrolling in the plan during the annual open enrollment period March 1 – April 30, 2012.

Questions about the State’s Legal Plan?

Call an ARAG Customer Care Specialist toll-free at 866-762-0972 (800-383-4184 for TTY or 711 to reach a relay operator) Monday – Friday, 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, or visit the ARAG Legal Center at ARAGLegalCenter.com and enter Access Code 10202soc.

¹    Legal Needs of Today’s Multi-Generational Workforce,” a national study conducted by Russell Research and commissioned by ARAG, September 2008.

²    Average standard billing rate for attorneys in the State of California is $435 per hour, The Survey of Law Firm Economics, Published by The National