Legal Insurance | MetLife

Legal Insurance | MetLife

Legal Insurance

Life is full of legal situations both planned and unexpected. Now getting legal help is easy and cost effective.

Here's what you need to know

This plan gives you and your family access to legal services from a network of over 18,000 experienced attorneys nationwide who are available to help you when you need it.

 

You’re protected by a reliable resource you can turn to for a wide range of legal needs. That includes needs that are part of good planning – and also those that happen when you encounter challenging situations you don’t expect.

 

Network attorneys can help with many legal issues, including but not limited to these:

 

  • Wills, trusts and estate planning (power of attorney)
  • Real estate and home ownership (buying/selling contracts, negotiations, deeds)
  • Traffic matters (driver license suspension, traffic tickets)1
  • Family law matters (name change, adoption, divorce)
  • Small claims court
  • Consumer protection issues (auto repair, consumer fraud)
  • Personal property disputes
  • Debt-related matters (bankruptcy, debt collection)
  • Landlord/tenant matters (contracts, eviction, disputes, security deposit return)

 

Most services are paid in full by the plan with no copay or deductible on your part. Beyond that, you also have the flexibility to use a non-network attorney and get reimbursed for covered services according to the fixed amount (indemnity) benefits under your legal plan.2

We encounter numerous legal matters throughout the course of our lives. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a legal expert on your side who could help guide you through these situations? With MetLife, now you have access to legal professionals who can help advocate for your best interests.

 

Beyond providing access to network attorneys, plan benefits include:

 

  • Unlimited use of network attorneys for covered issues3
  • Online digital estate planning tool—create wills and trusts, healthcare proxies, and power of attorney documents
  • Many other self-help legal forms (with variations by state) you can download from the comfort of home
  • An online tool to send questions to an attorney
  • No claim forms required when you do use the services

 

It's also invaluable when you want to have clout and get action in a dispute. For example:

 

  • Taking legal action to resolve a contract dispute with a home improvement contractor or a landlord, or a refund dispute
  • Fighting a traffic violation ticket in court
  • Navigating your way out of a consumer fraud or identity theft issue

 

You are encouraged to use the plan to resolve as many legal issues as possible, even if they are pre-existing matters. The only pre-existing matters that are not covered are those for which you have retained an attorney before becoming eligible for plan benefits. This is necessary to protect the existing attorney-client relationship.

 

Once you and your family members are covered, you know exactly where you can turn for legal help, without scrambling to identify a reliable resource when a need arises or paying an expensive hourly rate. 

These are the periods when you are eligible to enroll: 

 

  • Within your new hire enrollment period
  • If you have a qualifying life event (you get married, have a baby, etc.)
  • During your employer's annual enrollment

 

Check with your employer’s human resources/benefits team for specifics about these timeframes.

These form(s) are in Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF) format and are available for downloading and printing.

 

Product Overview

 

How to Use Plan

 

How to Use Plan (Español)

 

Digital Estate Planning

How It Works

Number One Enroll now icon

Enroll in Legal Insurance

Number Two Online Service Icon

Contact a network attorney

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Receive unlimited legal advice & assistance

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Pay nothing – most services are covered in full 

You recently had a child and decide it’s time to create a will.

Because you’re enrolled in Legal Insurance, you’re covered.

Choose to create a will online using state-specific documents, on your own time, in as little as 15 minutes. Or visit a network attorney, who will help you create and file your estate planning documents. Either way, you save time, money, and stress so you can enjoy more time with your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Who is the provider?

    MetLife

     

    MetLife Legal Plans is the country’s largest provider of legal voluntary benefits, serving over 5 million people at about 4,000 organizations, including over 220 of Fortune 500® companies. We have 45 years of experience in employee legal services and are committed to providing excellent care to our plan members, sponsors and network attorneys.

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  • Who in my family is eligible for this program?

    You, your spouse/domestic partner and qualifying dependents are eligible. You must be enrolled in coverage for members of your family to also enroll. 
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  • How much does this coverage cost?

    $15.75 per month covers you, your spouse/domestic partner and dependents.
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  • What if my employment status changes?

