How your Pre-Paid Legal Plan Membership can work for you.
Pre-Paid Legal Services Cost effective access to Legal Services for all Australians How your Pre-Paid Legal Plan Membership can work for you. “When it comes to the need for legal services, it's not a question of IF but of WHEN.” Today, many individuals as well as businesses are burdened with increasing legal issues and their associated costs. Most of us struggle, just to keep pace with changes to the law, never alone its impact or the costs involved in trying to do so. Becoming a Pre-Paid Legal member will give you the piece of mind in knowing that when you need legal assistance you will have a legal services plan supporting you. “All Australians, regardless of means, should have access to high quality legal services or effective dispute resolution mechanisms necessary to protect their rights and interests. In some cases, such services are clearly essential to ensure that an individual's rights are protected and injustice avoided. The objective of equality before the law is unattainable if people experience barriers that prevent them enforcing their rights. The most obvious barriers are the financial difficulties faced by people who cannot afford legal advice and representation.” Ronald Sackville QC – 1994 Statistics show that the average person will have a requirement two to three times every year for some form of legal assistance. With seven out of ten experiencing some form of major legal issue in a 12 month period. As a result many are now looking for better ways to access, manage and control this type of personal or business expense. A Pre-Paid Legal Plan is one of the most effective and efficient ways to do so without the stress and the financial worry. Legal Plans in Essence: • Provide easy access to a lawyer for all essential day to day personal and business legal services with substantial cost savings. • Make budgeting for payment of such legal expenses easier. • Provide a cost effective means for an individual or business to manage and reduce legal risk. • Make the cost of retaining a lawyer more realistic and certain with the cost of doing so being quantifiable. • Provide greater level of customer service support with an effective adjudication structure in place if issues do arise between a member and a Legal Service Provider. • Make it easier for individuals and business owners to gain a better understanding of the law, its processes and its impact upon them. One of the greatest benefits of a legal plan for any one is the ability to be able to seek legal help early, rather than put off legal help until problems are more involved and become more costly. Sixty five percent of most problems brought to lawyers through plans can be resolved through nothing more than advice and a small amount of follow up. Having a Legal Service Provider readily available gives you peace of mind, and the ability to get accurate advice on a matter early enough to make an informed decision for little or no cost rather than paying large hourly rates on an incident by incident basis, with no control over the costs involved. Pre-Paid Legal Plan Memberships PPL Plan memberships are split into two groups based on legal services for Business and/or Personal use, and are governed by the terms and conditions as set out in the General Provisions of each Legal Plan Membership Contract at all times. For example: The Singles Plan must be read in conjunction with the General Provisions and any limits and exclusions that may apply under the Singles Plan Membership Contract at all times. HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK HTMPC 2010/05/07 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK Page 1 PERSONAL LEGAL PLANS The PPL Personal Plans for individuals, families, seniors and pensioners, employees and contractors provide members and their dependants (where appropriate in the selected plan’s benefits) direct access to the legal services they need most at an affordable cost per month. Having a solicitor readily available means peace of mind and is the best way to protect your rights and avail yourself of legal assistance when you need it – through a pre-paid legal plan. PPL’s Personal Plans include: Legal Access Plan $16.00 + GST per month. Value Plan $26.00 + GST per month. Employee-Contractor Plan $26.00 + GST per month. Singles Plan $36.00 + GST per month. $49.00 +GST per month. Family Plan Initial contract period is for twenty four (24) months, then annually thereafter. Personal Plan benefits include: • Preventative legal services - Telephone advice and consultation - Face to face consultation - Phone calls and letters to third parties - Contract and document review and preparation. - A simple Will including updates and powers of attorney Additional support services for members by FTL Estate Services include: Estate Planning Services - Discretionary Family Trust Deeds - Testamentary Trusts - Appointment of impartial professional executors to estates - Business Succession Planning and Deeds - Personal Trust and Trustee Services Aftercare Support Services - Executor Assist - Assistance to Attorneys and Guardians (income collection, bill paying etc) • Sale and purchase of property/land. • Banking & finance legal services. • Motor Vehicle/Recreational Water Craft legal services. • Family/De facto law. • Employment and Workplace Relations. • Medical/Dental/Health Professional Negligence. • Court proceedings – Civil and criminal. • Income Taxation legal services. • Legal Shield – twenty four (24) hour emergency service. • Other Legal Services - for pre-existing issues and legal services not included in the Personal Plans. Please refer to the individual Personal Legal Plan for more benefit detail and the level of legal services provided under each plan. Personal Plans Available: Life can be unexpected and legal life events can arise at anytime whether we are prepared or not. Today legal issues are