SoCalCreations  >>  PrePaid Legal  >>  CompanyNews
 
Updated: October 23, 2008
Email

Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. - Economic Slump - Not For Some
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Logo

Print Print page Email Email page PDF Download PDF
<- Previous Release | Next Release ->



Economic Slump - Not For Some

In These Tough Economic Times, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Independent Sales Associates Experience Continued Success

ADA, OK, October 23, 2008 - Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (NYSE:PPD). While many businesses are shutting down or laying off employees, Pre-Paid Legal is still, not only a rock solid company, but succeeding with a sales force of over 400,000 Independent Associates across North America.

Chief Financial Officer of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc, Steve Williamson had this to say about this year's growth: "In tough economic times we see increased interest in people wanting to market our Legal Services Plans as Independent Sales Associates. This increased interest will lead to our 16th consecutive year of growing our Membership revenues."

One Independent Associate, Beth Taylor started her Pre-Paid Legal business 12 years ago. Taylor, a single parent, has a theory as to why people are signing up with Pre-Paid Legal: "People are losing their jobs today, airlines are going bankrupt, and they're laying off the mortgage industry. People are really in need of finding something they can sink their teeth into. And that's what I love about this business. I get up every day knowing that I make the difference. If I'm going to work, I'm going to make a difference in the lives of other people. So it's very rewarding and fulfilling," said Taylor.

The company, publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, develops, services, and sells Pre-Paid Legal Plans to its members across the United States and four provinces of Canada. Plan benefits include: unlimited attorney consultation, letters and phones calls made by the attorney on a client's behalf, document/contract review, assistance with traffic violations, and defense services for automobile-related criminal charges or general trial defense. An Independent Associate can market Pre-Paid Legal Plans from home to individuals, families, small businesses, or groups such as schools and local businesses.

Pre-Paid Legal also offers an Identity Theft Shield plan that can be purchased as a standalone product or in addition to a legal plan membership for a discounted rate. This valuable service provides each member with a credit report, continuous credit monitoring, and identity theft restoration services. "You can't stop your identity from being stolen, but what you can do is have a very proactive professional company that will go to bat for you and restore it if you should become a victim. We have that product," said Mark Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Pre-Paid Legal. "And then you couple it with the fact there is no other company that I'm aware of anywhere in the world that has access 24/7 for their clients to great law firms. We do," said Brown.

Pre-Paid Legal Membership benefits can also be added as employee benefits, by employers. Independent Associate, Rob Vest, top group producer at Pre-Paid Legal, says the legal plans are a benefit employees can use right away, "This is a NOW benefit. That's the real key. The more economic problems that we are having out there, the worse the economy is, and the more legal problems that come up. If the employees are having those problems, that affects the employer." Vest believes people want to spend their money on something they can get value from immediately, "So we are in the perfect place right now in the market, and we have a perfect solution to the problem."

The membership plans are serviced by a wide range of Provider Law firms spanning the entire Nation and into Canada. Provider law firms are paid a fixed fee on a per capita basis to render services to plan members residing within the state or province as provided by the contract. Melvin C. Hall, a practicing attorney for over 25 years, is a Provider Attorney for Pre-Paid Legal. His firm was one of the very first Provider Law Firms, selected by Pre-Paid legal when the company implemented the system in 1986. "The joy and satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of the members of Pre-Paid Legal Services is unsurpassed," said Hall. "The availability of Pre-Paid Legal has improved the justice system tremendously."

A valuable product that people need even in the tough times, marketed by dedicated Independent Associates like Beth Taylor and Rob Vest, are the keys to this company's success. As the going gets tough, Pre-Paid Legal has only taken extra steps with compensation plan enhancements, bonuses, training classes and promotions, to ensure each Independent Associate has all the tools needed for a successful and rewarding career.

Pre-Paid Legal also gives its Sales Associates the opportunity to access valuable benefits via the Pre-Paid Legal Benefits Association. Benefits include health and life insurance, as well as affinity programs like credit cards, long-distance, wireless services, vehicle purchasing services, safety trip plan, mortgage and real estate assistance and a travel club.

Pre-Paid Legal Associates can easily work from the comfort of home. They can monitor their commissions, the status of their memberships and their entire sales organization from their home computer as well as listen in on conference calls from the company's top executives via the internet. Pre-Paid Legal even offers an optional eService account to Associates, allowing them their own company-provided websites where any interested individuals can view information and sign up online to become a Member or an Independent Associate.

With Associate Recruiting on the rise, up 44.9% in their 3rd quarter from the previous quarter, Pre-Paid Legal is anticipating continued success through 2008 and beyond.

About Us - We believe our products are one of a kind, life events legal service plans. Our plans provide for legal service benefits provided through a network of independent law firms across the U.S. and Canada, and include unlimited attorney consultation, will preparation, traffic violation defense, automobile-related criminal charges defense, letter writing, document preparation and review and a general trial defense benefit. We have an identity theft restoration product we think is also one of a kind due to the combination of our identity theft restoration partner and our provider law firms. More information about us and our products can be found at our homepage at www.prepaidlegal.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, regarding our future plans and objectives and expected operating results, dividends and share repurchases and statements of the assumptions underlying such statements, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain assumptions that may not be correct. They are subject to risks and uncertainties incident to our business that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the reports and statements filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including (among others) those listed in our Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, and include the risks that our membership persistency or renewal rates may decline, that we may not be able to continue to grow our memberships and earnings, that we are dependent on the continued active participation of our principal executive officer, that pending or future litigation may have a material adverse effect on us if resolved unfavorably to us, that we could be adversely affected by regulatory developments, that competition could adversely affect us, that we are substantially dependent on our marketing force, that our stock price may be affected by short sellers, that we have been unable to increase our employee group membership sales and that our active premium in force is not indicative of future revenue as a result of changes in active memberships from cancellations and additional membership sales. Please refer to pages 14 and 15 of our 2007 Form 10-K and pages 7 and 8 of our June 30, 2008 Form 10-Q for a more complete description of these risks. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements in this release.

Company John Long
Contact: (580) 436-1234



View Comments (0)

 

 
PrePaid Legal Media Release image
 
Error: Connection Failed to RSS Feed.
 The Green Light
This past Saturday 40 metropolitan markets throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada held Advance Product Training (APT) events. Since the official launching of the APT in 2004, we have held Advanced Product Training on a quarterly basis to help...


 Foreclosures are No Guarantee that Headaches are Over
By Aleshia Altizer For those on the cusp of foreclosure, it's important to understand the details of the situation fully because troubles may not end after a foreclosure. According to a CNN Money article, if there's a difference between what's...


 Pre-Paid Legal Founder Honored as "Most Admired CEO"
Pre-Paid Legal Founder and CEO Harland C. Stonecipher was named one of Oklahoma's top business leaders in the inaugural "Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs" program organized by an Oklahoma City-based business newspaper. Stonecipher was awarded the top honor in the category...


 What Only Happens Four Times a Year?
By Stacy Whelchel It's the quarterly Advanced Product Trainings, with the first event of the year coming up this week. On Saturday, Feb. 20, top Pre-Paid Legal Associates across the United States and Canada will headline APT meetings where they...


 The Green Light
"Character is what you do when no one is looking," said Robert Coles, the renowned child psychologist and author. It's a great guiding principle. But character is also reflected in what we do when people "are looking" and when they...


 
 
SoCalCreations PrePaid Legal Services
 
Cookie set for UniBlue purchase if they found it through our site.