UAW-FCA-Ford-General Motors Legal Services Plan covering Wills in NJ

UAW-FCA-Ford-General Motors Legal Services Plan

         Kenneth Vercammen in Edison, NJ provides Wills and Estate Planning documents to eligible UAW members, including most retired members of Local 595 - [GM Linden closed]
Local 980 - [Ford Edison closed] 

       A new Legal Services Plan opened on January 25, 2017 for eligible FCA, Ford, and General Motors members. It is called UAW-FCA-Ford-General Motors Legal Services Plan. An eligible member can open a new case by calling 1-800-482-7700. 

           Under this new Plan, an eligible UAW member can receive "office work" legal services for a variety of legal matters including Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills

       In addition low cost referrals will be provided on some other types of cases such as   probate, guardianship and litigation matters.  

       Kenneth Vercammen's Law Office in Edison, NJ is one of the attorneys that prepare Wills, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills. The law office also provides assistance with Probate & Estate Administration.

	Here are some matters that may be covered by your new legal services plan:   1. Will and Estates. Everyone needs to plan their estate. That means a will, which directs how assets will be distributed after death. Some people can also benefit from a living trust, though there is work involved in using it correctly. And most people are better off giving instructions on how they want to be taken care of if incapacitated, and at the end of life, through a living will or power of attorney.    2. Power of Attorneys and Deeds. An attorney can review your current documents, discuss if new ones are needed and prepare new ones if necessary.
	Statement from the Director   “Wealthy people have lawyers. Government funds help poor people to get legal assistance. Working families have often been unable to afford assistance with everyday legal issues and problems.    “For 32 years, UAW Legal Services Plan has pioneered one answer to providing legal help to working families. Through its offices and its panels of private attorneys, the Legal Services Plan has provided legal assistance and representation for a variety of basic legal problems, from buying a home to drafting a will to probating the estate of a parent to addressing debt and foreclosure. With efficient practices, the Plan kept costs down, generally costing approximately $6 per month for each member – much less than the cost of just about any other type of benefit.    “Although the Plan did not and cannot possibly cover all types of legal problems, (Court representation for divorces, for example, has never been covered by UAW Legal Services Plan) it did cover many of the types of matters that concerned working people – providing members with access to the legal justice system and legal help which they would not otherwise have had.   “The Plan is proud of our record of providing high-quality legal services to UAW workers at a low cost. We served Union members and their families on almost 5 million matters through the years. We saved countless homes and helped members with other types of personal matters. We hope that our model will inspire future efforts to bring affordable legal services, and therefore real access to justice, to working families.”   Dolores M. Galea Director Why a Legal Services Plan    The purpose of a prepaid legal services plan is to give working and middle income people access to the legal justice system. Wealthy people and corporations can afford legal advice and representation. Many poor people can find legal help at a legal aid office. Working and middle income Americans have the greatest trouble affording and even locating help for their everyday legal needs. The UAW Legal Services Plan and other prepaid legal services (there are hundreds throughout the country) are based on one idea – a well-run legal services plan can provide basic legal assistance, that would otherwise be unaffordable, in a very cost-effective manner. source: http://www.uawlsp.com The new Legal Services Plan, UAW-FCA-Ford-General Motors Legal Services Plan, is a Taft Hartley Plan created for the purpose of providing office legal work and referral services to certain UAW members. It opened on January 25, 2017. Source: http://www.uawlsp.com/theplan.asp
	What If You Don’t Live Or Work Near A Plan Staff Office?
	If you do not live or work near a Detroit Plan staff office, you may call the National office on a toll free number. If your legal matter involves a question that may be resolved by a Plan staff office, they may refer you to a Plan staff office in your state. Otherwise, they will refer you to a cooperating attorney (a private attorney who has signed a contract with the Plan agreeing to represent Plan participants for certain fees). The Plan will pay the cooperating attorney for all services that would have been fully covered or covered for the office work benefit in a Plan staff office.
	The phone numbers are:
In Michigan:		1 800 572-1383
Outside Michigan:		1 800 521-7940
		1 800 521-2979

Source http://www.uawlsp.com/locations.asp

Who is eligible for Plan benefits?

Eligible participants include: Retirees: Individuals who were hourly workers represented by the Union and who worked for one of the listed companies and retired with a UAW-Company Pension plan. Persons receiving deferred pension plans are not eligible.   Surviving spouses: Spouses receiving surviving spouse benefits under the Pension of Insurance Plans.

What benefits are offered to Plan Participants?

The benefits are different under the old and new Plans.   Under the new Plan, "office work" legal services are provided for a variety of legal matters such as Wills, Powers of Attorneys, Name changes, Real estate purchases or sales for residential real estate matters, uncontested family matters, credit reporting and questions regarding consumer contacts.   If a matter is not excluded and if it is not entitled to an Office Work benefit, then usually a low cost referral to a private attorney can be provided to the eligible member.

Source: http://www.uawlsp.com/theplan.asp

UAW-FCA-FORD-GENERAL MOTORS 

LEGAL SERVICES PLAN BENEFITS 

Who - available to eligible FCA, Ford and General Motors workers and retirees, who are or were represented by the UAW; and some surviving spouses. 

What - legal services including advice, document preparation and contact with other parties (but not litigation) for wills, powers of attorney and certain other matters.

And - low cost referrals to private attorneys for other types of non-business related legal matters such as litigation matters, bankruptcies, probate, guardianship, contested family matters and more. 

HOW? Contact the Legal Services Plan 1-800-482-7700 

Eligibility will be verified Coverage will be explained The Plan emphasizes communication by phone and email 

This benefit was negotiated for eligible UAW members in the 2015 UAW- FCA, UAW-Ford, and UAW-GM contracts