Will Preparation

2024 Plan Information

Will Preparation

Everyone should have a will, no matter your assets. If you don’t have a will when you die, your assets and estate will be distributed based on the laws of the state in which you reside. This generally means everything will go to your next of kin, spouse or children. But who gets what? And how much? Having a will allows you to decide who receives your assets and makes a difficult time a little less difficult for the ones you leave behind.

HOW IT WORKS
As an employee of the Firm, you have two will-preparation options available to you. Both require election during annual enrollment, typically held each fall*

* Note: You may enroll in the and during annual enrollment, within 31 days of hire or benefits eligibility, or if you have a qualifying life event (such as marriage or birth of a child).

The Legal Assistance Plan, administered by MetLife Legal Plans, provides eligible employees with affordable legal assistance and easy access to an experienced network of local attorneys.

The Plan covers attorneys’ fees for a wide range of personal legal matters, including consumer protection and court appearances, debt matters, defense of civil lawsuits, document preparation, immigration, family law, real estate matters, traffic matters, wills and estate planning. For a complete list of covered services, see below.*

Employees may cover themselves and their dependents – as well as their parents and parents-in-law.

How It Works

Generally, attorneys’ fees for eligible services are covered at 100% in-network. Out-of-network attorneys’ fees are reimbursed based on the Out-of-Network Fee Reimbursement Schedule.

There are two plan options, which are detailed below:

Option A: Extended Family

Option A covers you, your spouse or domestic partner, and eligible children, who may use all of the services listed below. Additionally, Option A covers your parents and your spouse’s or domestic partner’s parents, who may use only the services listed below in bold and italics. You may cover up to four sets of parents under this plan.

Option B: Family

Option B covers you, your spouse or domestic partner, and eligible children – and includes all of the services listed below.

What the Plan Covers

If you enroll in Option A or B, all of the services below are available to you, your spouse and eligible dependents. If you enroll in Option A, the services that are bold and italicized are available to your parents and parents-in-law. For additional details, see this document.

WILLS & ESTATE PLANNING

  • Simple & Complex Wills

  • Revocable & Irrevocable Trusts

  • Identity Management

  • Powers of Attorney (Healthcare, Financial, Childcare, Immigration)

  • Healthcare Proxies

  • Living Wills

  • Codicils

MONEY MATTERS

  • Negotiations with Creditors

  • Financial Education Workshops

  • Tax Audit Representation

  • Identity Theft Defense

  • Promissory Notes

  • Debt Collection Defense

  • Tax Collection Defense

HOME & REAL ESTATE

  • Foreclosures

  • Tenant Negotiations

  • Boundary & Title Disputes

  • Deeds

  • Mortgages

  • Sales or Purchases of Primary and Vacation Home

  • Eviction Defense

  • Property Tax Assessments

  • Refinancing & Home Equity Loan of Primary and Vacation Home

  • Security Deposit Assistance

  • Zoning Applications

FAMILY & PERSONAL

  • Adoptions

  • Guardianships

  • Conservatorships

  • Prenuptial Agreements *Only available to the employee

  • Divorce

  • Name Changes

  • Review of Any Personal Legal Document

  • Juvenile Court Defense Including Criminal Matters

  • Parental Responsibility Matters

  • School Hearings

  • Demand Letters

  • Personal Property Issues

  • Affidavits

  • Personal Bankruptcy

  • Garnishment Defense

  • Protection from Domestic Violence

  • Review of Immigration Documents

  • Reproductive Law Assistance

ADOPTION AND LEGITIMIZATIONThis service covers all legal services and court work in a state or federal court for a contested or uncontested adoption by the plan member and spouse. Legitimization of a child for the plan member and spouse, including reformation of a birth certificate, is also covered.
CIVIL LAWSUITS

  • Civil Litigation Defense

  • Disputes Over Consumer Goods & Services

  • Small Claims Assistance

  • Administrative Hearings

  • Incompetency Defense

  • Pet Liabilities

ELDER-CARE ISSUESConsultation & Document Review for issues related to your parents:

  • Medicare

  • Medicaid

  • Prescription Plans

  • Nursing Home Agreements

  • Leases

  • Notes

  • Deeds

  • Wills

  • Powers of Attorney

VEHICLE & DRIVING

  • Repossession

  • Defense of Traffic Tickets

  • Driving Privilege Restoration

  • License Suspension Due to DUI

OTHERMaximum of 4 hours of in-network attorneys services that are not covered under the plans such as:

  • Custody establishment

  • DUI

  • Habeas corpus

  • Plaintiff property damage

  • Support order modification

*A Note about Legal Services.

No services, not even a consultation, are provided for the following matters: Employment-related matters (including company or statutory benefits) for you or your eligible dependents; matters involving Morgan Stanley or its affiliates; matters involving network attorneys; matters in which there is a conflict of interest between the employee and his/her spouse, domestic partner or dependents (in such case, services are only provided to the participating employee); appeals and class actions; farm and business matters (including rental issues where you are the landlord); patent, trademark and copyright matters; costs or fines; frivolous or unethical matters (as determined by MetLife Legal Plans); and matters for which an attorney-client relationship exists before the employee became eligible for Plan benefits.

Legal Assistance Plan Semi-Monthly Employee Contributions

You pay the full cost of coverage under the Legal Assistance Plan, and your contributions are deducted from your pay on an after-tax basis.

Option A (Extended Family): $12.00 per pay period

Option B (Family): $6.00 per pay period

Employee Supplemental Life Insurance – Will Preparation

If you enroll in Employee Supplemental Life Insurance coverage for yourself, you are entitled to receive will preparation services from a MetLife affiliate at no additional cost to you. The service covers preparation of wills and codicils for you and your spouse or domestic partner, in addition to the creation of any testamentary trust. Tax planning and other services are excluded.