Allianz Insurance plc | Legal Protection
What is Legal Expenses

What is Legal Expenses?

A simple definition:

Legal expenses, also known as legal protection insurance, is taken out by individuals or companies for protection against defending civil and criminal actions brought about by the other individuals or companies or alternatively to pursue them where legal expense will be incurred.

The 3 main basic types of legal protection are Personal or Family, Motor and Commercial. Please click on the cover type for more information.

Personal or Family

Motor

Commercial



Over the last 30 years legal expenses insurance has developed into many forms, the main difference being how they are sold. Legal protection insurance policies are mainly sold Before the Event (BTE) through brokers, insurance companies and affinity groups and After the Event (ATE) through solicitors.

The policy types above are explained below:

Before the Event

This is usually sold as an add-on to a household or motor insurance policy. It covers the consequences of an event which has not yet occurred.

After the Event

This type of insurance is taken out after the event has occurred to insure you against the risk of losing your case. It is also referred to as ATE Insurance, Conditional Fees Insurance, CFA insurance, Post-Event Insurance, AEI or Legal protection insurance. For details of our ATE policy please click here.

Legal expenses is usually sold through a scheme but can be sold as a stand alone product although Allianz Legal Protection only provide cover on a scheme basis. A scheme is an arrangement with an intermediary to distribute legal protection products on the insurer’s behalf to the end customer. If you want to take out legal expenses insurance please contact your current insurance advisor, company or broker for advice.

Regulation

Legal expenses insurance is subject to Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulation and subject to the rules of the Financial Ombudsman Service and The Insurance Companies (Legal Protection Insurance) Regulations 1990.