The plan may also provide bankruptcy advice and assistance, assistance in obtaining veterans` benefits, representation and advice to seniors, and elder abuse assistance for the insured member, their parents or grandparents, at a reduced cost. The union negotiated a free legal services plan for members only. The program allows UFT members to have access to a lawyer who can answer legal questions, write letters on their behalf, review documents, prepare a will, and provide legal representation, among other things. Other discounted legal services include: UFT members have free access to the UFT Legal Services Plan. Details of the plan can be found at www.uft.org/your-union/uft-programs/uft-legal-services-plan or by contacting the UFT at 212-331-6325. Dan Lupkin, the head of the PS 58 chapter in Brooklyn, examines the will he and his wife made thanks to the UFT`s legal plan. “I really appreciate the union providing us with that,” she said. “I know it`s a reliable plan. I have the papers to make my will through them, and it`s on my to-do list today. Services offered free of charge under the plan include: The legal regime for retirees of the Fonds de bien-être UFT with supplement to the Seniors Act offers some services free of charge and others at a reduced price. This benefit is described in detail in a separate brochure that will be sent to you when you first become entitled to it.
The brochure will be sent to you by the plan administrator, NYSUT Member Benefits, 800 Troy Schenectady Rd, Latham, NY 12110-9924, 800-626-8101. You will also receive an ID card and advice vouchers. Here`s a brief overview of the plan`s benefits: Did you know that NYSUT Member Benefits provides expert legal assistance that can help you prepare important estate planning documents to deal with traffic violations? The NYSUT Member Benefits Trust approved legal services plan – provided by the law firm of Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. – provides access to a national network of lawyers dealing with personal legal matters. The Seniors Law Supplement gives UFT retirees access to seniors` lawyers across the country. Elder lawyers provide the highest possible level of advice on estate planning, trusts, complex wills, Medicaid applications, nursing home planning, etc. This specialized panel is at your disposal with a 20% discount on the usual fees. The free consultation voucher cannot be used to consult a lawyer in elder law. “This is a phenomenal program that we are proud to offer to our members,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrow. “Having access to an expert when legal issues arise provides security.” Steven Kramer of the company says telephone advice and letter writing are the two services most commonly used by the plan. The National Legal Office (the law firm of Feldman, Kramer and Monaco, P.C.) is the clearinghouse for all legal matters.
National Legal Office lawyers answer your legal questions, write letters, and check documents free of charge. If necessary, they will refer you to a lawyer in your area for free advice or additional legal advice. The UFT Legal Services Plan includes spouses or life partners who live with the UFT member who is the plan member, as well as the member`s unmarried and dependent children under the age of 19 (or under the age of 25 if the child is fully dependent on the plan member for support and maintenance and is registered as a full-time student). Members seeking assistance with a legal matter should call 212-331-6325 to be put in touch with a lawyer at the firm. UFT retirees should call 212-331-6314. UFT`s Legal Services Plan provides union members with free, discounted legal services from the national law firm Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. These benefits extend to spouses, civil partners and children under the age of 19 (or under 25 if the child is a full-time student). To access this legal plan, UFT members can call 212-331-6325. If the law firm is unable to resolve a dispute under the free plan, it will refer UFT members to a local lawyer of record who will provide legal representation at the reduced rate of $285 per hour. If you need legal assistance, it can be expensive and stressful. For this reason, the union recently created a legal services plan exclusively for UFT members, giving part-time members access to lawyers who support them for free or at discounted rates.
More than 11,000 members have used these services since the UFT created the scheme in 2020. Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C. has been the service provider for the Legal Services Plan since 1980 and serves as the national legal office of the Plan. The firm has since grown from five lawyers to more than 40 lawyers, and its network of participating referring lawyers now includes 500 firms in upstate New York and several hundred firms in other jurisdictions in the United States.