This insurance (Rechtbijstandverzekering) covers legal expenses in the event of a lawsuit or a legal dispute. Think about conflicts at work, not receiving your salary, having to get compensation from the person who caused you damage or an unsuccessful home renovation. Legal aid insurance can cover different areas or modules.
Just under half of the Dutch population have some form of legal expenses insurance. As a result of this, they don’t have to pay for expensive lawyers should a contentious situation arise.
Examples of these modules are tax and social legislation (income and employment), traffic and housing. It depends on the module or modules you choose in which cases you can claim help and support from your legal assistance insurance. You can often also opt for legal assistance abroad, for example for problems during a holiday.
The legal assistance insurer offers you legal assistance by a lawyer or by specialized lawyers and other experts. Also the costs that are involved in a legal procedure are covered by a legal assistance insurance.
In addition to conflicts, a legal assistance insurance can also offer a solution in case of (unjustified) criminal prosecution. If you are facing prosecution for a crime or misdemeanour, your legal assistance insurance may entitle you to legal aid during the course of the criminal proceedings. (NB: in such a case it is necessary that the case falls within the insured module or modules. For example, if you have taken out legal assistance insurance for traffic, this does not entitle you to legal assistance in a criminal case in the field of taxation).
Legal expenses insurances are offered by various insurers and can therefore differ considerably in price. However, when you have to pay for legal assistance yourself, chances are that you will end up paying more than when you decide to pay a premium for a good legal assistance insurance.
Whether you really need legal expenses insurance is something you never know in advance. Consider the necessity of a legal expenses policy. For small disputes, it is not worth paying premiums for years.
But if you are going to make a lot of big expenses or expect a lot of changes, the chance of a dispute is greater. Think about buying a new house or a major renovation. A legal assistance insurance could come in handy then.
In short: legal expenses insurance can save you a lot of trouble and money. There are many insurers who offer legal expenses insurance. Think carefully about the modules for which you want to take out legal expenses insurance. Then read the conditions carefully and find out which module is covered by the insurance. Can’t work it out yourself? Please contact us and together we will arrange the best legal expenses insurance for you.
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