Legal Service Plan
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What It Is Eligibility Features Payment Options To Apply / Brochure Contact Educational Info |
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What It IsThis plan offers access to legal assistance for personal legal matters. The Legal Service Plan is provided by Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. and is administered by NYSUT Member Benefits Trust. The law firm of Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. has been the service provider for the Legal Service Plan since 1980 and acts as the Legal Plan’s National Legal Office. Their firm has grown from 5 attorneys to more than 40 attorneys during these past 25-plus years, and the network of participating referral attorneys now exceeds 500 firms in New York state and several hundred firms in other jurisdictions across America. The law firm of Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. has been honored by the largest, oldest and most prestigious law firm rating company, Martindale-Hubbell, which has awarded them the highest possible rating of "A-V". Several major newspapers and television news shows have featured exclusive stories on the firm and its unique delivery of cost-effective legal service plans. The Legal Service Plan provided through Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. is a NYSUT Member Benefits Trust (Member Benefits)-endorsed program. Member Benefits has an expense reimbursement/endorsement arrangement of 33.33% of annual participation fees received for this program. All such payments to Member Benefits are used solely to defray the costs of administering its various programs and, where appropriate, to enhance them. Member Benefits acts as your advocate; please contact Member Benefits at (800) 626-8101 if you experience a problem with any endorsed program. Agency fee payers to NYSUT are eligible to participate in NYSUT Member Benefits Trust-endorsed programs.
EligibilityNYSUT members, including retirees, and agency fee payers may enroll. The plan covers the member, spouse or domestic partner who is living with the member (except in divorce/separation matters), unmarried dependent children under age 19 (or under age 25 if they are wholly dependent on the member and are enrolled as full-time students), and dependent parents. Retirees of UFT already receive coverage through the UFT Welfare Fund Retiree Legal Plan with Elder Law Supplement.
FeaturesFor an annual fee of $85 for in-service members and $55 for retiree members, you receive unlimited access to toll-free legal advice weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as well as a toll-free Hotline for urgent legal assistance outside of these hours. As part of the plan, you have access to a number of other services at no additional charge:
If your problem can’t be resolved by letter or phone, you will be referred to a participating referral attorney in your geographic area. These attorneys are located throughout the continental U.S.and discount their hourly rates for Plan members to either $175 an hour or 40% less than their standard hourly rate, whichever is lower.
Payment OptionsPayment options for the plan's annual fee include check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, or payroll/pension deduction if available to you. If payroll or pension deduction of Member Benefits-endorsed programs is available to you and you elect to pay through this method, you save $5 off the plan's annual fee. In-service Members: Plan's annual fee is $85, reduced to $80 if payroll deduction is payment method used. Retiree Members: Plan's annual fee is $55, reduced to $50 if pension deduction is payment method used. Optional Elder Law Rider: $45. Optional Business Protection Rider: $60.
To Apply / BrochureFor your convenience, you may download the Legal Service Plan brochure, which is in a PDF format. You have the choice of enrolling online or downloading the enrollment form (print & go). You may apply online only if you are paying by credit card. If you are paying by check, payroll deduction or pension deduction, or if you're paying by credit card but don't want to apply online, please download the enrollment form below, which is a PDF file. If you will be using Payroll or Pension Deduction as your payment method, be sure to download the applicabale Authorization Form. If you do not have a PDF reader installed on your computer, you may download it for free.
For more information or to apply over the phone, call Member Benefits toll-free at (800) 626-8101, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or e-mail us at Member Benefits.
ContactFor more information, call Member Benefits toll-free at (800) 626-8101, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or e-mail us at Member Benefits. The Legal Service Plan is provided by Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. and is administered by NYSUT Member Benefits Trust.
Educational InfoThe Legal Services Consumer’s Guide can be downloaded below (in pdf format), is available to all members and agency fee payers, and provides clear, objective information. This guide answers such questions as “Do I really need it?” “What exactly is it?” and more. |