MetLife Legal Plans

• You can enroll in the MetLife Legal Plan during Annual Enrollment (in the fall of each year) through on netbenefits.com/IBM.
• Prior to enrolling in MetLife Legal Plans, you can explore the website and see how it works. Click here for more details.

Once you have enrolled, you can choose an attorney from MetLife Legal Plans’ network of more than 18,000 attorneys nationwide. You can search for a network attorney in your area online by visiting info.legalplans.com, logging into your account, and selecting the area of legal service that you need assistance in and your location. Or, you can call MetLife Legal Plans at 1-800-821-6400 and a Client Service Representative can locate attorneys for you. Once you call or register on the member site, you will be assigned an Eligibility ID that you’ll provide to the network attorney when you schedule your appointment. The attorney will use the ID to validate your eligibility and plan coverage.  

You can meet with network attorneys in person, over the phone, or you can submit questions online to the MetLife Legal Plans Ask an Attorney e-Panel – whatever works best for you.

Our network attorneys are there for you, whenever you need advice on a personal legal matter. It’s like having an attorney on retainer!  You can have confidence that you’ve got an expert on your side, for as long as you need them. For certain legal matters, your attorney can represent you in court without you having to make an appearance.

Yes. MetLife Legal Plans covers your spouse, domestic partner, and children as defined by IBM. 

A child can be covered through age 26. The term "child" includes your natural children, stepchildren, adopted children, and any child who resides with and is fully supported by you. Disabled children can continue to be covered past the age limit if the child is incapable of self-sustaining employment because of a mental or physical handicap, as defined by applicable law, and can be continued as long as the child:

• Remains incapable of self-sustaining employment because of a mental or physical handicap; and
• Continues to qualify as a child, except for the age limit.

Note, some services are only available to enrollees.  See your plan description for details.

Your parents/parents-in-law/grandparents can access the plan by calling the MetLife Legal Plans Client Service Center at 1-800-821-6400. The parent needs to provide the name of the company where the enrolled member works (IBM). A MetLife Legal Plan representative will verify the coverage, then provide them with an Eligibility ID. We can schedule the attorney appointment or provide the contact information of the attorney(s) for them to schedule an appointment.

Depending on the service, attorneys will help you through the end-to-end process or provide consultative advice. For example, if you would like to prepare a will for yourself or spouse, your attorney will walk you through, in-person or telephonically, the various components that can be contained in a will, helping you determine if they are applicable to you, and composing them to convey your wishes. They will also assist in executing the will, so it becomes a binding legal document, including notarization.

Some attorneys provide e-signature or electronic notarization, discuss these options with your attorney before commencing your will preparation. If you ever need to revise your will, that same or a different attorney can assist.

Some attorneys provide e-signature or electronic notarization, discuss these options with your attorney before commencing work on your legal service, if applicable.

Even experienced attorneys need to grow their practice. By providing exceptional service to you and other plan members, they can gain more clients through your referrals. That’s how MetLife has established a large network of experienced attorneys.  that average 25 years of experience. And every year, participating law firms  in our attorney network are re-credentialed.

With our Network Attorneys, you can be confident that:

• they graduated from an accredited law school and hold a valid state license;
• the managing attorney of the firm must have at least eight years of experience (although 25 years of experience is the network average);
• they are part of a firm, or a sole practitioner, and can prove they routinely handle all or many of the case types covered by our legal plan;
• they are well versed on how our legal service plans work;
• they have malpractice insurance that meets our requirements to be in the network; and
• they are part of a well-managed office that provides exceptional customer service.

Yes – our Client Service Center representatives in Cleveland, OH, are ready to help you find the right attorney  to help you with your legal matter, whatever that might be. We operate a national network of more than 18,000 attorneys in all 50 states and most U.S. territories. We’re committed to ensuring you receive the expert legal help you need, when you need it. Call 1-800-821-6400 or visit https://info.legalplans.com.

Yes – If you prefer, you can work with a licensed attorney who is not in our network. When you  choose an out-of-network attorney, we’ll reimburse you for services based on a set fee schedule.⁶

Yes – If you prefer, you can work with a licensed attorney who is not in our network. When you  choose an out-of-network attorney, we’ll reimburse you for services based on a set fee schedule.⁶

Can I use a lawyer more than once?

Yes – you have unlimited use of the plan for covered legal matters.⁷

How much will it cost?

There are two plan options:

• MetLife Legal Plans: $14.50 a month covers you, your spouse and dependents
• MetLife Legal Plans Plus Parents: $20.50 a month covers you, your spouse and dependents. The Plus Parents plan includes select coverages for up to 8 additional people -  your parents, parents-in-law, and grandparents.

Your payments will be automatically deducted from your paycheck each pay period. If you are on an approved unpaid leave of absence or long-term disability claim, Fidelity will direct bill you for the cost of coverage and coverage will continue for up to 24 months. If on an approved long-term disability claim, you may elect to have the cost of coverage deducted from your monthly benefit.

Your parents, parents-in-law, and grandparents will be covered for many common elder care services including wills, power of attorney, identity management services, mortgages, deeds, demand letters, affidavits, nursing home agreements. For a complete list of covered services, review the coverage description

No. Unless you experience a qualified status change, you cannot change your enrollment or enroll in the plan outside of Annual Enrollment.

Yes, if your employment with IBM terminates for a reason other than retirement, you can continue your MetLife Legal Plans coverage via the individual  Portability option MetLife offers a choice of two plans with monthly premium of either $14.00 or $22.00 for an enhanced plan. Both plans cover unlimited consultation and common personal legal services such as document review, defense of traffic tickets, estate planning, debt collection and real estate issues. Enroll at metlife.com/individual-legal-plans, where you can set up monthly payments via ACH from your bank. There is an initial 12-month commitment for individual coverage and the plan renews automatically on a month-to-month basis until canceled.

If you retire from IBM, you are eligible to enroll in the Retiree MetLife Legal Plans and, unlike Portability, enrollment is not limited to 12 months. You will have 30 days from your retirement date to enroll with coverage beginning the first of the month following the date you enroll and your first payment is received. The current cost of coverage is $18.00 a month which you will pay directly to MetLife Legal Plans and the covered services are slightly varied. You may choose to pay quarterly or annually via credit card or via an electronic funds transfer from your checking or savings account. To learn more about the Retiree MetLife Legal Plans, click here

With the digital estate planning solution, you can create the following documents online:

• Last Will and Testament – Leave property to loved ones and choose guardians for minor children.
• Advance Healthcare Directive (Living Will) — Plan for a medical emergency, select medical care preferences, and choose a healthcare proxy.
• Durable Financial Power of Attorney – Choose someone to manage finances in case of an emergency.

If you are enrolled in Optional Term Life (OTL) under the IBM Group Life Insurance Plan you already have access to a few of these services. Through the OTL you have will preparation services that give you access to network attorneys to create a will, living will or power of attorney, while under MetLife Legal Plans, you will have access to attorneys for a much wider range of legal matters. See the covered services comparison guide for more details.