Waiting periods are set times that must pass after a legal insurance policy begins before coverage applies, and they exist to ensure coverage is used only for unexpected legal issues. The length depends on the type of legal matter and whether you have the Basic plan or the Advanced plan, ranging from no waiting period to 5 years. Coverage applies only to legal issues that arise after the waiting period, so you must be insured before a problem begins. Waiting periods are always counted from your original policy start date and do not reset if you change plans.
What are waiting periods in legal insurance?
Waiting periods are set time intervals that must pass after a legal insurance policy begins before coverage applies. They prevent misuse of coverage by ensuring that legal insurance only applies to unexpected legal issues arising after the waiting period, not to issues that were known or anticipated before the policy was purchased.
Why do I need legal insurance before a legal problem begins?
Legal insurance is designed to protect you from unexpected legal issues that may arise in the future, not from problems that have already started. This works like car insurance: if you have an accident while uninsured, you can't buy a policy afterward and expect it to cover the damage. To support this, most plans include a waiting period, a set amount of time after your policy begins during which you can't make claims, which keeps the system fair and financially stable by preventing people from signing up only when they already need legal help.
How long are the waiting periods for different types of legal issues?
Waiting periods depend on the type of legal issue and whether you have the Basic plan or the Advanced plan. The following waiting periods apply:
Personal contract law
Basic plan: 6 month waiting period.
Advanced plan: No waiting period.
Personal social law
Basic plan: No waiting period.
Advanced plan: No waiting period.
Administrative law
Basic plan: 6 month waiting period.
Advanced plan: 3 month waiting period.
Family, civil partnership, and inheritance law
Basic plan: 1 year waiting period.
Advanced plan: 1 year waiting period.
University admissions
Basic plan: Not covered.
Advanced plan: 5-year waiting period.
Professional law
Basic plan: 6 month waiting period.
Advanced plan: 3 month waiting period.
Traffic-related contract, administration, and traffic offenses
Basic plan: No waiting period.
Advanced plan: No waiting period.
Home contract and property law
Basic plan: 6 month waiting period.
Advanced plan: 3 month waiting period.
Criminal law
Basic plan: No waiting period.
Advanced plan: No waiting period.
Can I make a claim for a legal issue that started during the waiting period?
No. Legal insurance does not cover legal issues that began before you purchased the policy or during the waiting period. You must have active coverage in place before a legal issue arises, so incidents that occurred beforehand or during a waiting period are not covered.
Do my waiting periods reset if I change my legal insurance plan?
No, waiting periods are always counted from the original start date of your legal insurance, even if you change plans later, so any time you've already waited still counts. If you switch plans, for example, from the Advanced plan to the Basic plan, the coverage rules and waiting periods of the new plan apply, but the waiting period is still calculated from your original policy start date. For example, if your legal insurance started on February 1, 2026, and the Basic plan has a 6-month waiting period for employment law, coverage for employment-related disputes would begin on August 1, 2026, even if you downgrade during that time.