Legal Expenses Insurance: What's Covered and How to Claim
You may already have legal expenses insurance without knowing it. Many home, car, and employment insurance policies include legal cover that could pay for solicitor fees when you need legal help. This guide explains how to find and use your legal expenses insurance.
Quick Answer: Do I Have Legal Expenses Insurance?
Check these common sources:
- Home insurance policy: Most include legal expenses cover
- Car insurance: Motor legal protection widely available
- Contents insurance: Often includes personal legal cover
- Trade union membership: Comprehensive legal support
- Employment benefits: Some employers provide legal insurance
- Bank accounts: Premium accounts often include legal cover
What is Legal Expenses Insurance?
Legal expenses insurance (LEI) pays for legal costs when you need professional help with covered legal problems. It's designed to give ordinary people access to legal representation without the financial barrier.
Types of Legal Expenses Insurance
- Before the Event (BTE): Insurance bought before you need it
- After the Event (ATE): Insurance for specific ongoing legal cases
- Standalone policies: Dedicated legal expenses insurance
- Add-on cover: Included with other insurance products
Common Sources of Legal Expenses Cover
Home Insurance Legal Cover
Most home insurance policies include legal expenses insurance:
- Property disputes: Boundary issues, neighbour disputes
- Contract disputes: Problems with tradesmen, services
- Personal injury: Accidents at home or elsewhere
- Employment disputes: Workplace issues and tribunal claims
- Consumer rights: Faulty goods and services
- Typical cover limit: £25,000-£100,000
Motor Legal Protection
Car insurance legal cover typically includes:
- Uninsured loss recovery: Claiming excess, alternative transport
- Motor prosecution defence: Defending driving charges
- Personal injury claims: If injured in road accident
- Contract disputes: Problems with garages, dealers
- Typical cover limit: £50,000-£100,000
Trade Union Legal Support
Union members often get comprehensive legal help:
- Employment law: Unfair dismissal, discrimination
- Personal injury: Work and non-work related accidents
- Family law: Divorce, child arrangements
- Criminal law: Representation for members and families
- Welfare benefits: Appeals and tribunal representation
- Often unlimited cover: No financial limits for qualifying cases
Employment Benefits
Some employers provide legal insurance benefits:
- Employee assistance programmes: Initial legal advice
- Group legal schemes: Discounted legal services
- Professional indemnity: For professional roles
- Executive legal cover: Comprehensive protection for senior staff
What's Typically Covered
Employment Law
- Unfair dismissal claims: Tribunal representation
- Discrimination cases: Sex, race, age, disability discrimination
- Redundancy disputes: Unfair selection, inadequate consultation
- Contractual disputes: Breach of employment contract
- Workplace injuries: Personal injury at work
Personal Injury
- Road traffic accidents: As driver, passenger, or pedestrian
- Public liability: Slips, trips, falls in public places
- Product liability: Injuries from defective products
- Medical negligence: Some policies include clinical negligence
- Criminal injuries: Compensation for crime victims
Property and Housing
- Boundary disputes: Disagreements with neighbours
- Landlord and tenant: Disputes over deposits, repairs
- Conveyancing problems: Issues with property purchases
- Planning disputes: Objecting to planning applications
- Nuisance claims: Noise, smells, other disturbances
Consumer Rights
- Faulty goods: Problems with purchases
- Poor services: Substandard work by tradesmen
- Holiday claims: Package holiday problems
- Online disputes: E-commerce and digital service issues
- Credit and finance: Disputes with lenders
Family Law (Limited Coverage)
- Domestic violence: Injunctions and protection orders
- Child welfare: Some policies cover child protection cases
- Adoption: Legal costs for adoption proceedings
- Divorce: Rarely covered in standard policies
What's Usually Excluded
Common Exclusions
- Business disputes: Commercial legal problems
- Pre-existing issues: Problems that existed before the policy
- Criminal defence: Except for motoring offences
- Family disputes: Most divorce and separation issues
- Defamation claims: Libel and slander cases
- Debt recovery: Collecting money owed to you
- Tax disputes: HMRC investigations and appeals
Condition Requirements
- Reasonable prospects: Usually need 51%+ chance of success
- Proportionality: Likely damages must justify legal costs
- Alternative resolution: May require mediation first
- Panel solicitors: Often must use insurer's approved solicitors
