Benefits of Prepaid Legal Services for Union Members
There is an affordable benefit that unions can and do provide their members. They can provide a benefit that supports social justice in the form of prepaid legal services. The actual cost of these plans is contingent on how it is structured and whether or not the union handles the administration of the program.
The union that I am a member of provides legal assistance. It has become a benefit that one, I have grown accustom to and two, when I needed the service was provided with little effort on my part. My wife, who was also a member, used the service to protect our son with special needs and was able to receive counsel at no cost to her. It has been such a fabulous benefit that I do not see why other organizations and businesses do not provide this service for their workers.
Providing legal services protects the members and allows them a benefit often overlooked in our day to day lives. Union members like those that are not members buy houses, need wills, and may also require power of attorney. There is a plethora of legal needs that family’s find themselves requiring. For this reason, legal services without cost to the member are a phenomenal benefit.
A side benefit that I have seen from using the service is the personal relationship that has been birthed between our families and the lawyer. Once this relationship has been developed our members adopt them as their family legal advisors. The lasting connection to the lawyers used in pre-paid legal services are a plus for the lawyers. They will have a constituent that if treated fairly will make recommendations to their friends and family. This is a win-win for anyone working for a legal provider.
One of the driving forces for any entity looking for quality legal services, GLSA is a primer for getting involved in prepaid legal services. This association is a collection of providers and lawyers with experience that can be drawn on for direction. GLSA has been our connection to the industry that allows us to hear from lawyers and other providers. Staying abreast of the industry is essential to continued world class service to our members and their families.
Charles Johnson crjohnson@btu.org