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Employee Benefits

Help Your Clients' Employees Start the Year Legal-Ready

January 13, 2026

‍5 Enrollment Drivers to Position LegalShield and IDShield in Q1 conversations

Woman smiling with computer

The new year presents a timely opportunity to introduce legal and identity theft protection benefits to your clients. As employees set resolutions and organize their finances, January is the ideal time to address two critical gaps in most benefits packages: access to affordable legal services and identity theft protection.

Here are five compelling reasons to position LegalShield and IDShield as essential voluntary benefits in your Q1 enrollment conversations:

1. Tax Season Creates Dual Vulnerability: Legal Questions and Identity Theft Exposure

January through April is prime time for both tax-related legal concerns and identity theft. Employees are handling W-2s, filing returns, and navigating tax implications of life changes—all while cybercriminals actively target tax-related information.

The numbers tell a sobering story: According to the National Taxpayer Advocate, tax-related identity theft claims hundreds of thousands of victims every year, with the IRS flagging approximately 2.1 million returns as potential identity theft during the 2025 filing season.[1]Many employees also face legal questions about tax deductions, home office implications, or estate planning with tax considerations—issues that require legal guidance beyond what a CPA can provide.

The value proposition: LegalShield members can consult with a provider lawyer about tax-related legal matters, while IDShield provides identity data monitoring, alerts for suspicious activity, and up to $5 million in identity theft protection with full-service restoration if fraud occurs.

2. Most Employees Are Unprepared for Life's Legal Moments

Your clients' employees are dangerously under-prepared when it comes to essential legal documentation.

· Recent surveys indicate that while 90% of Americans know the importance of having a will, almost 6 in 10 (60%) have yet to act and protect their loved ones.[2]

· Many employees don't know where critical documents are stored or haven't updated them in years, leaving their families vulnerable when life changes occur—marriage, divorce, birth of a child, home purchase, or death of a family member.

The value proposition: Employees need accessible, affordable legal assistance to create wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, and other essential documents. LegalShield makes these services available without the barrier of hourly legal fees, encouraging employees to be proactive rather than reactive.

3. Natural Disasters and Emergencies Reveal Legal Preparedness Gaps

Whether it's hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, or other emergencies, natural disasters reveal that most families are unprepared—both legally and financially. Beyond physical safety, employees need:

  • Properly documented assets and insurance policies
  • Secure storage and backup of critical legal documents
  • Knowledge of their legal rights when dealing with insurance claims or contractor disputes, or FEMA assistance
  • Protection against identity thieves who target disaster victims

The value proposition: LegalShield helps employees create emergency legal plans and understand their rights during times of crisis. IDShield's credit monitoring and identity restoration services offer an additional layer of protection during vulnerable times when personal information may be at risk of exposure.

4. Financial Stress Has Legal Dimensions That Affect Workplace Productivity

Financial wellness is increasingly recognized as essential to employee well-being and productivity. However, many financial challenges have legal components that employees are unaware of how to address, including:

  • Debt collection and creditor harassment
  • Contract disputes
  • Consumer protection issues
  • Understanding rights related to wage garnishment or bankruptcy
  • Identity theft that damages credit and financial standing

The workplace impact is significant. Financial stress costs U.S. companies approximately $250 billion in lost productivity annually, with employees losing an average of seven hours of productivity each week due to financial worries.[3]  Work-related stress contributes to approximately $190 billion in annual healthcare costs and causes around one million workers to miss work each day.[4]

The value proposition: LegalShield provides consultation on financial legal matters, helping employees understand their rights and options. IDShield helps protect the financial identity that employees work so hard to build, monitoring for fraudulent accounts, credit inquiries, and other threats to financial wellness.

5. Accessible Legal Help Reduces Stress and Supports Employee Confidence

One of the most significant barriers to accessing legal assistance is not knowing where to turn or fearing the associated costs. Consider that:

  • Most employees don't have a relationship with a lawyer
  • Legal fees can be prohibitive even for simple matters
  • Legal concerns create significant stress and distraction at work
  • Employees often delay addressing legal issues until they become emergencies

The value proposition: LegalShield and IDShield remove these barriers by providing affordable, accessible protection as a voluntary benefit. Employees gain peace of mind knowing they have professional legal assitance and identity theft protection available when needed—from document review and phone calls to court representation for covered matters (plan-specific).

Position Legal Readiness as Part of Your Clients' Total Benefits Strategy

LegalShield and IDShield address real, widespread needs that traditional benefits packages overlook—making them valuable additions to your clients' voluntary benefits portfolios.

For more information on LegalShield and IDShield, or to offer these products to your clients, please connect with your dedicated National Broker Team, or email [email protected].

[1] National Taxpayer Advocate, "Identity Theft Awareness and Update on IRS Processing of Identity Theft Victim Assistance Cases," January 2025; National Taxpayer Advocate Fiscal Year 2026 Objectives Report to Congress, June 2025

[2] LegalShield. "Will(ful) Neglect: Survey Reveals Nearly 60% of Americans Unprepared for the Inevitable." Aug. 8, 2023. https://www.legalshield.com/press-releases/willful-neglect-survey-reveals-nearly-60-of-americans-unprepared-for-the-inevitable

[3],4National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; American Institute of Stress