more prevalent than ever before and can be more complexed and difficult to resolve. With a legal plan you have the security and peace of mind in knowing that when a legal issue does arise it can be dealt with efficiently and in a cost effective manner. Protecting yourself, your family, finances and future. Protect what you have worked so hard for with a Personal Legal Plan LEGAL ACCESS PLAN: Legal Access Plan $16.00 + GST per month. Life can be unexpected but a Legal Plan provides security and peace-of-mind to help resolve everyday legal matters. The Legal Access Plan is a cost effective introductory legal plan available to everyone, providing access to a wide range of personal legal services at substantial savings. HTMPC 2010/05/07 Page 2 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK VALUE PLAN Value Plan $26.00 + GST per month. Security and peace of mind is of utmost importance especially for those of us who are elderly or dependant on financial support. The Value Plan is a cost effective legal plan that provides access to a wide range of legal services tailored specifically to suit the needs of seniors, retirees and those on pensions, including single parents whose finances are often stretched. This plan covers the individual member and their spouse or partner only. Please Note: Applicants must have a valid senior’s card or pension card to apply for the Value Plan. EMPLOYEE-CONTRACTOR PLAN Employee-Contractor Plan $26.00 + GST per month. This plan will provide for the employee or contractor whilst in their work environment as well as cover any personal legal issues that may arise outside. Please Note: The Employee-Contactor Plan covers the individual only and is available to anyone who is employed on a full time, part time or casual basis, or if contracting holds a current registered ABN (Australian Business Number). SINGLES PLAN Singles Plan $36.00 + GST per month. This plan is a more comprehensive legal plan designed to meet the needs of financially independent single adults who have hectic lifestyles and want legal protection and access when they need it. FAMILY PLAN Family Plan $49.00 + GST per month. All families want peace of mind where legal issues are concerned. This plan is a comprehensive and expanded legal plan that provides extensive access to a wide range of legal services and benefits for the whole family. This plan provides protection for you, your spouse or partner and unmarried children living at home up to 18 years of age or up to 21 years if the children are full time students and not working part-time or casually. Additional benefits apply for children up to age 18 years for whom the member is the legal guardian and any dependant child, regardless of age, who is incapable of sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability and is chiefly dependant upon and residing with the named member for support. BUSINESS LEGAL PLANS One of the first steps in protecting the value of your business is to have an accurate knowledge and understanding of the law. The PPL Business Plans provide owner(s) and or director(s) with direct access to the legal services they need most for their business at an affordable cost per month. It is a requirement that all business owners should hold a personal legal plan membership as the business legal plan membership does not provide for any legal matter which is of a personal nature or not directly related to the business entity. The best way to ensure you protect your business and to be able to assure yourself of legal assistance when you need it is through a pre-paid legal plan. PPL’s Business Plans include: Business Basics Plan $36.00 + GST per month. Home-Based Business Plan $85.00 + GST per month. Small Business Plan $165.00 + GST per month. Extended Business Plan $285.00 + GST per month. Rural Producer Plan $130.00 + GST per month. The initial contract is for twenty four months (24), renewing annually thereafter. Please refer to the individual Business Plans for more benefit detail and the level of legal services provided for each plan. Business Plan benefits include: • Preventative legal services, including; - Telephone advice and consultation - Face to face consultation - Phone calls and letters to third parties - Contract and document review and preparation - Recoveries and Debt collection - Insurance law HTMPC 2010/05/07 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK Page 3 - Specialist consultation • Sale and Purchase of property/business • Banking & Finance legal services • Motor Vehicle/Commercial Water Craft legal services • Employment and Workplace Relations • Court proceedings • Income Taxation legal services • Other Legal Services - for pre-existing issues and legal services not included in the Business Plans. Along with these legal services are other business based services specifically for business plan members through PPL’s Business Network. Please refer to the individual Business Plans for the level of legal services provided. Business Plans Available: Protect what you have worked so hard to build and establish with a Business Legal Plan. These Business Plans are designed to meet the needs of each type of business, through an established network of highly regarded law firms, known as Legal Service Providers. These provider law firms are all long established and highly regarded firms, with experienced lawyers who are specialists in their areas of law. The Plans provide business owner(s) and or directors and where applicable those nominated employees with access to a solicitor when needed through phone or face to face consultation, contract and document review, letters to third parties, debt collection, trial defence services, legal advice and representation on income tax, employment, workplace relations, civil or criminal matters and other business related issues and a lot more. BUSINESS BASICS PLAN Business Basics Plan $36.00 + GST per month. The Business Basics