General Questions
Legal Expense Insurance (LEI) provides affordable coverage for the legal fees and expenses incurred by a lawyer on specified matters. These matters are defined as fortuitous events, or issues that are not anticipated. These would include employment disputes, litigation, disciplinary actions, Human Rights complaints and criminal charges. Cover is not discretionary i.e. provided the claim is covered within the governing terms and conditions of the policy, the policy responds.
Prepaid plans provide coverage of legal fees for a set list of predictable needs requiring legal assistance. These include preparing a will and negotiating a mortgage. The funding is a pool of money and cover is discretionary, depending on the stability of the pool. There is no form of regulation for prepaid plans. By law, only insurance can provide coverage for fortuitous events (i.e. unpredictable or accidental).
There is no such thing in Canada. There are only Prepaid Plans, which are not insurance and therefore not regulated, and Legal Expense Insurance. In Canada only licensed (and therefore fully regulated) insurance companies can offer Legal Expense Insurance.
We live in a litigious society. Having access to a lawyer when you need it provides you with peace of mind, while at the same time protecting your financial bottom line. More importantly, having legal representation when a conflict arises has proven to help mitigate problems and assist all parties to reach a suitable compromise without costly settlements or long, drawn-out court cases. With its low cost premium, Legal Expense Insurance means that you are not facing catastrophic legal costs at the same time as you are dealing with a conflict. Legal costs for actions brought against you can easily climb to $100,000 or more.
Legal Expense Insurance (LEI) provides affordable coverage for the legal fees and expenses incurred by a lawyer for professional matters covered by the policy.
The best person to answer that question is a lawyer! Many Legal Expense Insurance policies include access to a toll-free Telephone Legal Advisory (TLA) service. In most cases, this gives you unlimited access to a lawyer during regular business hours.
Completely. Solicitor/client privilege is maintained.
Most policies provide a maximum indemnity per hour, plus all reasonable disbursements. Any legal fees in excess of this hourly rate remain the responsibility of the policyholders.
Commercial LEI Questions
Commercial Legal Expense Insurance (CLEI) is specifically designed for small to medium sized businesses that do not typically have legal services on staff. Given the high cost of retaining a lawyer, your company may be put in a position where you have to choose between jeopardizing your financial bottom line by incurring heavy legal expenses, or risking financial difficulty, even bankruptcy and closure, by failing to have proper legal representation.
Prepaid plans provide coverage of legal fees for a set list of predictable needs requiring legal assistance. These include preparing a will and negotiating a mortgage. The funding is a pool of money and cover is discretionary, depending on the stability of the pool. There is no form of regulation for prepaid plans. By law, only insurance can provide coverage for fortuitous events (i.e. unpredictable or accidental).
The question you should be asking yourself is, “Can I really afford not to?” CLEI provides you with peace of mind and a premium that is easily affordable, even for the smallest business. That’s because LEI premiums are tailored to your company’s gross revenues. More than just an insurance policy, CLEI provides your company with a complete service and immediate access to a lawyer when you need it.
The best person to answer that question is a lawyer! This is why CLEI’s provides policyholders with a toll-free Telephone Legal Advisory service. This service gives you unlimited access to a lawyer for immediate advice on any business matter, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., EST.
If the right steps are taken at the very start, problems can often be resolved quickly or a suitable compromise reached between the parties involved without costly settlements or long, drawn-out court cases that can take you away from the business of running your business.
Limits vary depending upon the type of cover and the type of insured entity.
Dentist LEI Questions
Coverage provided by the CDPA is not insurance. It’s discretionary coverage that is funded from membership fees. By contrast, PLEI is an insurance cover whereby coverage is guaranteed provided the claim falls within the governing terms and conditions of the policy. In addition, CDPA lawyers are assigned by the Association. Dentists with PLEI coverage can choose their lawyer from a panel of lawyers specializing in dental issues.
If the right steps are taken at the very start, problems can often be resolved quickly or a suitable compromise reached between the parties involved without costly settlements or long, drawn-out court cases that can take you away from your practice and damage your professional reputation.
PLEI covers matters NOT covered by professional liability insurance. Such matters include:
- Criminal charges
- Breach of contractual right of access to health facilities
- Regulatory issues
- Employment disputes
- College complaints and Disciplinary actions
- Insurance billing investigations
The best person to answer that question is a lawyer! Many Legal Expense Insurance policies include access to a toll-free Telephone Legal Advisory (TLA) service. In most cases, this gives you unlimited access to a lawyer during regular business hours.
Educational Professionals LEI Questions
(Includes: Supervisory Officers, Principals and Vice Principals)
Most school boards do extend some legal protection to its administrators but usually when your interests are the same as the interests of the board. If your dispute is either with the board, or is a matter than runs contrary to board policy, you will likely find yourself without any legal representation. For less than a dollar a day, Professional Legal Expense Insurance can provide you with personal protection.
PLEI provides payment of legal fees and expenses arising from either your conduct or responsibilities as an educational professional. This coverage includes:
- Any investigation, inquiry and/or hearing before the College of Teachers concerning a matter of fitness to practice and/or discipline and/or misconduct and/or complaint.
- Defence of criminal charges such as harassment or assault
- Any employment dispute such as contractual terms, demotion, performance issue
- Defence of any complaint of discrimination undertaken by the Human Rights Commission
You can select your lawyer from a panel of law firms specializing in the education field and there is coverage for the legal fees and disbursements incurred up to a maximum hourly rate.
The best person to answer that question is a lawyer! Many Legal Expense Insurance policies include access to a toll-free Telephone Legal Advisory (TLA) service. In most cases, this gives you unlimited access to a lawyer during regular business hours.
Dentist LEI Questions
Professional Legal Expense Insurance (PLEI) for Physicians and Surgeons is a unique product, specifically designed to provide indemnity coverage to professionals. This distinguishes it from the cover that is provided by the CMPA, which is discretionary.
PLEI covers matters NOT covered by professional liability insurance. Such matters include:
- Criminal charges
- Breach of contractual right of access to health facilities
- Regulatory issues
- Employment disputes
- College complaints and Disciplinary actions
- OHIP Billing investigations
- Physician Audit Board investigations (replaces Medical Review Committee)
If the right steps are taken at the very start, problems can often be resolved quickly or a suitable compromise reached between the parties involved without costly settlements or long, drawn-out court cases that can take you away from your patients and your practice and damage your professional reputation.
The best person to answer that question is a lawyer! Many Legal Expense Insurance policies include access to a toll-free Telephone Legal Advisory (TLA) service. In most cases, this gives you unlimited access to a lawyer during regular business hours.