Legal expenses insurance

The Traffic module ensures that you and your family are always insured for legal assistance worldwide, in all traffic situations. So you are not only insured by car, but also as a (moped) cyclist or pedestrian. As soon as a traffic accident occurs, you can report the damage to us. We will then contact your legal expenses insurer, who will take the matter completely out of your hands and make every effort to recover your damages, even if this requires legal action.

With the Consumer and Living module, you and your entire family are insured for legal assistance within the European Union in a variety of consumer matters, such as purchases (in-store or online) and problems with a supplier of energy, telephone or Internet. Has damage been caused to your home (in the Netherlands), or are there disputes concerning your home (such as buying/selling/renting/maintenance/renovation)?

These are also insured on legal expenses insurance. As are disputes with neighbors or family. Divorce is excluded on most policies because this is a dispute between 2 insureds on the same policy. In some cases it is possible to take out additional insurance for mediation (a form of out-of-court mediation).

The Income module offers the whole family legal assistance in disputes concerning, among other things, the employment contract, a social insurance benefit/benefit or pension entitlements. For example, if you are made redundant, or the amount of your benefit is in dispute, your legal expenses insurance can provide legal assistance.

The Tax and Wealth module provides coverage for the entire family in the Netherlands in the event of disputes with, for example, the tax authorities or a securities transaction. Disputes regarding your second home are also covered, provided it is located in the Netherlands or the European Union.

Basic legal expenses insurance does not provide coverage in all cases. Divorce assistance is not covered by legal expenses insurance. It is often only possible to engage a mediator after a marriage or registered partnership of at least three years. The maximum amount paid for this is usually between €2000 and €3000.

Legal expenses insurance is often not a priority when taking out insurance. Yet it can be a fine addition. In fact, there are several advantages to legal expenses insurance:

• Although the annual premium is quite high compared to other insurance policies, this is nothing compared to the costs you will face if you get into a legal dispute. The cost of a lawyer alone is higher than the annual insurance premium.
• When you purchase legal expenses insurance, the coverage applies not only to yourself, but to all your family members.
• You can compose the legal expenses insurance completely yourself. By choosing which modules you take out yourself, you make the insurance customized. Moreover, this also allows you to influence the costs.

Insurers employ their own lawyers and attorneys. If you find yourself in a legal dispute, they will offer you a lawyer employed by their organization. However, you are not obliged to choose this lawyer. You may always choose your own lawyer with legal expenses insurance. This is the right to free choice of lawyer.

The right to free choice of lawyer only applies if your insurer decides to take legal action. This is because in the case of a legal conflict, engaging a lawyer is not always mandatory. Whether it is necessary depends on the type of conflict.

You probably don't expect to ever need legal expenses insurance. Yet a legal conflict is more common than you may think. Whether it is necessary to take out legal expenses insurance depends on your personal situation and your financial assets.

Suppose you find yourself in a legal dispute, are you able to pay the legal fees yourself? Costs for a lawyer can be high. Often, the annual premium for legal expenses insurance is a lot less than the cost an attorney charges per hour.

Which legal expenses insurance you need depends on your needs. There are a total of four modules, namely Consumer & Housing, Income, Traffic and Tax Law & Property. Are you on the road a lot for your work? Then you might consider turning on the Traffic module, for example. When determining the right modules, you can also look at the insurance policies you already have. Do you already have legal assistance insured with your car insurance? Then you do not need to activate the Traffic module.

Legal expenses insurance is not the cheapest insurance. If you want to be extensively insured, the monthly premium can sometimes rise considerably. Fortunately, you can tailor the insurance to your needs. What is the cheapest legal expenses insurance for you depends on your personal situation and the number of modules you take out.

Of course, the more modules you take out, the more expensive the insurance becomes. To help you find the cheapest legal expenses insurance, we have created a roadmap for you.

Normally, legal expenses insurance has a waiting period. A number of insurers now offer legal expenses insurance without a waiting period . After taking out the insurance, you are then immediately insured in the event of a conflict. Be careful though, because there are often a number of conditions attached.

Similarly, legal expenses insurance that you can use immediately excludes ongoing conflict. So it still makes no sense to take out legal expenses insurance the day you are fired or become embroiled in a conflict with your landlord.

