Attorneys On Retainer Policy Review
By Attorney Marc J. Victor
February 12, 2024
AOR PROGRAM UPDATE - 12/11/23
The Attorneys On Retainer program has been updated since this video was released, and we are now covering misdemeanors, appeals, and increasing our bail coverage up to $50k on a $50,000 bond.
The Attorneys On Retainer program is NOW A NATIONAL PROGRAM AND OFFERS ADDITIONAL COVERAGE for bail bonds, expert witnesses, investigator fees, scene cleanup, firearm reimbursement, and more! For more information, visit our self-protection plans.
The Concept
The Attorneys On Retainer Program is marketed as a way for clients to have 24/7 access to an attorney for matters that clients can reasonably and in good faith assert that they acted in self-defense or self-defense of others. The program covers criminal defense matters related to self-defense, civil representation, and appeals. The program can be used for both misdemeanor and felony crimes.
In this critique, Attorney Marc Victor turns that same critical eye he has used to critique many other self-defense programs on his own plan, promising to be just as fair and balanced as his critique of the Attorneys On Retainer program.
Key Points:
You Do Not Get to Pick Your Own Lawyer
Which means, you are stuck with the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm. Marc admits he is partial to the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm since he is the founder of the firm. He lets everyone know it is easy to find out more about the law firm by going to AttorneysForFreedom.com but also encourages people to do their own research about the firm by searching on Google or other sources, as well as checking out the many reviews online. The program requires that you use an attorney from his firm, so, after reviewing the firm, he suggests that if you are not satisfied with your research of the firm, you should not sign up for the program.
But, if the case is outside of Arizona, you do get to pick the local attorney of your choice as he explains using the Pro Hac Vice rules. The local attorney of your choice (if the attorney is available) will be hired and paid for by the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm as explained in section 4-F of the contract.
Pro Hac Vice: Additionally, as to Self-Defense Legal Matters only, the Attorney shall be responsible for any Pro Hac Vice fees as well as all necessary travel expenses. Unless otherwise agreed to by the Client, the Attorney shall personally handle any trial, substantive evidentiary or suppression hearings, or contested sentencing hearings in any Self-Defense Legal Matter. In the Attorney’s sole discretion, the Attorney may opt for any Pro Hac Vice Counsel to personally handle any routine hearings including arraignment, pretrial conferences, scheduling conferences, case management conferences, status hearings, discovery-related hearings, or stipulated sentencings.
It is important to note, if you prefer a local attorney for your case, you get to choose that lawyer (so long as they are available and agree) as part of the Attorneys On Retainer program in your state. If you do not have a choice for a local attorney, we will find one for you that has been vetted to make sure they are pro-freedom and pro-2A attorneys and would be someone we would want on our team.
So, to be fair, you do not get to select the primary attorney on your case, it is going to be the team of attorneys at the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm, but you do get to pick your local attorney who will be part of our team who will be getting us admitted Proc Hac Vice for your case.
You Get Civil Defense Representation but Not Civil Liability Coverage
Civil Defense Representation: The Attorney agrees to represent the Client if Client is sued in a civil court of general jurisdiction due to any Self-Defense Legal Matter. In such an event, the Attorney will represent the Client in their civil defense with no additional Attorney’s fees commencing from the Client’s initial contact with the Attorney informing the Attorney of the civil lawsuit through and until either a dismissal, settlement, judgment, or verdict in the trial court. Additionally, as to all civil matters resulting from a Self-Defense Legal Matter, Attorney shall also be responsible for any additional expenses as detailed in this Agreement including any Pro Hac Vice fees or travel expenses unless prohibited by the ethics rules in the relevant state.
What this means is, if you get sued in a civil matter, the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm will represent you in the case including expenses, costs, and Pro Hac Vice costs as well. But, if you end up getting a civil judgement against you in the civil case, in other words you were found liable in the civil case, the Attorneys On Retainer program does not cover the civil judgment against you. That is because we are not an insurance company, we are a law firm.
To be fair, the insurance-backed companies do claim they cover civil liabilities (assuming they don’t drop your coverage due to one of their many restrictions and exclusions) so that would be a disadvantage for the Attorneys On Retainer program. This could be a big disadvantage if you end up getting sued, which is why some people decide to keep another plan with one of the insurance-backed companies in addition to the Attorneys On Retainer program. This may be an effective way to get both civil representation and civil liability coverage, assuming they do not deny coverage for the many reasons they could.