Plan is a cost effective introductory legal plan providing small business with access to a wide range of legal services at substantial savings. Those provided for by the Business Basics Plan include the business owner(s) or director(s), the business entity and any nominated employees in the course of conducting their employment responsibilities. Any employees will ony be provided for in the course of conducting their employment obligations for the business entity where they hold a personal legal plan membership. Employees are not covered separately under this contract. The owner(s) or director(s) should consider holding a personal legal plan in conjunction with this Business Basics Plan for any personal legal of their own personal matters. HOME-BASED BUSINESS PLAN Home Based Business Plan $85.00 + GST per month. The Home-Based Business Plan is for those businesses who operate from a residential address. This plan is only available to businesses employing five or fewer employees and must be a registered business name or an incorporated business. This plan does not provide for the business owner(s), director(s) or its employees for any personal legal matter. Therefore each of the owner(s) or director(s) should consider holding a personal legal plan in conjunction with the Home-Based Business Plan for any personal legal coverage for their own personal matters. Those provided for by the Home-Based Business Plan include the home based business owner(s) or director(s), the business entity plus at the owner(s) or director(s) discretion, up to a maximum of five nominated employees, who are provided for only in the course of conducting their employment responsibilities during normal business hours as long as they hold an employee/contractor, or other personal legal plan membership. SMALL BUSINESS PLAN Small Business Plan $165.00 + GST per month. In order to qualify for the Small Business Plan the business must be a registered business name or an incorporated business that is not publicly listed or its shares publicly traded. This plan is only available to businesses with fifty (50) or fewer employees and requires each of the owner(s) and or its director(s) to hold a personal legal plan membership. this plan does not provide for the business owner(s), director(s) or its employees for any personal legal matter. Those provided for by the Small Business Plan include the business owner(s) or director(s), the business entity and at the owner(s) or director(s) discretion, up to a maximum of fifty nominated employees, who are provided for only in the course of conducting their employment responsibilities during normal business hours as long as they hold an employee/contractor, or other personal legal plan membership. HTMPC 2010/05/07 Page 4 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK EXTENDED BUSINESS PLAN Extended Business Plan $285.00 + GST per month. In order to qualify for the Extended Business Plan the business entity must be an incorporated business. This plan is available to both private and publicly listed companies with more than fifty (50) but less than one hundred (100) employees and requires each of the owner(s) and or its directors to hold a Personal Legal Plan membership. This plan does not cover the business owner(s), director(s) or its employees for any personal legal matter. Businesses with more than one hundred (100) employees are required to take out additional business plans in accordance with the number of business employees. For example a business with one hundred and twenty (120) employees will require one Small Business Plan plus one Extended Business Plan in conjunction with the Personal Plans for each of the owner(s) and/or directors should they require personal legal coverage. Those provided for by the Extended Business Plan include the business owner(s) and/or directors, the business entity and at the owner(s) and/or director’s discretion up to a maximum of one hundred nominated employees, who are provided for only in the course of conducting their employment responsibilities during normal business hours. Please note: 1. The PPL Business Plans do not provide for any nominated employee or owner for any action by them against the business. 2. Any nominated employees, for all PPL Business Plans, are only provided for under the Other Legal Services section of the plan for employment related matters carried out on behalf of the business entity. Any employee nominated under a Business Plan must hold an Employee-Contractor, or other personal legal plan membership for personal related matters. RURAL PRODUCER PLAN. Rural Producer Plan - $130.00 + GST per month. In order to qualify for the Rural Producer Plan the business and residential address must be the same. This plan is only available to rural producers with a registered business name, or an incorporated private business or a family trust and covers up to 5 employees. The owner(s) or director(s) must reside on the property where the rural produce is raised or grown. The immediate family of the primary member are provided for under this plan. If there are additional owner(s) and/or director(s) they will require a personal plan also which must be a minimum of an Employee-Contractor Plan to provide for their personal responsibilities as a business owner or director. This plan is a comprehensive and expanded legal plan that provides extensive access to a wide range of legal services and benefits for the rural business and the whole family. This plan provides protection for you, your spouse or partner as part owner or director and unmarried children living at home up to 18 years of age or up to 21 years if the children are full time students. In addition the Rural Producer Plan provides benefit for children up to age 18 years for whom the member is the legal guardian and any dependant child, regardless of age, who is incapable of sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability and is chiefly dependant upon and residing with the primary member for support. Please note: 1. The plan does not provide for any nominated employee or owner for any action by them against the business. 