A solicitor seeking protection under professional indemnity insurance is not something which most of us thought about being necessary until recent years. As the very name suggests, a solicitor is adept with his profession, with various laws and legislations that pertains to his area of expertise. In fact, the very status of a solicitor itself is a sure sign of authenticity and height of meticulousness, and he being charged for failure to deliver up to his standards is something which we never believed could be a possibility.
The situation is quite different nowadays. The overall industry scenario has become much volatile, making the jobs of solicitors tougher. A minute and unaccounted step has a good probability to leading to nasty claim against a solicitor, amounting to severe financial loss, loss of reputation, or both, and these are not uncommon. Hence, professional indemnity insurance is a necessity for solicitors even.
Professional indemnity insurance policies for solicitors are bit different from typical professional indemnity covers available for other professionals. Professional indemnity covers for solicitors are widely drawn. It should be noted that the type of service offered by solicitors are different in nature from other professionals and so are the types of claims that arise against solicitors. A typical policy covers civil liability arising in the course of work carried out in the course of private legal practice; however, there is some exclusion. Professional indemnity insurance for solicitors does not usually cover claims for negligence or breach of contract, but for breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, perceived dishonesty, etc. These are the areas where professional indemnity insurance policy that is applicable to other professionals differs from a professional indemnity cover for solicitors.
In most instances, a policy breach may result in claims going unpaid. In such situations, other professionals have policies that contain provisions limiting the rights of the insurer in cases of policy non-compliance; however, professional indemnity insurance policies for solicitors are in comparison more generous in nature of the cover provided.
It is very important that solicitors take note that while the cover may be widely drawn, it may not include any activity that typically does not come under the areas covered by a solicitor under normal circumstances. If any solicitor engages in any activity that falls outside the periphery of solicitation, it should be immaculate put across the insurance agency, who, in turn, will make sure that the offered policy covers the applicant from any claim.
