Ken Vercammen is a new member of the AARP Legal Services Network

Ken Vercammen is a new member of the AARP Legal Services Network

The AARP Legal Services Network was established by the AARP in response to membership needs. The AARP recognized that many people over the age of 50 have legal matters that require the services of an attorney. They also recognized that many of these problems could be solved in a single consultation with counsel. As a result, one of the benefits of the Network is that members of the AARP are automatically entitled to a consultation with an AARP Legal Services Network provider, at no cost to the member. Legal matters are certainly not limited to elder law issues, estate planning or similar matters, but include a wide variety of additional legal issues, such as general business matters, personal injury, bankruptcy and a host of others. Source: http://www.kramerlaw.biz/aarp.html

      With particular regard to Probate and Estate Administration, AARP members, through the Legal Services Network, are entitled not only to a free consultation with a participating attorney, but also to a 20% fee reduction on legal matters undertaken by the participating attorney. These matters include estate planning, probate and all other legal areas where service is provided to an AARP member by a participating attorney.

Everyone should have a Will, Power of Attorney, Living Will.

Recommendations for AARP members. Contact the AARP attorney directly to schedule an appointment by telephone or e-mail to schedule an appointment. For Probate and Wills in Central NJ, call Kenneth Vercammen’s Law Office in Edison 732-572-0500. Outside this area call AARP at 1-800-424-3410 or go to website https://www.aarplsn.com/lsn/search.do

•     When you call to make your appointment with an AARP Listed Attorney, notify them that you found them through the Legal Services Network. If you are an AARP member, provide them your AARP membership number to ensure you are offered AARP member benefits.

•     Work directly with the AARP  Attorney regarding your legal matter. All legal services are handled through the attorney, so attorney fees are paid directly to your attorney. There are no claim forms to fill out.

•     Take advantage of the free consultation on Probate and Estate Administration and determine next steps with your attorney.        Come prepared and on time to your appointment and bring your AARP membership card.

•     We will for a written fee agreement if you intend to retain him/her.

      Chances are, you've been in a situation where you could benefit from legal assistance.  Have you ever been in an accident? Has a motor vehicle or criminal complaint been filed against you or a member of your family? Many individuals face these and other types of problems.  Yet finding an who understands the needs of seniors is difficult.  That's why the AARP offers you valuable free and discounted legal services, without any fee or enrollment cost.

      This means you can prevent legal problems before they occur. Most important, you can have peace of mind.

       Understanding the 20% Discount Benefit. There are many factors surrounding fees for attorneys’ services. They are: time and effort, geographic location, outcome, advice, difficulty of a case, experience, Prominence of the lawyer, preferred client discount and overhead. Understanding all of these factors, understanding the billing process and having a basic knowledge as to how attorneys charge for their services may help you prior to hiring a Legal Services Network attorney to handle a legal matter on your behalf. Standard payment arrangements may include the following: hourly rates, flat rates and retainers. Here are some examples of how the 20% discount would apply.

There are typically 2 ways the 20% discount could be applied based on your particular legal situation. They are: (1) on an hourly rate basis and (2) a flat rate fee basis. Additionally, an attorney may ask for a retainer fee prior to handling your legal matter.

Hourly Rate:     This is the most common arrangement in Probate cases and Estate Administration. In this instance, the attorney gets paid based upon their hourly rate for the hours they work on your case until the legal matter is concluded. For Example:     If an attorney charges $350 per hour, 20% off would equal an hourly rate of $275 per hour you would owe the attorney for the total number of hours worked on the matter plus any out of pocket expenses such as postage, filing fees, photocopies, etc. 

      Flat Rate Fee:   This is an arrangement where an attorney charges you a set fee for the service being provided based on a normal number of hours the attorney expects to work on the matter. Such types of services could be, but are not limited to, standard lease agreements, Power of Attorney, Simple Will,  Living Will For Example: If an attorney charges a flat fee of $500 for a Will, AARP members receive a  20%

      Retainer Fee:  In most cases, the attorney will require the Retainer fee. A retainer fee is usually a pre-payment made at the beginning of legal representation based on an estimate of how much time a matter is going to take. The amount of the retainer should take into account the 20% discount on the hourly rate charged. If the matter costs more than the amount of the retainer, you will be responsible for the additional payments.          .

      If the matter costs less than the amount of the retainer you will receive money back. In some instances, a retainer may take on the form of a flat fee to represent a client on a specific matter, regardless of how much time or effort is involved in the representation. In many instances, this arrangement is typical in cases such as criminal matters.

      Hopefully, this information has provided some insight into the operating standards of a law office that participates in our Legal Services Network.