Legal expenses insurance - a force for social good: ACSO whitepaper

While many people appreciate the huge benefits that legal expenses insurance (LEI) offers to policyholders for what is generally a very modest premium, it can sometimes be underappreciated or even misunderstood.

We’re very pleased to have been working with ACSO - the Association of Consumer Support Organisations - on a report that highlights the many unsung virtues of legal protection and how it helps not just those who may need to use it, but society as a whole.

The report, published by ACSO last month, is entitled Legal Expenses Insurance - A Force for Social Good and addresses not just the key purposes that legal protection policies are designed for, but also some of the less obvious benefits.

One such aspect is the role that LEI providers play in filtering out claimants that may not have a valid legal case and directing them to other, more appropriate means of support.

While the report acknowledges that an insurance product can never provide a comprehensive solution for all people and all legal problems, it highlights the fact that LEI provides the broadest and best regulated means of making access to justice affordable for consumers.

In a world in which access to justice is often under threat and a country in which other means of getting legal support, such as law centres and legal aid, have been systematically rolled back, LEI has become one of the most important means of providing UK citizens with access to justice.

ACSO campaigns for the interests of consumers in the civil justice system and ARAG was proud to become a founding member of this important organisation, back in 2019.

You can read the ACSO report here.

Disclaimer - all information in this article was correct at time of publishing.