Car insurance should i take legal cover

What is legal expenses insurance? How do I buy legal expenses insurance? Is legal expenses insurance the same as liability cover? How much does legal expenses insurance cost?

Is legal expenses insurance worth it? What are the alternatives to legal expenses insurance? Car insurance Home insurance. Insurer Premium. Provider Premium. Money podcast. Our free weekly show helping you make sense of your finances. Listen now. Latest insurance news. The seven things that scare insurers — and what you can do to get affordable cover. Related guides in Which? In Insurance.

Best and worst car insurance. Use our expert analysis to find the best car insurance policy and the companies offering top-notch customer service. Best and worst home insurance. Find out how home insurers scored for customer satisfaction and the quality of their policies, including our Recommended Providers. Are you likely to need it? Think about whether the peace of mind of being covered is worth the added cost. Legal cover provides financial protection against legal fees and losses following an accident that was not your fault.

It is used to reclaim uninsured losses not covered by your standard car insurance policy. For example if someone sues you or you need to go to court to get money back from an uninsured driver. You can buy a separate legal protection policy if not. Legal cover is often offered as an optional benefit that you can choose to add to your car insurance policy for an additional cost. Alternatively, you can get free standalone legal cover from Free Motor Legal.

Visit their website to find out more about what they offer. By becoming a member of this scheme, Free Motor Legal will put you in touch with legal representatives who will fight your case — again, only if they deem it winnable — on a no win, no fee basis, from which Free Motor Legal also receives a commission.

You can use your legal cover to claim uninsured losses, including:. Recovery of car repair costs if you do not have a comprehensive policy. Legal cover does not pay out compensation to you but recovers the legal costs you incur when you pursue a third party for damages. If successful you would reclaim the lost earnings from the other party. Legal expenses like court fees would also be covered. Make sure you have all your details to hand including your policy number and car registration.

Call your insurer on their claims line you can find this on your policy documents. Your insurer will then appoint a solicitor to act for you, or you may be able to nominate your own representation.

They will also contact the other party's insurer to let them know you want to recover costs not covered by your insurance.

Read our guide on making a car insurance claim for more details on the process. Your insurer may not accept your legal expenses claim if they feel it has a low probability of success, for example if it is not clear who is at fault for an accident. The cost of prosecutions for parking offences, drink driving or violent conduct.

Your insurer may also reject your claim if too much time has passed since the incident, or the amount you are contesting is not worth going to court for. Check your policy for a full list of exclusions that apply to your cover. If you have added legal cover to your car insurance you should be able to have it removed at no extra cost. You will then receive a partial refund for the cover you have not used, or a reduction in premiums if you pay monthly.

If the cover is included in your policy as standard you may not be able to have it removed. Contact your insurer to find out where you stand. Think carefully before you choose to remove legal cover. Although it will reduce the cost of your insurance it could potentially save you thousands if you need to use it. See a range of car insurance quotes in just a few minutes when you compare with Uswitch. Car insurance legal cover, also known as motor legal protection, will cover your legal fees if you decide to take legal action following a motor accident that wasn't your fault.

This might be used to make a claim against the other driver, or to give you legal protection if someone else is making a claim against you.

It can cover:. Personal injury: to yourself or any passengers. Loss of earnings: if you're unable to work due to an injury.

Loss of possessions: if they're damaged in an accident and aren't covered elsewhere. Legal protection insurance can help you recover money lost due to personal injury or any earnings lost as a result of an accident, as well as covering travel expenses. It can also protect you if you cause the accident and the other driver decides to sue you. It will not pay you compensation or give you a lump sum of cash following an accident, even if it was not your fault.

It is a relatively low fee for what could save you thousands of pounds later on. You may be able to recover money lost due to an injury, loss of earnings or travel expenses. It can be a relatively inexpensive add-on to your car insurance policy.

You may not be covered if the amount of money being contested is not high enough to cover legal costs. If your lawyers believe the case is no longer going in your favour, the insurer could stop covering legal expenses before the case is over.