When shopping around for car insurance, legal cover can seem like an unnecessary added extra, especially since we know price is an important deciding factor for a lot of drivers.
It can be tempting to remove any optional elements, like legal cover – or ‘Motor Legal Protection’, to give it its proper name.
But could this cost you in the long run? To help you figure out the best option for you, we’ve put together this guide to explain what legal cover is, how and when to use it, and your alternatives if you decide against it.
What can you use legal cover for?
Motor Legal Protection is there to cover the legal expenses involved with claiming compensation against someone else, when you’re involved in an accident that’s not your fault and if you have a reasonable chance of winning the case.
That compensation you claim could be used to compensate you for several things, such as lost earnings (because of an injury) or the cost of taxis, trains or a hire car while yours is off the road waiting to be repaired.
Beyond that, exactly what is covered will vary depending on your insurer. With Admiral, for instance, you can use Motor Legal Protection to:
- Defend yourself against a motoring prosecution
- Claim back uninsured losses, like personal possessions damaged or lost in an accident
- Claim back your policy excess or £500 (whichever is the greater) if you’re hit by an uninsured driver
- Resolve contract disputes relating to your car (such as your finance agreement, for instance).
It also provides 24/7 access to legal advice. This can be helpful, especially if you need to know whether or not you have a claim worth pursuing, because your potential payout could be less than you imagined.
What can’t you use legal cover for?
Motor Legal Protection is designed for use in motoring-related claims, so you can’t use it to cover legal expenses for anything that falls outside of the motoring arena – like a boundary dispute with your neighbour, a personal injury claim after a trip or fall, or employment disputes.
What information do you need to make a legal claim?
If you’re hoping to make a claim against a third party, you will need all the usual details: name, address, the car’s registration number, insurer’s name and contact telephone number. If possible, get hold of their policy number too.
How much does it cost?
The cost varies from one insurer to another. The cost of a year’s Motor Legal Cover from Admiral can vary, but you can find out more on our Motor Legal Protection page.
How much legal cover should you have?
The amount of cover offered by an insurer will be different. With Admiral, you’re insured for up to £100,000 of solicitor (or other legal) fees.
The amount of legal cover you need will depend on your circumstances. However, it’s worth remembering that the total amount of your cover is a good indicator of the potential bill you may have to cover the cost privately if you didn’t have legal cover.
What are the alternatives to legal cover?
Switch on the TV during the day, and it won’t take long to find an advert for solicitors offering ‘no win, no fee’ representation. A ‘no win, no fee’ representation from a solicitor means that all the risk is on them if the case doesn’t go in your favour, which means you won’t end up out of pocket if you decide to proceed with using their services.
The downfall of such an arrangement is laid out in the name: if you win, you’ll have to pay a fee. Since no solicitor wants to lose money, you may find they refuse to take on your case if they think you’re unlikely to win.
Alternatively, they might deduct a sizeable chunk of any award you’re given. And remember, even if you win, you might not receive a payout (if, for instance, you’re defending yourself against an accusation).
How to arrange legal cover
Some insurance policies provide legal cover as standard, but with Admiral it’s optional – just in case you really do decide you can live without it and want to save the cost.
You’ll be offered the cover automatically when you get a quote from us. If you decide against taking it out, you can always add it at a later date. It’s also possible to purchase a standalone policy that’s independent to your motor insurance.
Head to our Motor Legal Protection page to learn more.