How to Check Your Existing Cover
Review Your Policies
- Home insurance: Check policy documents for "legal expenses" or "family legal cover"
- Car insurance: Look for "motor legal protection" or "legal cover"
- Contents insurance: May be separate or included with buildings
- Travel insurance: Often includes legal expenses abroad
- Pet insurance: May cover third-party liability claims
Contact Your Insurers
- Call customer service to confirm cover
- Ask for policy summaries
- Request details of legal helplines
- Check cover limits and excesses
Check Employment Benefits
- Review employee handbook
- Contact HR about legal benefits
- Check trade union membership benefits
- Look at professional association benefits
How to Make a Legal Expenses Insurance Claim
Step 1: Contact the Legal Helpline
- 24/7 helplines: Most insurers provide round-the-clock advice
- Initial assessment: Legal advisors evaluate your case
- Immediate guidance: Practical steps to protect your position
- Case registration: Formal claim process begins
Step 2: Provide Required Information
- Policy details: Policy number and cover dates
- Incident details: When, where, and what happened
- Supporting documents: Contracts, correspondence, photos
- Other party details: Names, addresses, insurance details
Step 3: Case Assessment
- Prospects of success: Legal merits evaluation
- Cover confirmation: Whether your case is covered
- Cost estimates: Likely legal costs and exposure
- Solicitor appointment: Assignment to panel firm
Step 4: Ongoing Case Management
- Regular updates: Progress reports from solicitor
- Cost monitoring: Insurance company tracks expenses
- Settlement authority: Approval for settlement offers
- Trial support: Continued cover through trial if needed
Maximising Your Legal Insurance Benefits
Use the Legal Helpline
- Free initial advice: Usually unlimited phone consultations
- Document reviews: Help with contracts and letters
- Letter writing: Solicitor letters on your behalf
- Settlement negotiations: Professional negotiation support
Understand Panel Solicitors
- Quality assurance: Pre-approved and monitored firms
- Cost control: Agreed fee rates with insurers
- Specialist expertise: Firms chosen for relevant experience
- Limited choice: May not be able to choose your own solicitor
Know Your Policy Limits
- Cover limits: Maximum amount insurer will pay
- Excess payments: Amount you pay before cover kicks in
- Hourly rate caps: Maximum rates for solicitor fees
- Geographic limits: Usually UK and EU only
When Legal Insurance Won't Help
Excluded Situations
- Business matters: Commercial disputes and contracts
- Weak cases: Less than 51% chance of success
- Disproportionate costs: Legal costs exceed likely recovery
- Alternative remedies: Other ways to resolve the dispute
Alternative Options
- Citizens Advice: Free advice for many legal problems
- Law centres: Community legal advice
- Ombudsman schemes: Free resolution for consumer complaints
- Small claims court: Low-cost option for money claims
- Conditional fee arrangements: No win, no fee alternatives
Buying Additional Legal Insurance
When to Consider Standalone Cover
- Higher cover limits: More comprehensive protection
- Broader coverage: Including business or family matters
- Choice of solicitor: Freedom to choose your own lawyer
- Specific risks: Employment or property focused cover
Standalone Policy Costs
- Basic cover: £25-£50 per year
- Comprehensive cover: £100-£300 per year
- Family policies: £150-£500 per year
- Professional cover: £200-£1,000+ per year
Common Legal Insurance Mistakes
Not Checking Existing Cover
- Many people have cover they don't know about
- Buying duplicate insurance wastes money
- Existing cover may be comprehensive
Delaying Contact
- Legal problems often have time limits
- Early advice can prevent problems escalating
- Evidence preservation is crucial
Not Understanding Limits
- Policy limits may be insufficient for complex cases
- Excesses can be substantial
- Geographic and time limits apply
How SolicitorConnect Works with Legal Insurance
If your legal insurance doesn't cover your problem or you don't have cover:
- Insurance assessment: Help checking your existing cover
- Panel alternatives: If you want choice of solicitor
- Cost comparisons: When insurance limits are insufficient
- Specialist advice: For excluded areas like business law
- Payment options: Alternative funding when insurance isn't available
Legal expenses insurance provides valuable protection for many common legal problems. Checking your existing cover before you need it ensures you can access help quickly when legal issues arise.
This information is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal advice tailored to your situation, please consult with a qualified solicitor.