Should You Add Legal Cover to Home Insurance?

Understanding how legal cover works could help you act confidently if you ever end up in a sticky legal situation you wish you weren't in. However, with all the add-ons and costs through the roof, you may be asking, should you add legal cover to home insurance?

In this insight, will cover one of the lesser-known benefits of a good home insurance policy, and answer the question, what is home insurance legal cover?

Key Takeaways

• Home insurance legal cover provides legal advice for any legal disputes you're involved in.
• Your home insurance provider can help advise you of your legal rights and what courses of action to take.
• Any expenses, as a result of a legal dispute, can be claimed for on your home insurance policy.
• Disputes at work, such as unfair dismissal can be claimed for as part of your home insurance legal cover. However, you should speak with your home insurance provider before taking any actions.

What is Home Insurance legal cover?

Home insurance legal cover provides legal advice and assistance for various legal disputes that homeowners may encounter. It includes guidance on legal rights, available courses of action, and the need for legal representation.

Expenses related to legal disputes can be claimed under the policy, and coverage may extend to contract disputes, personal injury claims, clinical negligence, property protection, and jury service, amongst other things.

Things don’t always go to plan. Sometimes you may find yourself in a position where you need legal support. Naturally, difficulties can arise in everyday life and expert legal help may be required to help resolve these.

Home insurance legal cover can assist you throughout these issues. As soon as you have a legal issue you cannot resolve you are able to contact your Home insurance legal disputes support team. If you have cover, they will ask if you require legal advice or intend to make a claim. You are then passed on to a member of the legal team who can advise you on a few things:

• What your legal rights are.
• What courses of action are available to you.
• Whether you can implement actions yourself.
• Whether you need a lawyer to help.

If you need to make a claim, as legal cases are complex, the claim details are logged and a decision is normally made within 5 working days on whether you can be accepted or not.

Should You Add Legal Cover to Home Insurance?

Deciding whether to add legal cover to your home insurance policy depends on your needs. It can be helpful if you want support and protection in case of legal issues related to your home. Legal cover provides guidance, legal advice, and coverage for legal expenses. Consider how likely you are to face legal problems, the cost of the coverage, and how much peace of mind it gives you. 

How much Home Insurance Legal Cover is needed?

Not all policies include legal cover as a standard. More often it is an add-on to your policy. That means you will need to pay for the additional benefit. Generally, legal expenses cover can range between £25,000 to £100,000.

There is no right or wrong amount of cover you can have, when you are quoted legal cover it usually covers a maximum recommended amount for a flat fee. There is no further input needed over how much cover is required. However, if you require further cover you will be able to request a specialist quote based on the cover amount needed.

What's Included With Home Insurance Legal Cover?

Legal expenses cover can also be extended beyond what happens at a workplace. These include:

Contract disputes

Covering you and your family for the legal costs and expenses as a result of contract disputes usually involving the buying or selling of goods and services where an agreement was involved.

Personal Injury

Covering you and your family for costs and expenses to claim compensation as a result of a specific and sudden accident that has led to serious bodily injury or death. This does not include any gradual injuries or psychological illnesses.

Clinical Negligence

Covering the costs and expenses incurred for claiming compensation for clinical negligence after a medical procedure that has caused bodily injury or death.

Property Protection

Covering the costs and legal expenses incurred in civil disputes relating to your personal home. Such as an event that causes physical damage to property worth more than £100, a trespass, or unlawful interference relating to your land.

Jury service

Cover for the costs incurred for absence from work attending Jury service.  The maximum payable amount is equal to your salary minus expenses received from the court and your employer.

Common Home Insurance Legal Cover Claims

• Unfair dismissal and contract disputes
• Future contract disputes
• Accidents in the workplace
• Faulty equipment
• Injury as a result of somebody's negligence

Claiming on your Home Insurance Legal Cover

If you have a legal problem, the first thing you should do is contact your home insurance provider. They will help you understand what happened and what rights you have. It's really important not to talk to a lawyer before talking to your insurance provider because they might not cover your claim if you do. If you need it, your legal expenses cover can pay for the costs and even find a solicitor to help you. So always talk to your insurance provider first when you have a legal issue.

What's not included with home insurance legal cover?

Your home insurance provider must agree that your claim is of 'reasonable prospects' to be eligible. That means they believe you lawfully have a case to make. They can refuse your claim if they believe it is not reasonable. For example, you will not have cover for:

• All claims made outside your cover period. 
• Costs and expenses occurred before claim acceptance.
• The excess, if any. Most policies do not charge an excess for legal cover.

There will be further specifics covered in your policy document relating to each claim type.

Does Home Insurance legal cover include employment disputes?

Some of the common legal issues that can arise as part of everyday life arise from the workplace. Despite being common issues, they may still require legal expertise to resolve. If you have opted to include legal expenses cover in your home insurance policy you will normally be covered for these common issues resulting from your employment.

Further Home Insurance Common Queries:

• Does Home Insurance Cover Mobile Phones?
• Does Home Insurance Cover Boiler Repairs?
• Does Home Insurance Cover Cracked Walls?

Advice on home insurance legal cover

If you need further information on home insurance legal cover, or you are looking for insurance advice. You can complete the Sunny Avenue Fact Find for insurance advice. We use the answers you provide to help us to find the most suitable adviser for your needs. The adviser will then contact you to explain how they can help. You decide how to proceed.