Have you ever thought about whether it makes sense to take out legal protection insurance? Then you have definitely taken the right step, because a legal dispute comes faster than you think! Often one even gets involved in an involuntary argument. Be it neighborhood disputes, traffic accidents, labor law disputes or complaints after vacation/air travel.
The number of disputes is steadily increasing. According to statistics, around 12 million Germans go to court every year because of legal disputes. Every 5th homeowner because of neighborhood disputes. Unfortunately, legal disputes after traffic accidents are increasing, as are cases that end up in the labor court. Here there are even approx. 1 million cases per year. For these reasons, legal protection insurance is not only useful, but also valuable.
The advantages of legal protection insurance
But what are the advantages of legal protection insurance? Well, in most cases the cost risk of litigation is immense. If you lose the legal dispute, you are left with the court costs and the fees for your own and opposing lawyers if you do not take out insurance. You can’t do it without a lawyer, which means you need expert support in the event of an emergency. Another reason is the legal costs, which increased by 10% by law in 2021. In most cases, good legal protection insurance covers the costs of lawyers, courts, experts, witnesses, as well as travel expenses and, if necessary, interpreters for disputes abroad.
What types of legal protection insurance are there?
There is now a separate insurance policy for each type of dispute. In the following we explain the most important ones:
Private legal protection:
Here you are protected in legal disputes as a private individual. For example, in contract and property law, which relates to purchase, service, work or insurance contracts, for example if you receive damaged goods when buying online. Other areas that are included are for example this
Social, administrative and tax law if you have disputes with state institutions and authorities, criminal law (if you are accused of a negligent offence) or victim legal protection if you become a victim of a crime. Furthermore, legal protection insurance can also assert claims for damages and compensation for pain and suffering, offer support with family and inheritance matters or, if you get into a legal dispute because of a fine notice, offer spontaneous help.
Some insurers have recently even started offering internet legal protection if, for example, you want to protect yourself against violations of personal rights, data and identity theft, or want to have defamatory content deleted.
Traffic legal protection:
Traffic legal protection protects in disputes related to traffic, such as accidents, if there are disputes about who is at fault, compensation for damages or compensation for pain and suffering. Good legal protection insurance can also be helpful when buying a car if there are problems with the purchase, warranty claims or repairs. As with private legal protection, there is coverage in the event of administrative offenses and administrative law if you are threatened with having your driving license revoked. Furthermore, there is also the possibility of extended criminal legal protection in defense of negligent bodily harm due to an accidental accident.
Landlord legal protection:
If you are a property owner or even a landlord, landlord legal protection is essential. Especially if you have to sue for rent payments, have an action for eviction carried out, or are arguing about the utility bill with the property management.
Professional legal protection:
If you have private legal protection insurance, you can also take out professional legal protection insurance. Please note that with most insurance companies you actually have to take out private legal protection insurance in order to be able to enjoy professional legal protection! This insurance will help you in disputes with your employer, for example in the following cases:
- Unjustified warning or termination
- Payment requests due to outstanding salaries
- Request for a work reference that has not been received
In some cases, professional legal protection insurance also applies to disputes with offices and authorities, for example if you as a civil servant are subject to disciplinary proceedings or if you have an accident at work as an employee and the professional association does not recognize it.
Residential legal protection:
Tenants and owners of owner-occupied apartments and houses can be protected by legal protection. This provides support in the event of a dispute with the landlord or property management. A common reason for dispute here is, for example, an unjustified rent increase or termination of the apartment. However, legal protection insurance can also be helpful in the event of demands for payment of the rental deposit or complaints about the amount of additional costs.
Of course, you will also receive support if the classic case of housing law comes into play: the neighborhood dispute. Incidentally, the most common reason that leads to arguments with neighbors is noise pollution. Owners are supported in disputes on the subject of land register issues or in objections to the property tax assessment for a property they live in.
Conclusion:
As you can see, taking out legal protection insurance can be useful in many areas of everyday life. We therefore strongly advise you to compare the various providers.