2. Any nominated employees are only provided for under the Other Legal Services section of the plan for employment related matters carried out on behalf of the business entity. Any employee nominated under a Rural Producer Plan must hold a Personal Legal Plan membership for personal related matters. RURAL PLAN BENEFITS This membership plan has been designed specifically for the Rural Producer and provides for the day-to-day legal requirements for a rural producer’s business needs and is combined with the day-to-day legal requirements for the protection of the rural producer’s family into a single plan at an affordable monthly membership fee. With this plan the rural producer can be confident that when they require legal advice, consultation or representation they have the membership plan that will provide for their business and personal needs. Rural Plan benefits include: HTMPC 2010/05/07 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK Page 5 • Preventative legal services - Telephone advice and consultation - Face to face consultation - Phone calls and letters to third parties - Contract and document review and preparation. - Recoveries and Debt collection Insurance law - Specialist consultation - A simple Will including updates and powers of attorney Additional support services for members by FTL Estate Services include: Estate Planning Services - Discretionary Family Trust Deeds - Testamentary Trusts - Appointment of impartial professional executors to estates - Business Succession Planning and Deeds - Personal Trust and Trustee Services Aftercare Support Services - Executor Assist - Assistance to Attorneys and Guardians (income collection, bill paying etc) • Sale and purchase of property/land. • Banking & finance legal services. • Motor Vehicle/Recreational Water Craft legal services. • Family/De facto law. • Employment and Workplace Relations. • Medical/Dental/Health Professional Negligence. • Court proceedings – Civil and criminal. • Income Taxation legal services. • Legal Shield – 24 hour emergency service. • Preferred Member Discount - for pre-existing issues and legal services not included in the Personal Plans. CONTRACTS FOR PERSONAL, BUSINESS AND RURAL PLANS The membership is an initial twenty four (24) month contract, commencing on the date the membership application is accepted by PPL and is governed by the terms and conditions of the relevant Plan Membership Contract and will, unless otherwise advised by the member in writing, automatically renew at the end of the contract period on an ongoing twelve (12) monthly basis. Termination prior to the expiry of this twenty four (24) month period or any renewal period thereafter, may incur penalties. PPL, however, reserves the right to cancel your membership in the event your membership fees are not paid or if you have made fraudulent statements to the company or the Legal Service Provider or for any other reason at the absolute discretion of PPL. In the event of a member defaulting in payment of membership fees, the company reserves the right to charge a payment processing fee for each month of default and to take recovery action. How can you get the most value from your PPL membership? Do you feel the personal and business decisions you make daily could benefit from legal advice? Are you ever asked to sign a document you don’t fully understand? Have you made commitments in everyday transactions without understanding your legal rights and obligations? For many members, the most popular benefit is the telephone access to a solicitor. There is no longer a reason for you to make any decisions without knowing your rights. You can call for legal advice or consultation from the privacy of your home or workplace with the knowledge that there is little or no legal cost to you. Every PPL member has direct access to top quality, convenient legal help and advice. The value of your membership increases the longer you maintain it. HTMPC 2010/05/07 Page 6 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK Your satisfaction is of paramount importance to us Our goal at PPL is to ensure you are satisfied with our services. That's why we want you to know what to expect when you use your membership. It is our aim to provide our members with affordable access to the highest quality of legal service, through a network of Legal Service Providers. PPL will not influence or attempt to modify how the Legal Service Provider provides their professional services. PPL cannot and will not be a participant in any action undertaken by a member(s) to a third party. The relationship between a member(s) and the Legal Service Provider is one of client/solicitor and as such PPL cannot influence nor have any direct involvement in any legal matter undertaken by the Legal Service Provider for the member(s). How Your Membership Works On signing and returning your membership application form to PPL, or to your signing associate, and if your application is approved then within seven days you should receive your PPL membership kit. You are asked to read the information provided thoroughly to ensure you have received the correct membership plan for your use. If you have any queries then contact PPL directly. In the membership kit, for Personal plans, is a questionnaire in relation to Wills. If you do not have a will the questionnaire can be used to create a will for you. If you have an existing will then the questionnaire will help you determine if you need to make changes. If you have a legal issue, or are seeking legal advice, then please contact PPL directly, during normal business hours between 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday through Friday (except public holidays). A PPL customer service