A plan is prepaid if the member, his employer, or the sponsoring organization pays to participate in the plan. All voluntary enrollment and individual enrollment plans are prepaid plans. Different plans provide different amounts of help to members in choosing a lawyer. Open panel plans let a member use any lawyer he wants. Closed panel plans hire or contract with a limited number of lawyers chosen by the plan.
Modified panels are closed panels that any lawyer can join.
The sponsor is the group or organization that endorses the legal services plan and, in some cases, pays fees for its members. Typical sponsors include associations, credit unions, labor unions, employers, churches, cooperatives and consumer groups. Almost any organization can sponsor a plan. The legal service providers are the lawyers who give advice and assistance to plan members. Some plans include an administrator who handles enrollment, billing, accounting, etc.