Legal expenses insurance - a beacon of hope in the civil justice wasteland

Despite being available in the UK for nearly 50 years, legal expenses insurance (LEI) was, for much of that time, often seen as a lowly add-on, and sometimes poorly understood. While understanding, sales and popularity increased steadily for many years, the past decade has seen a quantum leap in awareness and demand for legal protection.

Many of the factors contributing to LEI’s growth have been the headline drivers of wider disruption and transformation in UK society and beyond. Global financial crises, Brexit and the pandemic have all played their part in increasing demand, but a UK-specific, more gradual and less heralded trend has played a more significant role.

The civil justice system in the UK has become harder and harder to access and the support mechanisms once available to help SMEs and families navigate a legal problem were hollowed out during the decade of austerity preceding the pandemic.

In this article, Rachael Wornes, marketing manager at ARAG highlights why LEI has turned from a “nice-to-have” to an essential cover.