Allianz · compared independently · advice from Finass
Business legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) through Allianz
The module business owners call on most often is not the dramatic court case, but the dispute about an invoice that goes unpaid or a delivery that falls short.
The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
A business legal expenses insurance policy is built up from modules. The core is almost always contracts and debt collection: disputes with customers over payment, with suppliers over quality and delivery times, and over the question of whose general terms and conditions actually apply. That is where most files sit, and that is where the clauses sit that decide whether you get help.
Two of them decide everything. The threshold amount is the minimum financial interest at which the insurer takes action: smaller claims you either write off or collect yourself. And the waiting period makes sure that a dispute already running when the policy was taken out is not picked up after the event.
We set the Allianz conditions alongside those of other providers on exactly these points, and on the question of whether uncontested debt collection counts. See also the comparison on our page about business legal expenses insurance.
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Basic cover
The basic cover insures the essentials. We show what Allianz and other insurers offer here.
Debt collection on unpaid invoices
Contract & delivery disputes
Legal advice
Disputes with suppliers
Extended cover
As well as debt collection and contracts, also employment law, disputes about your business premises and disputes with public authorities.
Employment law & staff
Business premises (rented or owned)
Public authorities & permits
Recovery of traffic damage
Complete package
The most complete cover. We compare Allianz's extended versions with the market.
Free choice of lawyer in legal proceedings
Tax law & tax disputes
Administrative law
Higher allowance for external costs
What is covered
Situation
Basic module
With extension
Dispute with a client about work delivered
Yes
Yes
Collection of an unpaid invoice
Provided that
Yes
Employment dispute with an employee
No
Yes
Dispute with the landlord of your business premises
No
Yes
Tax dispute with the Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax authority)
No
Provided that
A dispute that was already running before the start date
No
No
Business legal expenses insurance has a waiting period and a threshold: a case is not taken on below a certain financial interest. Employment law, tenancy law and tax law are usually in separate modules. In legal proceedings you have a free choice of lawyer. A dispute whose cause already existed when the policy was taken out is excluded.
What we do
What we do
At Finass
Direct with Allianz
Comparison across several insurers
Yes
No
Advice based on your own situation
Yes
Sometimes
One point of contact for claims
Yes
Sometimes
Cancellation with your current insurer arranged
Yes
No
We determine whether Allianz is the best choice
Yes
No
Advice fees for you as a customer
No
No
This overview concerns our service, not the cover. What is actually covered is set out in the policy conditions and on the insurer's insurance card (verzekeringskaart); you receive both before you take out cover.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Debt collection works differently from what you expect
As long as your customer does not dispute the invoice, there is no legal dispute but a payment problem. Many policies then provide only a limited collection service, or refer you elsewhere. If the claim is disputed on its merits, a dispute arises and cover starts. Knowing where that tipping point lies saves weeks: if in doubt, ask the customer to confirm the objection in writing.
The threshold amount sets your lower limit
Every business legal expenses policy has a minimum interest below which the insurer will not handle the case. If your average invoice falls below it, the module is of no use for your credit control, however keen the premium. We compare that threshold per insurer against your actual invoice amounts. For this product it is the most underrated yardstick, and the reason the cheapest policy often does not fit.
General terms and conditions and the moment they are handed over
Contract disputes rarely turn on the law and usually on whose terms and conditions apply. If yours were handed over before or at the time the agreement was concluded, your position is strong. If they were only mentioned on the invoice, usually not. A legal expenses insurer can run that argument, but cannot repair a failure to hand them over.
What the policy does not do
The insurance does not pay claims: if your customer goes bankrupt, you win the case and remain unpaid. For that you need credit insurance. Disputes that already existed before the start date or arose within the waiting period are excluded, as are tax penalties and the defence against a liability claim. The last of these belongs with your public and employers' liability insurance.
Retroactive cover (prior risk)
Retroactive cover (prior risk) Included for your staff during work.
Defence & legal costs
What does your premium depend on?
Modules chosen. Contracts and debt collection only is considerably cheaper than a package that also includes employment law, premises and administrative law.
Annual turnover. Turnover is the usual basis of calculation for this product and determines which rating band you fall into.
Threshold amount. A lower threshold means smaller claims are taken on and pushes the premium up.
Number of debtors and payment terms. Many small customers with long payment terms produce more collection files than a handful of regular clients.
Maximum external costs. The amount the insurer spends on lawyers and experts outside its own service varies widely.
Trade with other countries. Foreign customers bring another legal system with them and do not automatically fall within the area of cover.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your activities, turnover and wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
My customer is not paying and does not respond to anything. Is that covered?
As long as there is no substantive objection, many conditions speak not of a dispute but of debt collection. Some insurers handle that within a separate service, others only once the claim is disputed or a defence is raised. We check which variant Allianz applies and how it fits with your own reminder process.
What is the waiting period and why does it exist?
The waiting period is the period after the start date during which new disputes are not yet taken on. It prevents anyone taking out insurance with a conflict already on the table. Disputes arising from events before the start date remain excluded afterwards as well. The cause counts, not the moment you start to feel it.
Do I get my money back if I win the case?
Legal expenses insurance pays for the legal help, not the claim itself. If you win and the other party cannot pay, for instance because of bankruptcy, the invoice stays unpaid. Credit insurance exists for that risk. The costs order you are awarded covers only part of the actual costs.
A customer is holding me liable. Does this policy help?
Usually not. The defence against a liability claim is run by your liability insurer, which has its own legal department for that and decides on settling or fighting on. Legal expenses insurance is there for disputes in which you are claiming something yourself, or in which no liability cover applies. We make sure the two policies fit together.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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