The process of finding the right legal insurance in Germany for expats can be overwhelming. Maybe you don’t know if you need legal insurance, or you don’t know which legal insurance to choose. You’re not alone! There’s a lot to consider. But you’re at the right place! This guide has all the information you need on legal insurance in Germany.
1. Why is legal insurance important?
There are moments in life when a lawyer saves a lot of time and trouble. Whether it’s disputes with your landlord about the rent, problems with your boss or a conflict with the tax office – life is easier with a lawyer at your side. But lawyers and court costs are expensive. That’s why it’s important to get protection with legal insurance in Germany.
Legal insurance in Germany serves two purposes:
- To reimburse you your court costs and lawyer fees
- To give support and advice from lawyers
Legal fees are expensive, no matter where you live. Especially for expats in Germany, legal disputes can be confusing, costly, and time consuming. Lawyers on average cost between €150-500 per hour. That’s a lot of money, but there’s an easy solution. Protecting yourself from hefty lawyer fees and court costs is simple and affordable.
2. Cost of Legal Insurance in Germany
The cost of legal insurance in Germany varies depending on the type of legal insurance you purchase and which company you choose. Nevertheless, legal insurance is one of the least expensive types of insurance in Germany. One of Germany’s leading legal insurance providers, Getsafe, offers legal insurance starting from €17.79 per month.
3. Types of Legal Insurance in Germany
Legal insurance comes in several different forms. It’s not “one size fits all”. For example, you can get traffic offense legal insurance without getting renters legal insurance, or you can get both. In Germany, the four most common types of legal insurance are private, professional, traffic offense and renters legal insurance.
Private
- Indemnity legal protection
- Private Contracts
- Disputes with administrative authorities
Professional
- Disputes with your employer
- Defense in disciplinary and professional conduct cases
Traffic Offense
- Indemnity legal protection
- Legal protection in contract and property law (e.g. after buying a car)
- Misdemeanor legal protection
- Disputes with financial authorities
- Disputes with administrative authorities
- Criminal legal protection
- Parking violations
- Driving of external vehicles through insured persons
Renters
- Disputes with your landlord
- Disputes with neighbors
You can usually purchase the first three types of legal insurance (private, professional & traffic offense) in one policy. Many legal insurance providers offer policies that include all three because legal cases happen most often within these sectors.
The exact coverage, however, ultimately depends on which insurance policy you buy. For instance, basic plans normally do not include legal protection for inheritance law, tax law or divorce law. In most cases you must explicitly choose to add these to your legal insurance plan.
4. What Legal Insurance Doesn’t Cover
It might seem obvious, but it’s important to note that legal insurance does not cover fines or tickets. For example, if you get a driving ticket, it’s your responsibility to pay the ticket. Legal insurance would help you get advice from a lawyer and pay for the legal costs of going to court. It would not, however, pay for your driving ticket.
You are also responsible for paying your deductible, sometimes referred to as your general excess. Your deductible is the amount you pay before your legal insurance provider pays. For example, let’s say you have €600 worth of legal fees and your deductible is €200. In this case, you would pay €200 and your legal insurance would pay the remaining €400. Deductibles for legal insurance usually range from €150 to €300. Some legal insurance providers will decrease your deductible each year if you don’t file any claims.
5. What if I don’t have legal insurance?
The biggest consequence of not having legal insurance in Germany is the amount of money you would have to pay if you find yourself in a legal dispute. German law mandates that in civil court cases the losing party must pay for all costs. In other words, the losing party would also be responsible for paying the lawyer fees and court fees of the winning party.
To a certain extent, German law also regulates the cost of legal fees. In Germany, legal fees correlate with the amount in dispute. The higher the amount in dispute, the higher the legal fees. And legal fees can add up quickly.
Here are a couple of examples of when legal insurance would be important to have:
- You’re about to buy a flat in Germany, but the seller decides he wants to increase the price from what he originally stated on the contract. You want to get a lawyer. In this case, legal insurance would pay for your lawyer’s fee.
- You get salmonella poisoning after going out to dinner at a restaurant. Consequently, for the next few days you’re in the hospital. The owner of the restaurant denies doing anything wrong. Your hospital bill was really expensive, and you want to build a case against the restaurant to pay for the hospital bill. In this example, legal insurance would pay for the court fees and your lawyer’s fees.
6. Best Legal Insurance in Germany for Expats
A great legal insurance provider in Germany, especially for expats, is Getsafe. What really makes Getsafe standout is that its customer service is available in English. In addition, it’s online – no paperwork! You can read about, purchase, and manage insurance directly from your smartphone. And it’s affordable. They also have a great deal for personal liability insurance.
- Monthly Cost for Coverage
- Custom Policies To Fit Your Needs
- Maximum Cover
- No Fixed Duration, Cancel Any Day
- English Speaking Customer Support
- Deductable
- Website In English
- Free Initial Consultation With Lawyer
- Private, Professional & Traffic Protection included (Residential optional)
- No Waiting Time (Private & Traffic) - 3 Months For Professional Protection
- Free Laywer Hotline
- €17.79
- Unlimited
- 300€ (decreases 100€ every year without a claim)
7. FAQ
The best legal insurance company for expats in Germany is Getsafe. As mentioned above, Getsafe offers really great coverage for a low price. In addition, all of Getsafe’s services are in English! This makes it the best legal insurance company for expats that don’t speak fluent German.
A waiting period is the length of time you have to wait until some or all of your coverage comes into effect. Your insurance company might not cover claims or disputes that occur during the waiting period. Waiting periods are sometimes called waiting times, elimination periods and qualifying periods.
Legal disputes aren’t as rare as you might think. According to Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, there were 1,244,697 civil court proceedings in 2017.
Depending on the amount in dispute, the scope of the legal services and the court costs, the costs of a legal dispute in Germany can quickly add up to several hundred or even thousands of euros.
Therefore, fighting for your right through legal means is normally expensive. Good legal insurance, however, protects you from high court costs and lawyer’s fees. In most cases, the annual fee of legal insurance pays off at the first consultation with your lawyer.
In most cases with Getsafe, private legal insurance does not have a waiting time. This means that your plan goes into effect as soon as you buy it. There are a few instances, however, in which Getsafe legal insurance has a waiting period: Administrative lawsuits, care lawsuits, and consultation for personal insolvency proceedings have a 3 month waiting period.
As with almost all legal insurance companies, Getsafe legal insurance does not cover legal disputes that occurred before you bought insurance. In other words, your legal insurance will only cover legal disputes that occur after you have insurance and the waiting period expires.
Court, lawyer and legal expert costs: Your court, lawyer and legal expert fees in Germany have unlimited coverage.
Costs for mediation: A mediation is when you settle a dispute without going to court. A mediator assists the settlement. The maximum coverage is €10.000 / year.
Worldwide maximum cover: This is if you need to settle a dispute outside of Europe. The maximum coverage is €200.000.
Your first consultation with your lawyer is free: If you solve your legal problem during the initial consultation with your lawyer you will not be charged.
Free calls with lawyers: Getsafe has lawyers that will answer your questions over the phone for free.
Bail: Your bail would be paid as an interest-free loan. The maximum coverage is €200.000.
Coverage for your children: Your children are covered unless they are married or employed.
Coverage for your partner: With an upgrade to your plan, your partner will also be covered.
Lawyer of your choice: You can choose your own lawyer!
Yearly reduction of your deductible if no claims are filed: If you don’t file any claims your deductible will decrease by €100. On the other hand, if you file a claim your deductible will reset the next year to €500.