Eligibility for the Legal Services Plan
All benefits-eligible faculty, staff and retirees are eligible to enroll in the Legal Services Plan.
If you are enrolled in the plan at the time of your retirement, coverage continues during your retirement.
If you are entitled to receive legal representation provided by any other organization such as an insurance company or a government agency, or if you are entitled to legal services under any other legal plan, coverage will not be provided under the U-M Legal Services Plan. However, if you are eligible for legal aid or Public Defender services, you will still be eligible for benefits under this plan, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements.
How and When to Enroll
Enroll online through Self Service > Benefits on Wolverine Access. There are three times when you may enroll or make changes:
- When you are a new hire or newly eligible for benefits
- During the annual open enrollment period, usually in October with changes effective Jan. 1
- When you experience a qualified family status change
If you need legal assistance with a family will and estate planning or services where both you and your spouse or other qualified adult are required to sign legal documents, such as in real estate matters, you must enroll at the level of "you + adult” in order for these services to be fully paid by the plan.
Aura
Credit monitoring and identity theft services that are included with your enrollment in the U-M Legal Services Plan are provided through Aura. When you enroll in the Legal Service Plan, you will receive a welcome email from Aura with the subject line, "Your identity theft coverage through MetLife Legal Plans has been upgraded". You may need to search your email program's Spam or Junk folder to locate this email.
When Coverage Begins
Generally, coverage becomes effective on the date following:
- on your service date (your first day at work) or the date you become newly eligible for the plan
- on January 1, if you enroll during the previous Open Enrollment period.
During the annual Open Enrollment period, you can change or update your benefits elections. Once enrolled, the Legal Services Plan has a minimum participation period of one calendar year.
If your enrollment takes place outside the annual Open Enrollment period due to your becoming newly eligible to enroll, the plan requires that you remain enrolled for the balance of the calendar year during which you initially enrolled.
When Coverage Ends
Your ability to receive legal services under the plan ends if you are no longer a benefits-eligible faculty or staff member, or you choose to drop out of the plan during future annual Open Enrollment periods.
If you cease to be eligible to participate in the plan or your employment with the university ends, the plan will cover the legal fees for those covered services that were opened and pending during the period you were enrolled in the plan. No new matters may be started after you become ineligible.
Portability
You can continue coverage by porting the plan. To do so, you must contact MetLife Legal Plans' Client Service Center, at (800) 821-6400, within 30 days of your termination date and indicate that you want to port the plan. Coverage during the portability period is the same as group coverage: the plan design and dependent coverage remain the same. Please note that portability is currently a set period of 30 calendar months.