In this increasingly litigious society, businesses face the constant threat of legal action and the weight of increasing legislation that must be complied with.

The cost of defending actions against you, or indeed pursuing your own legal rights is often prohibitive, and in some cases may cause businesses to close. Many people are deterred from taking legal action because of the financial risk and uncertainty of the outcome. This is where legal expenses insurance (LEI) can help.

Commercial Legal Expenses is a product designed to help you with these costs and also provide you with invaluable guidance on a continuing basis available to you on a helpline.

Unlike conventional insurance, LEI does not make a direct payment for a claim. Instead, the insurance covers the legal costs involved in pursuing or defending a claim. Legal costs include the appointment of solicitors, barristers and expert witnesses. In many cases, the LEI provider manages the claim from start to finish.

Typically, cover is provided for the legal expenses that the policyholder may incur in most personal injury, consumer, property and employment disputes, as well as for any award of the other party’s legal costs. Normally, there is a requirement that if a policyholder makes a claim for legal expenses, any legal action for which the expenses are incurred must have a reasonable prospect of success. The policyholder is also usually required to accept any reasonable offer of settlement.

Dependent on the Policy opted for the Key Areas of Protection available include.

Employment Disputes
Provides legal costs and expenses in defending civil proceedings and appeals.

Legal Defence
Provides legal costs and expenses for defence and appeals in respect of civil and criminal proceedings for both the policy holder and employees in the course of their employment.

Data Protection
Provides legal costs and expenses for representation and defence of proceedings brought under the Data Protection Act.

Contract Disputes
Provides legal costs and expenses to pursue and defend a dispute with a supplier or customer.

TAX, PAYE and VAT Protection
Provides legal costs, expenses and accountants fees to represent the policy holder in an in-depth investigation by the Inland Revenue or Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise.

Property
Provides legal costs and expenses to pursue the Policyholder’s legal rights to recover damages following injury or damage to property from a third party.

License Protection
Provides legal costs and expenses for actions brought against you to suspend, alter or revoke your license.

Bodily Injury
Provides legal costs and expenses to pursue the insured persons legal rights to recover damages following injury from a third party.

Attendance Expenses
Provides expenses in respect of any absence from work when attending any court, tribunal or arbitration hearing as a witness or a defendant at our request.

Click below for a DAS legal Expensese proposal form in PDF.

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