Legal Cover Car Insurance

Legal Cover Car Insurance – what is it, and is it included as standard?

Most drivers know that they’ll have three levels of cover to choose from when they’re taking out a new car insurance policy: third party only, third party, fire and theft or fully comprehensive.

Something fewer drivers might be familiar with, though, are the range of policy add-ons that may or may not come with a car insurance policy as standard.

Car insurance legal cover is one example of such an add-on, and is intended to help motorists cover the cost of legal fees if they are sued by someone else.

The reason there’s confusion around the car insurance legal cover add-on is that many motorists assume it’s an automatic part of a fully-comprehensive car insurance policy – after all, as the name suggests, it is supposed to be fully comprehensive.

However, the comprehensive nature of a fully-comp insurance policy relates to the fact the policy will cover damage to your own vehicle, damage to a third party’s vehicle or property, as well as any injuries people in other vehicles might suffer. As such this type of policy doesn’t necessarily cover any legal fees you might occur if you’re taken to court.

Still, the vast majority of car insurance providers will let you add legal cover to your car insurance policy, and some may even include it automatically as an incentive to buy their particular policy.

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Is legal cover mandatory in the UK?

No, while car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK, it isn’t mandatory that you opt for a car insurance policy with legal cover.

In fact, the only type of car insurance that is mandatory is third party cover, because the legal requirement is intended to protect third parties when you get behind the wheel.

Do I need legal cover on car insurance?

Although it isn’t mandatory to include legal cover with your car insurance, it’s still worth considering this policy ‘add-on’ if it doesn’t come as standard with your policy.

Legal cover is usually relatively inexpensive to add to your car insurance policy, but could prove invaluable if you ever face a lawsuit from another motorist, pedestrian or cyclist in the event of an accident.

How will I know if I already have car insurance legal cover?

Your policy documents should outline all of the policy features and add-ons you have as part of your car insurance policy, so begin by checking those documents. Failing that, you could contact your insurance provider to double check with them.

My policy documents say I have motor legal protection, do I still need car insurance legal cover?

No, motor legal protection is another name for legal cover car insurance, so if you already have motor legal protection with your current policy you’re good to go.

Is it too late to add legal cover car insurance to my policy if I didn’t add it on when I was signing up for my policy?

No, most car insurance providers will let you add car insurance legal cover to your policy at a later stage, although it probably goes without saying that you’ll have to pay an additional fee since it wasn’t included as standard.

The quote I’ve been offered for car insurance legal cover is very high, what can I do to reduce the premium?

Firstly, shop around. It’s important to compare car insurance quotes from a wide range of different providers, just make sure that you’re including car legal cover with each policy in order to be sure you’re comparing like for like.

Beyond that, there are a few other more general steps you can take that might help increase your odds of finding cheaper legal cover car insurance, such as:

• Parking your car off the road when you aren’t driving it – cars that are parked on a private driveway or in a garage have a lower risk of being stolen, vandalised or hit by a passing car, which usually results in cheaper premiums
• Taking an advanced driving test (such as the ‘Pass Plus’ or ‘RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders’ test) – This can increase your driving skills and so many insurers will be willing to offer a discount on your premiums.
• Paying for the full year upfront – If you’re able to pay the full amount upfront you could save quite a bit of money compared to a monthly payment plan.