FAMILY Legal expenses
Receive up to £100,000 towards legal costs
Family Legal Expenses covers up to £100,000 in legal costs, giving you peace of mind and access to professional legal support when you need it. So if you have an issue at work relating to your employment contract or a neighbour dispute relating to your main home, for example, you can make a claim.
This is an optional add-on provided by ARAG Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited (ARAG LEI) to our Bronze, Silver or Gold home Insurance policies.
What is Legal expenses insurance?
Legal expenses insurance helps to cover the cost of legal representation and related expenses following an insured incident. It’s designed to protect you from the financial impact of legal costs, such as solicitors’ fees, court or tribunal costs, and mediation or dispute resolution expenses. This includes the cost of an appointed legal representative acting on your behalf, and costs and expenses incurred during the legal process. It can also cover any lost earnings if you need to attend court or are not able to work.
Some everyday situations which are covered with Legal expenses insurance include:
Contract disputes for goods or services that you’ve bought or hired or issues you’ve had with selling goods (minimum dispute value of £100, including VAT)
Issues relating to your employment contract including redundancy disputes or if you are unfairly dismissed.
If you’re injured in an accident or have suffered from clinical negligence.
Disputes over poor workmanship carried out by a tradesperson in your home.
What’s covered by Legal expenses insurance?
The main scenarios covered by Legal expenses insurance include:
Personal injuries
You and your family are covered for personal injury claims arising from challenging life events such as sudden accidents and injuries that were not your fault within the UK and the European Union.
Clinical negligence within the UK
This is where a negligent act of surgery or identified negligent clinical or medical procedure, has caused bodily injury or death.
Property disputes
Legal expenses insurance can also be useful in relation to disputes regarding damage to your property, legal nuisance or trespassing. You’ll be covered for disputes with neighbours over issues such as:
Boundaries
Encroaching tree roots
Rights of light
Contract disputes
Cover for contract disputes relating to buying or hiring in goods or service, such as the purchase of white goods for your home or when a contractor is carrying out home improvements. Cover also includes contractual disputes when buying your selling your main property.
Employment disputes
Legal expenses insurance covers you for redundancy disputes, unfair dismissal or discrimination at work. This includes maternity discrimination and similar unjust treatment.
Jury service
Jury service is something that can crop up at an inconvenient time in your everyday life. With Legal expenses insurance, your net salary or wages are covered for the time you’re absent from work, less any amount the court gives you.
Tax investigations
If HMRC decides to investigate your taxes, Legal expenses insurance covers any legal representation needed and related costs.
Why should I have legal expenses insurance?
Why should I have Legal expenses insurance?
Legal expenses insurance can assist you in resolving disputes without going to court. But if you do end up in court, your costs will be covered there too - up to £100,000 in total per claim.
You’ll have 24/7 access to legal advice, as well as a 24/7 confidential counselling helpline. You’ll also have access to tax advice and health and medical information services - both of which are open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public and bank holidays). And, there’s no excess to pay when you make a claim.
Is there anything Legal expenses insurance doesn’t cover?
There’s a full list in your policy document, but as an overview the types of situations that aren’t covered include:
Marital disputes including divorce
Problems with landlords
Inheritance and probate issues
If you are arrested for a suspected crime
Parking fines, speeding tickets, etc
It also won’t cover anything that occurred before you added it to your John Lewis home insurance policy.
Not yet covered by John Lewis?
Insure your home and valuables today by getting a quote online.
We also offer Specialist home insurance for unique homes and high-value contents
Bronze / Silver / Gold insurance cover
John Lewis Money Home Insurance is a trading name of John Lewis Finance Limited. Registered in England and Wales company number 15785347. Registered office: 1 Drummond Gate, Pimlico, London SW1V 2QQ. John Lewis Finance Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance distribution and credit broking (Firm Reference Number: 1018169).
Pay monthly option for your home insurance is under a contract with Premium Credit Limited (a company registered in England and Wales with company number 02015200 whose registered office is at Ermyn House, Ermyn Way, Leatherhead, KT22 8UX). John Lewis Finance Limited acts as a credit broker when introducing you to Premium Credit Limited, not a lender. Premium Credit Limited will pay John Lewis Finance Limited a commission if your credit application is successful.
Home Emergency and Home Legal Expenses cover is underwritten by ARAG Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited a company registered in England and Wales (company number: 103274) (FCA number 202106) having its registered office at Unit 4a Greenway Court, Bedwas, Caerphilly, Wales, CF83 8DW.
John Lewis plc is an appointed representative for John Lewis Finance Limited for insurance distribution and credit broking and registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number: 416011). Registered in England and Wales company number 233462. Registered office: 1 Drummond Gate, Pimlico, London SW1V 2QQ.
Covéa Insurance plc – our Specialist Home Insurance cover
John Lewis plc is an appointed representative (firm reference number: 416011) of Covéa Insurance plc, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (firm reference number: 202277).
John Lewis Specialist Home Insurance is underwritten by Covéa Insurance plc. Registered Office: A & B Mills, Dean Clough, Halifax, HX3 5AX. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number 613259.