NCJ Number
86063
Date Published
1980
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This conference paper discusses the rationale underlying the concept of prepaid legal services and implementation in Canada.
Abstract
Prepaid legal service plans are a financing mechanism for obtaining legal services for individual consumers. They require the individual to pay in advance for legal services which may be needed in the future. The number of subscribers to any particular plan will be reflected in the level of premium cost, as the plan will spread the expense involved over members of the group. Prepaid legal service plans are only one of many proposals designed to alter the present structure of legal services delivery. The present service delivery system excludes the majority of Canadians from gaining easy access to the legal profession. The fee-for-service models cover both ends of the economic spectrum but excludes the middle class. The primary feature of prepaid legal services is the advancement of access to justice. There are a number of problems concerning implementation of prepaid legal service plans in Canada. These include actuarial calculation of risk, scope of benefits, means for determining eligibility, and potential ethical conflicts regarding solicitation and advertising. Nevertheless, the continued development of prepaid legal service plans in Canada seems inevitable, No references are cited.