    Good news! If you leave or retire from your current employer you can still access the benefits of a legal plan by enrolling in individual coverage, which you can take with you to your next venture. To enroll in or learn more about an individual legal plan visit MetLife.com/individual-legal-plans or call the Client Service Center at (833) 214-4175.

     

    Maine and Hawaii residents are not eligible for the individual plan. Please call the Client Service Center at (833) 214-4175 to see if you are eligible for an alternate offering.

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  • When would my coverage start?

    Coverage is effective on the 1st of the month after coverage is approved by MetLife.
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  • What attorney can I use?

    You'll have access to a nationwide network of more than 18,000 participating attorneys from which to choose. If you stay within the network, covered legal services are provided with no additional attorney fees. You also have the flexibility to use an out-of-network attorney and get reimbursed for covered services according to a set fee schedule.

     
    After you enroll, you can visit members.legalplans.com to find a network attorney near you.

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  • What kind of credentials do these attorneys have?

    You can feel confident that the network attorneys:

     

    • Are individually selected and agree to an Attorney Code of Excellence
    • Have an average of more than 25 years of experience practicing law
    • Can meet a wide range of legal needs
    • Are re-credentialed regularly to maintain MetLife’ standards
    • Must fulfill specific criteria to maintain their status in the network
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  • Can I get help finding the right attorney for my needs?

    Yes, client service center representatives are available to help you find the right attorney for your legal matter, whatever that might be.
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  • How is the attorney paid?

    Attorneys' services for covered legal matters are fully paid by the plan except for excluded matters and third-party fees. When services are rendered for covered matters, you do not receive a bill for the network attorney and they do not complete a claim form. All billing and payments are handled directly between the network attorney and the plan.
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  • What are excluded matters?

    The plan covers most personal legal services. The following matters are excluded from coverage:

    • Employment-related matters, including company or statutory benefits
    • Matters involving your employer, MetLife and affiliates, and plan attorneys
    • Matters in which there is a conflict of interest between the employee and spouse or dependents in which case services are excluded for the spouse and dependents
    • Appeals and class actions
    • Farm matters, business or investment matters, matters involving property held for investment or rental, or issues when the Participant is the landlord
    • Patent, trademark and copyright matters
    • Costs or fines
    • Frivolous or unethical matters
    • Matters for which an attorney-client relationship exists prior to the Participant becoming eligible for plan benefits


    Please refer to the plan certificate for additional details.

Are you ready To Enroll?

Enroll online now.
Note: When you enroll, you are enrolling for the full plan year and must remain in the plan until the next annual enrollment period. You may only cancel your legal plan during annual enrollment or with a qualifying life event. To cancel, please call MetLife Legal Plans at (800) 821-6400.

Do You Need Help?

Contact MetLife Legal Plans

M-F 5a-5p PT

Phone Number: (800) 821-6400
  • Legal Disclaimers

    1Does not cover DUI.

     

    2The Participant will be reimbursed according to the set fee schedule, the lesser of the maximum reimbursement amount or the attorney’s actual charge. Your employees will be responsible to pay the difference, if any, between the plan’s payment and the non-plan attorney’s charge for services. MetLife Legal Plans is not responsible for legal work performed by out-of-network attorneys.

     

    3Unlimited coverage for non-excluded services with in-network attorneys. For out of network attorneys, there is a fee reimbursement schedule. Participants must pay the difference between the scheduled reimbursement amount and the out-of-network attorney’s actual charge for the services.

     

    MetLife Legal Plans | 1111 Superior Ave, Suite 800 | Cleveland, OH 44114

    L0723033343[exp0725][All States][DC,GU,MP,PR,VI] © 2024 MetLife Services and Solutions, LLC

     

    Group legal plans are administered by MetLife Legal Plans, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. In California, this entity operates under the name MetLife Legal Insurance Services. In certain states, group legal plans are provided through insurance coverage underwritten by Metropolitan General Insurance Company, Warwick, RI. Payroll deduction required for group legal plans. For costs and complete details of the coverage, call or write the company.