48 percent of Americans say they’ve experienced a legal issue in the last two years, according to a report by the World Justice Project. If you’ve ever had a legal issue, big or small, you probably know it can be stressful. Between wondering about the outcome, being unfamiliar with the law and wondering how you’re going to pay a lawyer, legal stress can be huge!
April is stress awareness month, and it’s important to realize the impact that legal events can have on your life – not just mental stress, but other outcomes that can cause further stress. Legal stress doesn’t have to be inevitable, though. A legal plan like Texas Legal can help you navigate legal problems with ease, or at least with the peace of mind that you’ve got a good attorney and you can afford to pay for it.
What Impact Can a Legal Problem Have On Your Life?
On average, a legal problem took most folks 5.88 months to resolve, meaning they spent over half a year focused on a legal issue with potentially serious consequences.
Half of people reported that having a legal problem wasn’t just stressful – it brought further hardship into their life. Here’s what people said happened as a result of their legal issue:
-
- Stress-Related Illness: 30 percent
- Relationship Breakdown: 21 percent
- Lost or relocated employment: 28 percent
- Problems with alcohol or drugs: 11 percent
In addition, 13 percent of people who had a legal problem reported that one party resorted to physical violence during the matter.
Can People Access and Pay for an Attorney When They Need One?
When folks have a legal issue, its important that they have access to an attorney or other legal services that can help them know their rights and responsibilities and navigate the legal process. But only 23 percent of those surveyed said they used a third party or authority, like an attorney, to help them with their legal matter.
The costs to hire an attorney can be staggering. Ninepercent of folks said it was difficult or impossible to pay the costs required to resolve their legal problem.
Although legal aid services exist in most places, they typically only serve the very poorest members of the community, those under the poverty line. For folks above the poverty line, the average lawyer’s $250 an hour charge can be a really difficult burden to pay. So they have to choose between struggling to pay an attorney for the help they need, or going it alone, either of which can be intensely stressful.
Legal Insurance: Affordable Access, Less Stress
While rich folks can afford to keep an attorney on retainer, most people wouldn’t be able to pay the high cost, nor would they want to. When a legal problem arises every once and awhile, they want to be able to access a high-quality attorney, but they don’t need someone all the time. That’s where legal insurance can help.
Texas Legal was created by the Texas Legislature to help middle-class Texans access legal services without a high cost. By paying a low monthly-premium, like $10 to $30 a month, folks can have access to a board-certified attorney in their area when they need it. No need to weigh the stress of a lawyer’s fees vs. the stress of going it alone. You can get the expert help you deserve at a cost you can afford.
There’s no reason that any Texan should go into debt, lose a job, become ill or lose a relationship over a legal issue. Texas Legal can remove the stress from your legal life and help you focus on what matters – you, your family, your friends and your life – minus damaging and unnecessary stress.