Retirement and old age are supposed to be a peaceful time of life, time to enjoy family, friends and things you love without the stress of work and career. But retirement and the later years often have their own forms of stress, especially legal troubles. During your golden years, a legal plan can save you a lot of money, time and strain.
Here are five ways a legal plan can help you or older Texans that you care for:
Estate Planning
If you haven’t done it already, it’s incredibly important to plan for your legal future with a will or a trust. Make sure you can decide where your assets go and protect your family from a lengthy and expensive probate process. The estate planning process also includes two more documents that are important in your later years – Power of Attorney and an Advanced Directive. Power of attorney gives you the ability to choose a person who can take control of your financial decisions if you were unable to make them for yourself. An Advanced Directive and Medical Power of Attorney allow you to choose a person to make your medical decisions, if you were incapacitated, and also to state your wishes regarding your health care, such as whether to use extreme life-saving measures and under what circumstances.
All these documents are included with a Texas Legal plan, meaning you don’t pay a dime extra for your entire estate planning with a qualified local attorney. Don’t risk these important documents with a DIY will kit or online software. In addition, Texas Legal allows you to update your estate planning documents every year, meaning as your life circumstances change, you can easily change your legal documents.
Consumer Protection
Unfortunately, many unscrupulous people out there target older Texans for bogus products or services. A legal plan ensures that if you’re the target of a scam or get ripped off, you have legal recourse. Sometimes, all it takes is a sharply worded letter from an attorney to take care of a situation, and with a legal plan, you have an attorney on your side whenever you need it. If you need to pursue your case further, the legal protection plans at Texas Legal will cover that too.
Identity Theft Protection and Monitoring
With the rise of the internet, more and more scams are going online. From the infamous Nigerian prince to more sophisticated identity theft scams, it’s easy to get taken advantage of, and the constant data breaches at large companies mean your information is at risk. That’s another area where a legal plan can help. Texas Legal members get free identity theft protection and monitoring from AllClearID. That means they’ll keep an eye out to make sure your identity isn’t stolen and be there to help you fix the situation if it happens to you.
Legal Issues with Grandchildren
Many more grandparents are finding themselves raising their grandchildren these days. If you need legal help getting custody of your grandchildren or becoming their guardian, Texas Legal’s family law benefits cover legal help with those matters from a qualified family law attorney.
Probate
Everyone wants to avoid probate or make it as simple as possible. A good attorney can make it easier, and Texas Legal’s legal protection plans cover probate issues. If you need to probate a will, it helps to know you have a qualified attorney on your side and that you don’t have to worry about how much it will cost.
Prenuptial Agreement
Getting remarried after 55 is a growing trend. If you’re considering getting remarried or could see another marriage in your future, a prenuptial agreement can be a good idea. Protect your assets and your children’s inheritance and make sure that your affairs are in order. A prenuptial agreement is free for Texas Legal members, so you can give yourself and your spouse peace of mind.
Financial Counseling
The golden years can have their own financial challenges. From managing your retirement accounts or debts, it can help to have someone knowledgeable about finances on your side. A Texas Legal membership includes financial counseling from our partner Transformance.
Social Security, Medicare and Disability Issues
If you’ve ever had an issue with a government entitlement program like Social Security or Medicare, you know how difficult it can be to navigate a government bureaucracy. Having a lawyer to help you handle these kinds of problems can make it much easier, less stressful and time-consuming. It’s helpful to know that if you ever did have a problem with one of these essential programs, you could have an expert on your side through Texas Legal.
Real Estate
If you’re buying or selling property, like a long-owned family home, a lawyer can be a helpful guide. From reviewing documents to drawing up contracts, a real estate attorney can give older Texans peace of mind as the navigate these complex and costly transactions. Legal matters surrounding residential real estate are covered for Texas Legal members.
Texas Legal is Available to Every Texan
Although many employees have Texas Legal as a voluntary workplace benefit, Texas Legal is also available to independent members who aren’t affiliated with a group employer or organization. Texas Legal can also be incredibly helpful for caregivers, as can purchase a Texas Legal plan for a family member who you care for. Read our member reviews to see how our members feel about being a part of Texas Legal, and learn more about our legal protection plans at TexasLegal.org.