Legal Insurance: The Difference Between a Paid Meal and a Free One

About a year ago, I was accidentally introduced to the idea of legal insurance. I was with a good friend who had been guilt-tripped into inviting his newly unemployed friend and her host to come to his house and pitch something called legal insurance. With nothing else going on that Saturday, I decided to stick around and enlighten myself.
When they arrived, my friend and I were bombarded with a number of videos discussing the immense benefits of having legal insurance and the dire repercussions of not. Through watching the videos, I came to understand that legal insurance was at its most basic, a way to protect oneself. With 24 hour over the phone legal advice, you were never far from help. Not only did you get free legal advice, but you were also privy to being able to have professional letters written by an actual lawyer at your beck and call. Some other perks included legal assistance on drawing up a will, purchasing a home, or dealing with credit issues. One pre-paid legal insurance company said it best: "Did you know that for less than a dollar a day, you can have access to services previously reserved for the wealthy?"

Who wouldn't want that, right? After all, most of America would love to live like the wealthy. Besides, less than a dollar a day is like nothing. Or is it, you think as she passes you the form to fill out. In theory, it sounded like a great idea, but now that you have realized that in order to get this fantastic service you must commit, legal insurance quickly loses its appeal. You begin to ask yourself whether or not you really need this service. Perhaps you already have a will or are a happy homeowner. Maybe you are like so many of us that just don't see the value of preventive measures. Instead of considering the thousands of dollars that legal insurance might save you, you cannot get that monthly fee out of your head.