Some insurers, for certain disputes, offer coverage only in the Netherlands and not throughout Europe. If you also want coverage abroad for certain disputes, it is important to pay close attention to this when comparing. Many disputes will actually take place in the Netherlands.

For example, disputes regarding work and income, such as over an employment contract and with pension claims. It is important that when taking out legal expenses insurance you pay attention to what coverage is best for you. Do you often travel abroad or own a home abroad? Then pay close attention to the coverage abroad.

Disputes abroad

Some disputes that do (or can) occur abroad are named below.

Accidents

The accident coverage of your legal expenses insurance is often valid throughout Europe and in some cases you even have worldwide coverage. Here you are not only insured for accidents by car, but also as a (moped) cyclist or pedestrian.

Consumer Affairs

Are you buying something abroad or renting a car over which a dispute arises with the rental company? It varies by insurer whether these disputes are covered. One insurer covers this within Europe or the European Union. Some insurers offer no coverage at all for this abroad.

Second home abroad

Do you own a second home abroad and a conflict arises about it? It is not always possible to call on your legal assistance insurance. Usually the coverage is limited to within the Netherlands. It is possible that insurers cover conflicts within Europe, but only if you use the house yourself and do not rent it out.

It is important to consider what the best coverage is for you when purchasing legal expenses insurance. Do you often travel abroad or even own property abroad? Pay close attention to the coverage, including the additional modules.

In the case of divorce, legal expenses insurance coverage is often limited. This is because it is a dispute between two insureds on the same policy. When coverage is available, it is often only for mediation. In mediation, you and your partner are helped by an independent (third) party.

This party is called the mediator. He or she helps make agreements and takes into account both you and your partner's feelings. The maximum amount you can spend under your legal expenses insurance can be found in the policy conditions.

Many insurance policies involve a deductible. Although with legal expenses insurance you get legal help and never compensation for the amount of the claim, some insurers have instituted a deductible.

How exactly does the deductible work? Basically the same as with any other insurance policy. You pay the first amount of the legal costs incurred yourself. Up to the amount of the deductible.

What is a franchise?

The deductible is not to be confused with franchise. Franchise is threshold below which the legal expenses insurer will not consider a claim. Insurers use this amount to avoid incurring many costs when dealing with a legal conflict over something of small value. Only when the damage suffered as a result of the conflict is above the threshold amount can you claim on your legal expenses insurance.

A conflict due to a traffic accident is very common. For example, you may be hit on a bicycle, as a pedestrian or as a driver of a car or moped. A conflict may then arise about who is the guilty party. With legal assistance insurance you will get legal help in defending your innocence and holding the other party liable. Your insurer will also help you recover damages from the other party.

It is always possible that you may find yourself in conflict with your employer. For example, you may disagree with the reason for your dismissal, there may be contractual problems or a conflict regarding maternity leave or retirement. A disagreement may also arise about the amount of your benefits from the UWV.

In the event of an employment dispute, your insurer will help you resolve the disputes. It is nice not to be alone, as it can sometimes be quite difficult to face your employer in a conflict. For an individual, legal expenses insurance offers a solution to this.

Divorce, of course, is never fun. There is often a lot of sadness and sometimes anger involved. This is easily expressed in a conflict, for example about children, the house, savings and other possessions. Divorce is excluded from most legal expenses insurance policies, because it is a dispute between two insured parties on the same policy.

In some cases, mediation is co-insured. Mediation is a form of mediation by an independent third party to help you and your partner reach an agreement. Here, the mediator looks at the wishes and feelings of both parties, and helps them when things get stuck. This often prevents a lot of frustration and strife.

Neighbor disputes can sometimes run high. The television program De Rijdende Rechter proves that. Although a little neighborhood drama is fun when you are sitting in front of the television, it is less fun when it happens to you yourself. There are countless situations through which conflict between neighbors can arise.

For example, a dispute may arise about the property boundary, overhanging vegetation, the right of way, noise nuisance, the installation of a hedge or shed, building damage or a conflict about renovation plans. If the conflict has been going on for some time or emotions are running high, it can be difficult to find a solution together. Legal expenses insurance offers the solution.