Legal Cover in Car Insurance: Costs and Coverage Explained

What Is Legal Protection in Car Insurance?

Legal protection, sometimes known as motor legal protection or legal expenses insurance, is something you can add to your car insurance policy. It can help you pay for legal costs if you have a road accident that is not your fault. This kind of cover helps with legal expenses like solicitor fees and court fees if you choose to take legal action. You can also use legal protection when you want to ask for money back for losses your insurance policy did not cover.

Legal protection does not come with a normal car insurance policy, even if you have full coverage. If you want legal protection to be part of your car insurance or motor insurance, you have to pay a small fee. This small fee is usually about £20 to £30 each year.

What Does Legal Protection Cover?

Legal protection insurance is there to help you after you have a road accident. Most legal expenses insurance plans will be there for you in a few ways. You can see some of the ways below:

To have your legal claim accepted, you have to show the insurer that you have a reasonable chance to win. Most of the time, you need to prove that there is a 51% or higher chance that you will win the case. The insurance policy will tell you how they check this.

Is Legal Protection Required by Law in the UK?

No, you do not have to get legal protection under UK law. UK rules say that drivers must have third party liability insurance. This is the only type of insurance that you must have by law. Still, many people add legal protection insurance to their cover. They do this so they feel safer and do not worry about money if they get into a legal fight with another driver.

Who Might Benefit Most from Legal Cover?

Legal protection can help many drivers in the UK. It is good to have if:

• You use your car to get to work or to help with your business.
• You want help to get your money back after an accident when the other person did not have insurance.
• You do not have the money to pay legal fees or to hire a solicitor.
• You want to call a helpline to get legal advice about motoring problems.

Adding legal cover to your motor insurance can help you in more than one way. If you have an accident with an uninsured driver, it can make things easier when you deal with claims. You may also get help to get back any lost money from time off work because of the accident. Plus, you will have legal support ready, right when you need it. This can give you peace of mind. Your motor insurance and legal cover will work together to protect you.

Does Legal Cover Include Legal Advice?

Yes, most motor legal protection plans come with a legal advice helpline. You can call this helpline any time of the day or night. When you call, you will speak with trained legal professionals. They help you understand road traffic laws, motor legal protection, motoring offences, and other areas of law that link to driving. This service gives you legal protection and good support when you need help.

This service is good to use if you are not sure about taking legal action. It can also help you by giving advice on how to talk with the other driver or with their insurer.

How Much Does Legal Protection Insurance Cost?

Adding motor legal cover to your car insurance policy does not cost much. Most UK companies offer this legal cover for a fixed price as an add-on to your insurance policy.

Most policies will cover legal expenses up to £100,000. This amount is enough for most people to handle legal costs in motor insurance claims.

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What Are Uninsured Losses?

Uninsured losses are costs that your main car insurance does not cover. These things can be:

• You have to pay your policy excess.
• The cost to fix personal things, like your phone, your clothes, or your glasses.
• Paying for a hire car or a taxi if you have been in an accident.
• Loss of the money you get from work, because you got hurt or had to go to court.

Legal protection can help you get back what you lost from the other driver or from their insurer. You do not have to pay for the legal claim yourself.

Is It Worth Paying the Extra Cost?

Legal protection insurance is something a lot of drivers choose because it helps them feel safe. The price is not high, especially compared to what you might have to pay if you are in legal proceedings. A short chat with a solicitor can cost you at least £150 every hour. Legal costs during a dispute can go over £5,000 in no time. This is why many people want to have legal protection. It is a way to make sure they do not face these high legal costs without help.

Motor legal protection can help you cover the costs if you need to make a legal claim. You only need to pay a small fee for this. With legal protection, you do not have to face everything on your own. This can take away a lot of the stress that comes when you make a legal claim.

What Is the Process of Making a Legal Claim?

If you are in an accident and you feel that the other person is at fault, this is how legal protection works.

1. Contact your insurer. Give them your policy number, and tell them all the details about what happened.
2. Provide supporting documents. This could be photos, the names and info of people who saw it, or police reports.
3. Insurer assesses the case. They will look at all of it to see if there is a reasonable chance of winning.
4. Legal team takes over. They will get in touch with the other driver or their insurer.
5. Case may settle out of court. But if needed, it can move forward to legal proceedings.

If you win, you get back the cost of your uninsured losses and legal expenses with your motor legal cover. This legal cover helps you pay for legal expenses, so you do not have extra costs. Motor legal cover is there to protect you if you need it.

Are There Exclusions to Be Aware Of?

Yes. Legal protection will often not cover some things. People call these things exclusions.

• Cases where you be the one to cause the accident
• Legal action that is not about a road traffic accident
• Claims that do not have a reasonable chance of winning
• Disputes happen if legal fees be higher than what you ask for
• Claims start before you got the policy

Always read the policy terms to be sure of what it does and does not cover. Some insurance companies want you to send in claims within a certain time. Make sure you know when to send your claim.

How Does Legal Cover Compare with Liability Insurance?

Liability insurance is there to help you if you hurt someone or cause damage to their things. It will pay for the costs so you do not have to use your own money. Legal protection insurance is what you need if someone else causes you to lose money. This type of insurance can help you get what you should get as fair pay.

Legal protection and liability insurance work together. They help to keep you and your money safe.

Can I Get Legal Cover with Home or Other Insurance?

Yes, some home insurance plans or legal protection insurance can help with certain areas of law. You may get help with things like legal services for motoring issues, employment disputes, or problems with your property. But, legal protection through these plans may not be as good or specialised as you would get with a separate motor legal cover. A motor legal cover is made just for these legal situations. So, if you want help for legal protection in motoring or a certain area of law, it may be better to get a different policy.

If you want help that works for you, think about adding legal protection to your car insurance policy. This will make sure you get the support you need with your insurance policy and car insurance.

Can You Add Legal Cover Later?

Yes, most insurers let you add legal protection after you have bought an insurance policy. But there may be some time limits for this. For example, you usually cannot add legal expenses if an accident has already happened. When you have car insurance, talk to your insurer to see if you can add legal expenses during your policy.

Should You Add Legal Protection When You Compare Car Insurance?

When you look at car insurance quotes, check if legal protection is included in the policy. Sometimes it is not there, and you may have to buy it as an extra. A few tools let you filter the car insurance options. These tools show you only the ones that offer legal expenses or legal expenses insurance.

Adding motor legal protection gives you:

• You get help with money, so you do not have to pay big legal fees.
• You can get legal advice and support at any time you need it.
• There is a clear process to claim money back for any losses that the cover does not include.

You can often turn this feature on or off when you look at car insurance. You will see right away how it changes the final price.

Correct as of 28 July 2025

FAQs About Legal Cover in Car Insurance