representative on answering your call will ask you for: • Your name • Your membership number • What type of legal concern you have. They will then determine what is the most appropriate course of action for your particular issue. The customer service representative may be able to answer your query but if your issue requires the services of a solicitor you will be given the contact details of a Legal Service Provider along with a reference number in relation to your call. Then simply contact the Legal Service Provider during normal business hours and advise them: • Your name • That you are a PPL member • Your membership number • Advise them of your legal matter and the PPL reference number for the matter. If the solicitor is unavailable at the time of your call simply leave a contact number that you can be reached on and the solicitor will call you back within forty eight (48) hours. If you have not had a return call within this time frame then please contact PPL and a customer representative will follow up on the matter for you. The Legal Service Provider will offer advice, consultation and if required representation services on any legal matter that concerns or affects you. You may be asked to forward copies of any documentation or contracts relevant to any matter you may raise or where necessary to attend the Legal Service Provider’s office to discuss or review your matter personally. If you, as a personal plan member are detained or arrested by the police after normal business hours and require legal assistance, all you have to do is call the twenty four (24) hour Legal Shield emergency number, which is noted on the back of your membership card. You will be in contact with a duty officer or with the Legal Service Provider’s duty solicitor, to whom you need to quote your full name and membership number and then consult with them about your detainment or arrest. Please note that emergency consultation is subject to the availability of the duty officer or duty solicitor at the time and the legal conditions imposed by the detaining authority which may not allow for a duty officer or Legal Service Provider duty solicitor to communicate with you on an immediate basis. Your PPL membership provides you with a smart, simple and readily accessible legal protection at a cost you can afford. Now you can remove the worry of getting professional legal advice or representation from your mind and let us focus on your legal matters, while you focus on what really matters. HTMPC 2010/05/07 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK Page 7 WORKING WITH THE LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDER Seek help early By the time it occurs to you that legal advice may be needed, it probably is. The earlier you seek help, the more options you and the Legal Service Provider will have and the greater your chances of eliminating the problem altogether. Preventative law works! Establish clear ground rules A good relationship with the Legal Service Provider depends on good communication and a firm understanding of your respective needs and responsibilities. Nothing breeds misunderstandings more than assumptions. Be clear about what you want. Ask questions and listen to the answers. The Legal Service Provider should listen carefully to you as well. They should clearly explain your options and discuss a timetable. Respect the Legal Service Provider’s judgement The Legal Service Provider is working with you in mind and should not make any important decisions without discussing them with you. You must, however, respect their judgement and allow them to do their job. Remember that the law does not always allow a resolution to your problem in a way that is completely satisfactory to you. Allow the Legal Service Provider to be an intermediatry It is not always necessary to take a case to court. Trials are costly and sometimes the solution may be reached amicably without going to court. What level of contact will I have with the Legal Service Provider Some people want ‘yes or no’ answers, others want full explanations. Some clients want the solicitor to do everything and just tell them when it’s done. Be sure to discuss what level of contact you want. The Legal Service Provider will give you legal advice but cannot advise you accurately if you do not follow the advice given. Keep the lines of communication open. What should I expect if my case requires representation If, based on the consultation, it is determined that your matter requires representation, you may be required to pay a retainer fee for services beyond contract benefits. This applies to all pre-existing conditions as well as to assistance and/or representation not fully covered under your contract. What should I do if things don’t seem to be going well with my case If the legal matter isn’t going the way you expected, if nothing seems to be happening or if you don’t understand what is happening, speak up. Call the Legal Service Provider if you want more information. Also, let a Pre-Paid Legal customer service representative know about the situation and we will be happy to assist you, where possible. The information contained in this material is governed by the terms and conditions of your membership contract, which should be read in conjunction with this document. Service provision under the plans is restricted to the states or territories of Australia in which PPL has and provides Legal Service Provider network access. CONTACT DETAILS For more information contact your independent Associate or Pre-Paid Legal direct: Pre-Paid Legal Services Pty Ltd Corporate Office: Suite 1/160 Burswood Road, Burswood, Western Australia, 6100. Phone: (08) 9355 5822 Fax: (08) 9355 5833 WST during normal office hours. Email: [email protected] Web site for Personal and Business Plans: www.prepaidlegal.com.au HTMPC 2010/05/07 Page 8 HOW THE MEMBERSHIP PLANS WORK
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