Legal Expenses Insurance (or LEI as it’s also called sometimes) is becoming more common in today’s legal environment. This type of insurance is often included as part of your home or motor insurance for an additional fee and it can cover the potential costs of legal action brought by or against you if you are the policyholder. The premiums can vary in cost and will often depend on the provider and level of cover they provide you with.
Property litigation
Here in the property department, we have a number of clients who are funded through their Legal Expenses Insurance policies. These policies are useful, as they provide a level of support and funding that may not be available to many people, especially given the fact that litigation in property disputes can easily escalate to the tens of thousands of pounds.
Boundary disputes and Legal Expenses Insurance
The policies cover a wide range of property disputes, from boundary disputes to rights of way and beyond. However, an LEI policy will not necessarily cover all types of legal claim for your property. It is very rare that an Legal Expenses Insurance policy allows someone simply to determine the boundary of their land. It is also rare for these types of policy to cover disputes or incidents that began before the policy was taken out.
Legal Expenses Insurance policies also usually provide cover for the costs of the other party involved in the action, which can provide great reassurance when embarking on litigation. When you start a claim under an insurance policy, the aim is always to resolve matters quickly for you without the necessity of court proceedings. However if that is not possible, we do have to look to the court for redress.
We have a large team of property lawyers that practise solely in disputes of this type. If you have insurance cover, you can be assured that you are being referred to experts in the field who have your best interests at heart.
If you have any questions about Legal Expenses Insurance policies or property disputes, please feel free to contact Property Disputes team Partner Karen Maher by emailing [email protected] or calling 0117 904 5779.
