Welcome to Share Lawyers

Thank you for trusting Share Lawyers to handle your long term disability insurance claim. For over 30 years, this law firm has stood up for people wrongfully denied their long term disability benefits.

Now that you've signed the retainer agreement, here's how Share Lawyers is going to stand up for you. Right away, Share Lawyers will notify the insurance company and your employer they are representing you in your disability claim, and will request copies of all documents relevant to your claim. Once those documents have been reviewed, the firm will start a lawsuit as soon as possible.

Next Share Lawyers will prepare a lawsuit and file it in court on your behalf. This starts your civil lawsuit against the insurance company.

The goal is to hold the insurance company responsible for not paying your disability benefits. Once all parties are notified about the lawsuit, Share Lawyers will find out which of the insurance company's lawyers is representing them in your case and speak with that lawyer about scheduling the next steps.

In some cases, you will have to attend an examination for discovery. This takes place in an office where you'll be asked questions about your claim. Your lawyer from Share Lawyers will be with you to make sure that you are not asked any inappropriate questions and you're treated with respect. If this step is needed in your case, Share Lawyers will prepare you closer to the time you must attend.

The next stage could be key to settling your case. Share Lawyers will schedule a mediation— or settlement meeting— between you and your insurance company as soon as possible. Mediation is a structured process of negotiation that aims to settle your claim with the help of an impartial mediator. This is a private and confidential process that takes place outside of court.

Most disability cases settle at mediation and based on Share Lawyers vast experience, your case has the best chance to settle quickly and favourably through the mediation process.

During settlement negotiations, there are two types of settlements that can be obtained: a lump sum, where all of the money the insurance company will pay is paid right away in full, including past and future benefits and contribution to your legal fees; or a reinstatement, where the insurance company will pay you for what they had denied you in the past plus a contribution to your legal fees and then reinstate, or start to pay your long term disability benefits going forward.

Most clients do not want reinstatement that would mean having an ongoing relationship with the insurance company and the risk that they could cut you off at any point in the future. So, many clients choose to settle their claims on a lump sum basis, because it guarantees you a certain amount of money and offers a clean break from the insurance company.

When the time comes, your lawyer will go over your settlement options, give you the best advice possible, and allow you to make the choice that makes you most comfortable. From this point forward, you should not speak to anyone at the insurance company or your employer about your case. All communication should flow through Share Lawyers and you’re in good hands, some of the lawyers have worked for insurance companies themselves, that means your team can anticipate the insurance company's tactics, and they're prepared to deal with them.

It's important for you to understand that your claim for disability benefits is based on your inability to work at your job or any other job. You hired Share Lawyers to pursue your disability claim because you are disabled from working and do not know when or if you can return to employment.

If before the settlement of your case you feel that you are able to return to work, you should contact Share Lawyers to discuss this change in your circumstances.

Share Lawyers is able to get the best results for clients who have strong medical records. You should be focusing on getting the medical treatment you need.

Be aware that the insurance company can and will use your activity against you. One way that they do this is by conducting surveillance of you. They may hire a private investigator to follow you and take photographs or videotape you outside of your house. Now, they cannot enter your home, look into your windows, or come onto your private property, but they can watch you. As long as you are conducting your life consistently with what you're saying in your lawsuit, any surveillance that they obtain should not have a significant impact on your case.

The insurance company will also conduct internet searches to look for any information about you online. Remember that any photograph of you, post, blog, status update or tweet can be taken out of context and used against you. Share Lawyers recommends that you increase your privacy settings on all social media accounts and limit your use of social media during your case.

Thanks again for trusting Share Lawyers with your case.

The average lawsuit takes about a year to settle from start to finish but with Share Lawyers’ team-based philosophy, you can count on having an advocate to keep you in the loop with updates and important summaries.

Be on the lookout for other emails that may address your questions and concerns, and feel free to revisit this video as many times as you like.

Starting now, Share Lawyers is working to get you a fast resolution to your claim and will be with you every step of the way.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to a client services lawyer if you have any questions.