For a long time, regular access to legal counsel has been limited to large companies with deep pockets who could afford to have a lawyer on retainer. On the other side, some smaller companies may have been eligible for exemptions or subsidies to attain counsel. 

However, for the most part, small and medium-sized companies have had to choose between expensive lawyer fees or navigating legal issues on their own. Or at least, that’s how it used to be. 

In recent years, with the advent of legal plans, the landscape of legal access is shifting. Legal plans offer an affordable alternative to the classic pay-by-the-hour or flat fee lawyer, expanding access to businesses of all sizes. 

What is a legal plan? 

Legal plans are typically subscription services that offer a number of built-in legal services for a single monthly or annual fee. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for just a consultation, subscribers can get a month’s worth of services like doc reviews and attorney letters for the same price.

Some more old-school lawyers may wring their hands at the low cost of these plans. But for lawyers, legal plans offer a way to connect directly with potential clients who need legal help now. 

Legal plans flip traditional marketing on its head. Instead of spending money on expensive advertising and marketing companies, lawyers can provide cursory services to build a book of business for future customers. 

Expanding access to legal services

Legal plans expand access to businesses that would not have otherwise been able to afford a lawyer — and they do more than just reduce legal fees. 

For many folks who have never needed legal help, finding a lawyer when they need one can be a time-consuming process. How do they know they’re hiring the right lawyer? This can be an expensive process as well. Spending money on consultations and phone calls only to find out the lawyer isn’t the right fit can be frustrating to say the least. 

Legal plans cut out the middleman, connecting people directly to a lawyer while saving time and money. It’s a win for the lawyers too. By providing some cursory services–think of it like a free consultation on steroids–lawyers can connect with customers they otherwise would not have reached. 

In this way, lawyers and clients build trust and a working relationship for future success. When the client needs to hire a lawyer for litigation or to handle larger issues down the line, they will be incentivized to go with the lawyer they’re comfortable working with. 

The first legal plan designed for the construction industry

In the construction industry, navigating legal issues on your own is particularly trepidatious. Construction jobs often have large sums of money moving through them and involve multiple parties. These and other factors make construction jobs particularly vulnerable to legal issues.

One knock against legal plans is that for individuals who need specialized legal help, a plan does not always pair them with the right lawyer. For instance, someone looking for help executing a lien won’t want to take guidance from a divorce lawyer. 

That’s why Levelset created Legal Guard — the first legal plan designed specifically for the construction industry. Legal Guard connects contractors, suppliers and other construction professionals with constrution lawyers in their area. 

We imagine a future where anyone in the construction industry who needs legal counsel can get it. If legal plans were the evolution of the legal industry, then specialized plans are the logical next step. 

Interested in becoming a Legal Guard lawyer and getting connected with construction professionals in your area that need a lawyer now? Click here for more info!