At one time or another you may encounter a situation that leads to a legal headache. It could be a dispute with a home contractor over a substandard remodeling job or fighting a traffic violation that you feel is unfair. Such legal issues add a lot of stress to busy lives, often without adding the financial burden of paying the expensive attorney fees that go into solving them.
Three out of four Americans have experienced at least one legal incident. every year.1 But 76% of consumers have no plan on how to pay for attorney fees when legal issues arise.2 This can cause a lot of financial stress.
How much does a lawyer cost?
One of the first concerns many people have when faced with a legal situation is the cost of an attorney. Not surprisingly, rates can vary greatly depending on where you live, what legal expertise you need, and the complexity of the case.
Generally, settling a legal case adds costs, especially when you consider taking time off work to attend legal proceedings or paying attorney fees, which currently average $368 an hour.3 And for matters such as buying or selling a house, the average representation time is six hours4 These fees add up quickly. In addition, the mental toll is also high, as people who struggle with money are three times more anxious than others.5
Because prices can vary, it’s important to ask any attorneys you see about their fees. Find out what you charge per hour and what things you charge for – like phone calls, emails, etc.
What are the common legal issues people face?
No matter where you are in life, whether you’re landing that first new job, starting a family, moving into a new home, or approaching retirement, there are likely to be legal fees you’ll face — and issues you didn’t plan for, including:
A legal plan can provide an affordable option.
Legal insurance plan from ARAG® It provides an affordable, reliable way to solve legal problems and issues. First, with a network of over 15,000 attorneys nationwide, you won’t waste time finding an attorney on your own. You can go online, use the ARAG Legal app or call ARAG Customer Care to find local network lawyers.
Second, the plan helps you avoid the financial burden of paying expensive attorney fees, because network attorney fees are 100 percent full for most covered legal cases. The plan provides you with a place to ask and an attorney when you need to resolve a legal issue, seek legal representation, or have questions about the legal implications of the issue.