FA Benefit Fund - Faculty Association at Suffolk Community College

Failed to execute CGI : Win32 Error Code = 2
FA Benefit Fund - Faculty Association at Suffolk Community College

REPRESENTATION IN CIVIL MATTERS

The legal services benefits are divided into two major benefit categories: Representation in Civil Matters and General Legal Matters. All covered members are entitled to three Representation in Civil Matters, each year. The following section concerns itself with the specific benefits within this category.

LEGAL DEFENSE BENEFIT

Who is Eligible . . . . Any covered member who is a defendant in a situation involving his/her rights in resisting a claim and has had a legal action started against him/her, which does not fall within any of the specified benefits listed in this booklet.*

*Please note that special service benefits such as those involving divorce proceedings, separation proceedings, annulment proceedings, and homeowners proceedings are covered by the schedules contained under those specific headings in this booklet.

What is the Benefit . . . . The Fund provides coverage through the panel law firm for all necessary legal services arising from the defense of a lawsuit or proceeding commenced against a covered member in courts and administrative agencies. The following are only examples of some of the courts and agencies in which the Fund provides coverage under the Legal Defense Benefit:

Supreme, Surrogate’s & District Courts of Westchester County; United States District Court for the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; United States Customs Court; Supreme, Surrogate’s and County Courts of Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Richmond, Bronx, Nassau and Suffolk Counties; Civil Courts of New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Richmond and Bronx Counties; District Courts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and Northern New Jersey; Administrative Agencies and Bureaus.

This benefit provides, for example, the legal defense cost of a lawsuit alleging breach of contract or against lawsuits involving garnishment or medical expense claims. A covered member’s problem may be successfully resolved after consultation with a panel attorney or it may necessitate the steps leading to and including your defense in a litigation or before an administrative agency.

The following schedule indicates the legal services available and the amount to be paid by the member at each stage:

	Steps in the Legal Process Provided by The Fund through the Panel Law Firm	Amount Paid by Fund Member
A.	Consultation	None
B.	Pre-litigation: Including for example negotiation of settlement including the drafting of any necessary papers	$15
C.	Litigation: Including, for example, Third Party Complaint, Demand for Bill of Particulars, preparation of Jury Demand and court appearance, if necessary	$35

If the Legal Defense Benefit is concluded at the consultation stage there is no cost to the member. However, if the Legal Defense Benefit is concluded at the pre-litigation stage, the cost to the member is $15; if the Legal Defense Benefit must enter the itigation stage, the cost to the member is an additional $35. Hence, the total cost to the member for a Legal Defense Benefit that reaches litigation is $50 ($15 + $35).

How to Obtain the Benefit . . . . To obtain this benefit, simply contact the Fund to request an appointment. At the time of your appointment, you and an attorney from the panel law firm will complete the appropriate forms.

BENEFITS QUESTIONS? PLEASE CONTACT MARY AT (631) 732-6500.

Faculty Association - Suffolk Community College - Southampton Building 224J
533 College Rd - Selden, NY 11784-2899 (631) 451-4151 - Fax (631) 732-4584 - Email