UAW-Ford Legal Services Plan - uawlap.org

1 163163163 After an overview of the UAW-Ford Legal ServicesPlan, this section of your handbook answersthese questions:PageWho is eligible and what aresome basic coverage details?164 For what matters can fulllegal Services be provided?166 Can Services be providedfor an appeal?166 For what Legal matters isoffice work provided?167 For what Legal matters isa referral provided?167 What expenses are not covered?168 How do I receive plan Services ?168 What are other plan details?169 Where are plan offices located?170 UAW-Ford Legal Services Plan164 UAW-Ford Legal Services PlanAn overview of the PlanWhen you encounter a Legal problem, the UAW-Ford LegalServices plan can go to work for you.

2 Depending on thecircumstances, the plan may provide three types of Services : Full Legal Services for such things as wills, adoptions,consumer complaints and real estate closings. Theseservices are provided at no cost to you. In some situa-tions, you also may receive full Services for an appealof a decision Office work for matters such as divorce and traffic andcriminal offenses. You pay no cost for these Services Referrals to a Cooperating Attorney for certain othermatters. In this case, you pay the fees for servicesprovided but at specified rates for the type of workbeing doneServices are provided directly by the plan s Legal staff ifyou live near an office where the plan s Legal staff is lo-cated.

3 If you live outside of an area where the plan s legalstaff is available, Services are provided by a CooperatingAttorney. (A Cooperating Attorney is an independent at-torney who has contracted to provide Services to Planmembers through the plan .)Who is eligible and what are some basic coverage details?EligibilityYou re eligible for the UAW-Ford Legal Services plan ifyou are eligible for benefits (other than deferred vestedbenefits) under the ford -UAW Retirement dependents also may be eligible for coverage. Yourdependents include: Your spouse, to whom you are currently married. (Aspouse by common law marriage is covered only ifcommon law marriage is recognized by the laws inyour jurisdiction) Your or your spouse s unmarried dependent children, untilthe end of the calendar year in which they reach age include natural or legally adopted children andchildren for whom you are the Legal guardian.

4 The childmust live with you or be your Legal responsibility All individuals who may be legally claimed as your de-pendents under Section 152 of the Internal RevenueCode for Federal income tax purposes Your domestic partner, consistent with the Company shealth care benefit eligibility criteriaWhen coverage endsCoverage for your dependents generally ends on theday your coverage ends or when the dependent rela-tionship ends. This occurs for your spouse if you be-come divorced or your marriage is annulled. It occursfor your children at the end of the calendar year in whichthey reach age 25, or when they become married, orwhen they no longer live in your household, or whenthey no longer are your Legal Legal Services PlanUAW- ford Legal Services Plan165 When coverage is continuedUnder these circumstances, coverage may continue afterthe time it normally would end: If you die, coverage for your spouse may continue ifhe or she is eligible for.

5 Surviving spouse benefits under the Retirement plan Transition or Bridge Survivor Income Benefits underthe Life and Disability Insurance Program Health care benefitsUnder these conditions, coverage would continue if eli-gible through Transition or Bridge Survivor Income Ben-efits, until those benefits your spouse is not eligible for any of these benefits,coverage ends twelve months following the month in whichyour death for your eligible dependents ends twelve monthsfollowing the month in which your death or your survivingspouse s death occurs. If your unmarried child has a physical or mentaldisability which prevents the child from doing anysubstantial gainful activity, coverage can continue af-ter the calendar year in which he or she reaches age25.

6 To qualify: The child must live in your or your surviving spouse shousehold The disability must be medically determinable The disability must be expected either to continuefor a long or indefinite period or result in deathPlan costThe Company pays all the costs of the plan . You make nocontributions. For years, coverage under the plan wasprovided tax free to plan members in accordance withSection 120 of the Internal Revenue Code. That Sectionand the tax exclusion provided by it for plan membersexpired June 30, 1992. Without Section 120, the Com-pany is required to report the value of membership, foreach plan member, to the IRS.

7 The dollar amount of valueis called imputed income. Imputed income is income thatis not actually received as pay, but it is subject to federal,state and local income and Social Security (FICA) taxeswhen annual returns are administrationMoney the Company contributes goes into a trust trustee of the fund is Comerica Bank. Money in thefund is used for the sole purpose of paying plan cannot be returned to the Company, Union or Adminis-trative Committee. An Administrative Committee is madeup of three members appointed by the Union, three mem-bers appointed by the Company and one member ap-pointed jointly by the Union and the Company.

8 A plan Di-rector is chosen by this Administrative Legal Services PlanFor what matters can full Legal Services be provided?If you or your dependents require Legal Services for any ofthe items listed below, the plan will provide all necessaryand appropriate Legal Services . This includes an attorney sservices, court work, court costs, filing fees and deposi-tion and discovery charges for: Suspension or termination of Social Security disabil-ity benefits Probate proceedings Wills, codicils and trusts Guardianships The adoption or legitimization of a child Name changes Consumer complaints and warranties (including litiga-tion on plaintiff claims exceeding $700) Contracts for goods and Services (including litigationon plaintiff claims exceeding $700) Defending a collection action on personal or family debts Defending a garnishment Repossession and replevin (recovery)

9 Of goods Personal bankruptcy Denial of insurance claims or loss of insurance cover-age (except against the Company or Company-sponsored insurance plans) IRS audits and administrative proceedings (adminis-trative appearances only) Tenant representation Leases on personal or family residences Property damage (real and personal) Real estate matters for a personal or family residence,including closings, purchases, mortgages, sales, fore-closures, boundary disputes, title disputes, zoningmatters and eminent domain Property tax assessment disputes Uncontested divorces, uncontested custody, uncon-tested non support, and uncontested alimony in juris-dictions in which an attorney is required to appear incourt to finalize the proceedings Post-divorce modification of child support order and ali-mony order, provided that the cause is a material changein the participant s earnings from the Company (only)

10 Termination of parental rights (excluding cases wherecriminal charges are involved)Can Services be provided for an appeal?The plan will provide full Legal Services for appeals onthese matters: Defending a collection action on personal or family debts Defending a garnishment Repossession or replevin (recovery) of goods Personal bankruptcy Consumer complaints and warranties Contracts for goods and Services Denial of insurance claims or loss of coverage Medicare claims, but only if, in the opinion of the Direc-tor or his/her designee, there is a substantial likelihoodof prevailing on such appealAppeals for the following matters also will be covered whenapproved by the plan s Administrative Committee.