There’s a perception that disability income (DI) insurance can be adifficult sell. But with the right strategy and tools, selling DIcan be very profitable and can also ensure the ongoing financialsecurity of your clients – in this case, attorneys. Here’s why.

As more and more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck,attorneys continue to be hugely dependent on steady income,especially those who are self-employed and only get paid when theywork. In fact, over a lifetime, attorneys on average earn almost$3.6 million plus bonuses, according to statistics from the Councilfor Disability Awareness, which means their ability to stay healthyand earn an income throughout their lives is their greatestasset.

In the case of attorneys, it often makes sense for them to havegroup disability insurance supplemented with individualpolicies.Below are some key insights and strategies related to thelegal industry:

Who are they? Attorneys are responsible forapplying the law to their client-specific situations and counselingthe best course of action. Working in business or providing legalcounsel to individuals, they often specialize in a specificindustry, such as family, tax, bankruptcy or businesslaw.

As with many industries, attorneys are steadily under more andmore pressure as they work longer hours due to the time sensitivityof their work. There is also an oversupply of qualified attorneysin the U.S., leading to significant competition for jobs and adecrease in new associates’ pay.

On average, experienced attorneys earn over $110,000 annualincome, according to Payscale, and the Wall Street Journal recentlyreported they often have over $121,000 in student loan debt repayments, indicatingsignificant financial obligation and consequences if they areunable to make their loan repayments.

The legal industry itself is expected to have steady job growth,with an average of 10 percent over the next 10 years according tothe Bureau of Labor Statistics, especially in the practice areas oflitigation, commercial law healthcare, intellectual property andreal estate. Additionally, as they gain experience, theirdisposable income increases dramatically, making the cost of DImore accessible.

The legal industry is fiercely competitive, and should yourclient need to leave work due to illness, he or she may findre-entry into the work force challenging, especially those who areself-employed. Additionally, the U.S. Individual DI Risk ManagementSurvey conducted by Gen Re found the average individual disabilityclaim lasts 31.6 months, and there’s a 38 percent chance that adisability claim can last five years or longer, according to theCouncil for Disability Awareness. So you can ask your client: Doyou have enough income to cover your expenses for a minimum ofthree months? For attorneys earning $100,000, that’s $25,000 insavings they need to have set aside for a rainy day. Imagine thefinancial consequences for those on the higher end of the scaleearning $124,000 plus.

What do they need to know? Many people don’tthink about disability insurance when they think about insurancepolicies, and when they do, they associate it with accident claims.In reality, only 10 percent of disabilities are caused byaccidents. Most are not work-related, and therefore not covered byworkers’ compensation.

They need to know DI is not as optional as they may think. Whileit doesn’t seem that attorneys should be at high risk fordisability, a whopping 90 percent of disability claims, for thosein their prime working years, are for illness or disease. The topclaims for DI include illnesses such as cancer, heart attack,diabetes and depression. Back pain and arthritis are alsosignificant disability causes.

None of us plan to become disabled, but the sobering reality isthat nearly one in four of today’s 20-year-olds will be disabled bythe time they reach retirement, according to the U.S. SocialSecurity Administration. This means that if your client has apartner, there is a 50 percent chance that one of them will bedisabled by the time they reach retirement.

Why supplement with individual DI? Groupcoverage often isn’t enough. Group plans often have a benefits cap,lowering the total money your clients would receive. Plus, if anemployer pays the premiums, benefits are usually taxed. Salary istypically the only income covered by group long-term disability, asother remuneration (such as bonuses, commissions, and incentives)is usually not covered. The financial loss that can result from adisability requiring your client to leave work can be devastating.According to a 2010 study by the Council for Disability Awareness,65 percent of working Americans said they could not cover normalliving expenses for even a year if their employment income waslost, and 38 percent said they could not pay their bills for morethan three months.

Here are the key facts your clients need to know:

• An individual disability insurance policy can help replaceincome that is lost due to illness or injury.

• There are additional options to protect key bills, includingstudent loan debts and retirement contributions.

• The earlier they purchase their policy, the lower their policycost.

• Buying now, rather than later, allows them to lock in theirinsurable health. Pre-existing conditions could result in amodified offer or disqualify a client from individual disabilitycoverage.

• Some policies are non-cancellable and guaranteed renewable,meaning that the policy cannot be changed or cancelled as long aspremiums are paid.

• Most importantly, your client owns the policy. So no matterwhere they work or who they work for, their disability policy canstay with them.

Where are they? To locate new attorney clients,use centers of influence to find them – local clubs, civic groups,alumni publications and associations.

Use advanced searches on LinkedIn by occupation andlocation. Use a business database such as Hoovers, Better Business Bureau, ZoomInfo or ReferenceUSA and filter bygeography and business type.

And don’t forget your existing book of business.

How do you prepare?

Make sure you know your facts, have visual aids like marketingpieces to help emphasize your point. An illustration ishelpful too. They like to see the numbers and know the factsin detail. Use real life examples. Most people can think ofsomeone they know who had cancer or a heart attack. Tell theirstory.

How do you engage them? Disability incomeinsurance is not a luxury. It is a critical part of anyinsurance/financial plan. Encourage your clients to use onlinetools to learn more about cost expectations and protectionbenefits.

And start with this key question: “What if you lost your biggestfinancial asset, your ability to work?” Talk the scenario throughwith them. If the average person is off work for a minimum of threemonths for disability, what’s his or her emergency strategy? Itwill set the tone of your discussion and allow your client to startplanning strategically for the future.