No Red Flag Coverage
Red Flag laws are a big concern for many gun owners, and we understand that. Although we agree Red Flag laws are a problem, these laws fall outside the scope of the AOR program because they are not a self-defense matter. Red Flag coverage applies to someone who may have had a restraining order filed against them and the person who filed the order is asking for a court order to take that person’s firearms away from them by claiming they are a danger to themselves or someone else. Although this is an area where representation might be important, it is not a self-defense matter and therefore not covered under the Attorneys On Retainer program. But there is a good chance of this coverage being added at some point in the future. To be fair, some other programs offer coverage for Red Flag laws, although it may be limited.
To be as transparent as possible we want you to know everything that is and is not covered under the Attorneys On Retainer program. This is why all members are required to watch a video that explains the entire program in depth before their membership becomes active.
The AOR Program Does Not Provide Training
While many of the other insurance-based programs have training and classes, the Attorneys On Retainer program does not offer training. To be fair, AOR does offer a periodic newsletter that has information on many different self-defense matters, a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos on self-defense and other legal matters, and an annual conference that all members of the Attorneys On Retainer program are invited to attend.
There will be many presentations from our attorneys at this conference discussing self-defense and other firearms-related topics. These topics will include recent and pending Supreme Court cases, how to interact with the police, Fourth Amendment issues, and more. There will also be an attorney panel where you will be able to ask questions of the panelists and get your legal questions answered. So, although not as good as the training provided by some other programs, we do have an educational component to the Attorneys On Retainer program.
Attorneys On Retainer has partnered with AZCCW Online and they offer training and help to those looking to acquire their CCW permit. Some of these other programs have good training programs, which might be a reason to go with one of the others if this is a major concern when deciding which program to go with.
The AOR Program Does Not Provide Free Swag
If things like backpacks and other trinkets are important to you, then the Attorneys On Retainer program may not be for you, because we do not offer any of those things we send out when you join. But we have recently added an online store, but for the moment, we only have T-shirts and stickers available.
Other Things AOR Does Not Provide
Electronic Monitoring Coverage - AOR does not cover the cost of electronic monitoring if you are released on bail and must wear one of these devices while awaiting trial. Some of the other companies do provide this coverage.
Lost Wages - We do not provide coverage for lost wages. If you lose money because you are not able to work due to being in jail, AOR does not provide this coverage, while some of the other programs do.
Restoration of Rights - If you want to expunge your record assuming you win your case, this cost is not included in the AOR program, and it may be with some other programs.
Unintentional TSA Incidents - AOR does not cover the cost of an attorney to fight administrative proceedings such as having a firearm in a bag while going through a TSA checkpoint. Some of the other programs provide coverage for this.
Because we are a criminal defense law firm, we can help with things like rights restoration and administration proceedings, but it is not included in the AOR program. As an AOR member, you could hire our law firm for these matters at a 35 percent discount off the normal hourly rates to represent you in these matters.
Spouse And Child Coverage - AOR does not automatically cover your spouse or children who live in your home, some of the other programs do. AOR does offer a family plan at a discounted rate which will allow you to add your spouse or adult children to your plan so that all members of your home are covered. Please note that all members must be 18 years old or older, as for now, you cannot add minors to your family plan.
SUMMARY
After reviewing the Attorneys On Retainer Self-Defense Program, this may not be the perfect self-defense program for everyone. AOR does not let you pick your own attorney, offers no civil liability coverage, no coverage for red flag laws, and no training. AOR does offer a committed team of experienced attorneys who are ready and want to defend you in a self-defense case and because they are not an insurance company, they can represent you even if the self-defense incident is a crime. Although AOR does not offer extensive training there are still multiple resources available on the websites and as a member. I hope you agree that Marc Victor was critical of his own plan where it deserved criticism. “I wanted to be fair, balanced, and very transparent so you can make an informed decision when deciding which self-defense program is best for you”.
If AOR sounds like the program for you, we welcome you to join by going to AttorneysOnRetainer.us/plans and signing up. The Attorneys On Retainer program offered by the Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm presents an innovative approach to legal representation involving self-defense but may not be for everyone. As with any legal service arrangement, clients should carefully do their own research before opting into any program to ensure that their rights and interests are adequately protected.