Legal protection

For a variety of reasons, homeowners of any age can find themselves involved unexpectedly in legal disputes that require professional advice, services and action that can in many instances amount to considerable sums of money. This is where Personal Legal Protection from RIAS comes in.

Provided by Arc Legal Assistance Limited and underwritten by Ageas Insurance Limited, this optional extra available to our home insurance customers provides up to £50,000 for the pursuit of a wide range of disputes.

What does Legal Expenses cover? 

• Personal injury: providing aid in relation to taking compensatory legal action against a person or organisation directly responsible for your personal injury or death following an accident.
• Clinical negligence: an increasingly frequent occurrence these days, negligent action and/or advice on the part of medical clinicians can result in considerable injury, limitations and other consequences including the loss of life, so Personal Legal Protection contributes towards the cost of paying for legal assistance.
• Pursuit and defence of contractual disputes: in case legal action is taken against you by another person who claims a breach of contract has occurred after buying goods from you for their private use; or conversely to pursue a claim against a person from whom you bought or rented goods or services for your private use.
• Tax investigation: if HMRC subjects you to a full enquiry into your personal income tax, Personal Legal Protection will contribute towards or cover the fees charged by advisors instructed by your accountant, providing you’ve maintained proper and accurate records, all tax returns have been filed and paid promptly and HMRC has been provided with all the information they have requested.
• Employment disputes: if you take legal action against a current or former employer because you believe they have breached your contract of employment, the advisors’ costs in pursuing legal action through an employment tribunal or similar will be covered providing the policy’s criteria are met.
• Defence of motoring prosecutions: in circumstances where your use of a vehicle results in a motoring offence or other related legal action being taken against you, this optional insurance will contribute towards your legal advisors’ fees. Pleas in mitigation can also be covered in certain circumstances. Parking violations that do not attract driving licence penalty points are not covered and you must have been insured to drive the vehicle and not disqualified at the time the offence occurred.
• Property: if a person or organisation trespasses or causes a nuisance within the boundaries of your home, legal advice and services will be covered in pursuing legal action against them, along with damage caused to your main home if it meets certain restrictions.

Understanding the claim process

• You must report claims within 180 days of the incident occurring and have more than a 50% chance of success to be accepted.
• In the case of contracts under dispute, only those entered into after the policy begins will be covered.
• Legal costs that have already been paid or have been agreed to be paid before the claim has been accepted will not be included.

More information

Our Legal Expenses cover also offers access to additional services:

• RIAS Total Legal provides a wide ranging legal service for issues such as wills, probate, divorce and child custody.
• The Arc Legal Document Service provides access to a range of free legal documents online, assistance with completing the documents and access to a variety of additional family law documents you can try for free before purchasing.

For further information on the benefits offered by Legal Expenses cover, please review our full policy wording.