TexasCHLforum.com

treeman wrote: Supposedly they will be there for ANY legal firearm related situation. Hopefully I don't need them.....but.

Treeman, I got the same verbal. I mean I got the same verbal via commissioned non-attorneys that get paid to sell policies. I've never seen an attorney write a contract that covers "ANY" without exceptions and exclusions. What does your contract actually say? If it says "ANY" or "ALL" then I'm being cautious for no reason.

I'm a member of a professional group that has a lobbying arm, a bit like the NRA. They offer a program that provides an attorney for incidents/accidents. I know exactly who the attorneys are, I know what cases they've litigated on behalf of the program, and I'm aware of "some" of the issues that are currently being litigated. I like that transparency and I'm willing to be part of that program. Someone tell me why [pre-paid legal] doesn't have that level of transparency.

jbarn wrote: How much attorney can you afford? Who will you call at zero dark thirty when you shoot the bad guy?
I already know, and mine is paid for.

Jbarn, respectfully:
1) You're an instructor. Do you allow [pre-paid legal] into your classes? If so - are you paid or incented in any way by [pre-paid legal]?
2) Who is your [pre-paid legal] provided attorney? As I understand it, there is some type of pool. I asked this question and at the time they couldn't tell me.

I have an attorney. I'll call him. Whatever I can afford, I'm sure there is an option that I couldn't afford. Attorneys don't do all situations. If he can't handle it, he'll find someone who can.

Again, I don't know that [pre-paid legal] is a bad thing. I don't know it's a good thing. I just like to ask lots of questions and have complete transparency before I depend on a business relationship like this. [pre-paid legal] does not provide that transparency or even transparency on what I consider fundamentals of their business. Maybe that will change.

I think about being on the other side of this - as the attorney: How much am I getting paid to defend these clients? Would I be making the best defense possible? Am I defending too many clients? Am I experienced in the particular type of defense or circumstance? Am I local to the court?

txglock21 wrote: They have never had to defend anyone because CHL holders don't get in trouble to need their services.

Have you heard their spiel? They argue just the opposite.

jbarn wrote: [pre-paid legal] membership would have afforded him no cost legal representation.

That's what they say. At least that's what their commissioned non-attorney sales people say.
What I want to see:
1) References to actual cases where they have defended clients. To date, they haven't provided this.
2) Actual "zero cost" clients who are willing to be references.

[pre-paid legal] cites "privacy" when indicating that they will not provide any case references. That's fine, but cases are matters of public record. And dispositions of those cases should be of great interest to anyone who considers this to a form of legal representation. Sorry, that doesn't pass the "smell" test for me. Neither does allowing them into my CHL class.

And sorry, the math doesn't work out for me. If I'm a defendant in a criminal trial, I want the best attorney I can afford. Assigning me an attorney that gets paid some % of several membership fees - is he or she really going to be motivated to work hard?

Just askin...