Personal legal expenses insurance could help you and your family with a number of legal issues, depending on what cover you have. This site can help you learn about legal expenses insurance, how to get it, and how to use it if you have it.
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Legal expenses insurance can help you with a number of legal issues affecting your business.
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This type of policy is designed to meet the needs of SME businesses which may employ staff but who have limited, or no in-house legal expertise.
It’s designed to help you get legal advice as early as possible – before a problem arises such, as an employment tribunal or commercial contract dispute – through the telephone legal advice and risk management helpline, or legal document and business guide service, DAS Businesslaw.
However, should a more serious legal problem occur, it will provide cover for legal representation and cover for legal expenses if you need to take the matter to court.
Commercial legal expenses insurance covers:
In addition, some will add, or have the option of adding things like statutory licence appeals, contract disputes and debt recovery.
This will vary between providers, but there are some things that typically commercial legal expenses insurance will not help you with. These might be:
If you are interested in purchasing commercial legal expenses insurance speak to your insurance adviser or use our location tool to find a DAS partner.
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Commercial legal expenses insurance helps protect your business from the impact of everyday legal risks
Helping your business survive following a large loss.
If your tenants are causing you trouble, property let legal expenses insurance could help.
Commercial legal expenses insurance is usually sold alongside other commercial insurance products and can be included as part of a wider commercial package policy wording, or sold individually with its own separate policy wording.
Dependant on the policy you have, commercial legal expenses insurance may pay for:
No, you can’t claim for legal disputes that started before the date your cover began. And in some cases – for example, employment, contract and debt claims – you may not be covered for disputes arising within the first 90 or 180 days of the policy.
No – it’s important that you speak to us as soon as possible after a dispute arises so we can discuss the best way to proceed. We will not cover any costs you incur before we have agreed to cover your claim – for example, the cost of consulting your own lawyer.
We’ll usually appoint a lawyer from one of our preferred law firms on the basis of their expertise to deal with your claim. However, there are instances where you have the right to choose your own lawyer – such as if court proceedings are issued or there’s a conflict of interest. It’s important to know that if you do choose your own lawyer we will only pay them the same amount as we would pay our preferred lawyers – currently £100 per hour.
You’re covered in the UK, Isle of Man and Channel Islands on all the elements of cover listed above. You’re also covered for some legal defence and personal injury claims in certain European countries. For full details please refer to the ‘countries covered’ definition within your policy wording.
Our legal helpline can give you confidential legal advice on a range of commercial legal issues.
As often as you need; there are no limits on how many times you can call.
Commercial legal expenses insurance could cover a number of legal costs that your general business insurance won’t cover. For example, commercial legal expenses insurance can help you pursue a claim over a contract dispute with a supplier.
Many commercial legal expenses insurance policies will offer assistance in recovering unpaid debt, however the amount in dispute must be over £200 (including VAT).
No; this insurance will not cover you for any claims involving motor vehicles, unless your business is engaged in the business of selling motor vehicles.