Our Relationship with Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc.

As legal costs have skyrocketed over the last thirty years, it has become harder and harder for middle class Americans to access the legal system for themselves and their loved ones. The best lawyers have been increasingly drawn to those clients who can pay "top dollar" such as the wealthy, corporations, insurance companies, and the medical profession. Few middle class Americans can afford or justify the $150-$250 per hour that most lawyers charge for their time. Hence, the middle class is forced to forego legal services and advice they need, often times desperately.

Much as was the case with medical costs before the advent of medical insurance and health maintenance organizations, lawyers are serving fewer clients, yet charging higher and higher fees. As has been said, "It’s not a case of too many lawyers; it’s a case of too many lawyers serving too few clients."

The good news is that over the last two decades, a new industry has spring up that uses techniques similar to those used by medical health maintenance organizations to control rising legal costs. The clear leader in this field is the Oklahoma-based company Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc ("PPLSI").

PPLSI is a 30 year old company that has pioneered the general concept of legal service plans for the middle class. Traded on the New York Stock Exchange and having won numerous business achievement awards, PPLSI, led by its founder and CEO, Harland Stonecipher, has been and continues to be the pace-setter for this industry. PPLSI has a proven record of success and a long history of unsurpassed customer service. With well over a million members in 48 states and 3 provinces of Canada, it is riding the cutting edge of this industry with ease.

For these, among other reasons, MFWWC is proud and pleased to be the Provider Attorney for PPLSI in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. As such, we are given the opportunity to represent the legal interests of the almost 120,000 families and over 4,000 corporations that are members of PPLSI in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Working with PPLSI, we at MFWWC attempt to achieve and maintain an unparalleled commitment to customer service, satisfaction and results.

Specifics about our Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Program

As the Provider Firm for the States of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, we are linked via computer to the PPLSI Home Office in Ada, Oklahoma, MFWWC maintains a computer software system that keeps track of all of our contacts with our PPLSI members so that we know in a moment our entire history with each member. We are able to retrieve any legal matter from the system instantaneously. This information assists us in providing the timely and efficient legal services needed for our members.

As the PPLSI Provider Firm for North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, MFWWC is required to meet certain standards set by the Home Office, PPLSI has set the following performance guidelines that must be met by our firm in dealing with PPLSI members. (All times run from the member’s call to our firm):

We at MFWWC are pleased not only to meet, but to exceed, these customer service goals. If we do not meet the PPLSI customer service standards, we ask that you call the PPLSI Customer Service number line at 1-800-654-7757 and report our failure directly to PPLSI.

The PPLSI plan stresses preventative legal services including contract and document review, consultation by telephone, preparation of Wills, and support and assistance to members before legal problems arise all at no additional cost. MFWWC is proud to provide these services to our PPLSI clients. We also represent members in professional malpractice, products liability litigation, personal injury litigation, contractual disputes, family law matters, criminal defense, IRS audits, business matters, business disputes and other matters.

One of the most beneficial services MFWWC offers under the PPLSI family membership is Will preparation. Under the PPLSI membership, the named member can receive a Will at no additional charge. We will prepare a Will for your spouse for $20.00. We will waive the $20.00 fee if we receive your spouse’s completed questionnaire within 90 days of your joining PPLSI. This Will is an important benefit for you and your family and we encourage you to take advantage of it immediately by completing your Will questionnaire and forwarding it to us quickly. We will return your Will to you within two weeks of receipt of your completed questionnaire.

MFWCC is committed to meeting or exceeding the high customer service standards PPLSI sets for its Provider Firms. Our goal is to provide exceptional legal services at affordable rates to our clients. When you become a member of PPLSI and subsequently a client of MFWWC, you can rest assured that you will receive quality legal services. Not only will you have qualified and knowledgeable attorneys on your side, but you will also find our attorneys are engaged and caring no matter the size of your legal matter. We could not be happier or prouder to be the Provider Attorney for PPLSI in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

For more information about Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc., see http://www.prepaidlegal.com

For more information about prepaid legal services in general, see the following:

Group & Prepaid Legal Services Standing Committee of American Bar Association http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/prepaid/home.html

American Prepaid Legal Services Institute http://www.aplsi.org

For additional information from our firm about Pre-Paid Legal Services please contact Joy Webb at (919)688-7393 or jwebb@carotennlaw.com.