Creating Living Will a Simple Task Through ARAGdirect.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Downloadable, State-Specific, Living Will Document Available for $17.95; Comprehensive Legal Insurance Plan Available for around $20 a Month

With the recent and on-going public debate over life support and a person's right to live, the need for a living will - which sets out an individual's desires regarding medical intervention in the event of terminal illness or serious accident - has never been more evident.

A living will document takes the guesswork out of the grieving process for family members and allows them to focus on the loved one's wishes. And while the document involves some difficult issues, it is rather straightforward.

ARAG is a leading legal insurance and related services administrator, and has been providing legal plans in the United States for more than 30 years.

Through its consumer-focused web site - www.ARAGdirect.com - customers can purchase and create their own living will documents for $17.95. A tutorial-based software program leads individuals through a series of questions that helps them create a document they can use.

Living wills can involve some tough decisions, though, and ARAG offers another resource to help provide answers. Legal insurance from ARAG pays for the service of an attorney to guide clients through the process. Attorneys can charge on average $240 per hour, according to the 2004 Survey of Law Firm Economics, conducted by Altman Weil Publication, Inc. Legal insurance customers pay around the same amount for the whole year (about $20 per month), with on-going access to local, professional attorneys.

ARAG members can use their plans to speak to local attorneys by telephone and have living wills prepared that fits their critically important personal healthcare choices. More than 8,000 private-practicing lawyers have signed ARAG service agreements and they average 20 years experience in the practice of law. Members can also use their legal plan for in-person or telephone consultations with attorneys on a wide variety of other personal legal-related matters.

Statistics showcase just how often ARAG members use their legal plans for wills and estate planning needs. In fact, more people used their legal insurance for wills and estate planning than any other legal issue, according to 2004 ARAG claims data. Over the past five years, of the more than half a million claims submitted to ARAG, 26 percent were related to wills and estate planning. Plus, in 2004 alone, nearly 10,000 members used their plans for creating living wills.

About ARAG North America Inc.

ARAG (www.ARAGgroup.com) is a leading provider of legal insurance and supporting services, and maintains its domestic headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. The company maintains 1.7 million participants throughout the United States and Canada and offers its legal plan as an employee benefit to more than 500 organizations. ARAG's industry strength has led to praise from the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services when it received meritorious recognition in the Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access competition (2002). Also, the A.M. Best Company assigned ARAG Insurance Company a Best's Rating of A (Excellent).

Insurance products are underwritten by ARAG(R) Insurance Company of Des Moines, Iowa, GuideOne(R) Mutual Insurance Company of West Des Moines, Iowa or GuideOne Specialty Mutual Insurance Company of West Des Moines, Iowa. Additional services may be provided by ARAG LLC, ARAG Services LLC or Advisory Communication Systems Inc. Some products are only available through membership in the ARAG Association LC.