Contracts and debt collection
- Unpaid invoices
- Breach of contract by a supplier
- A dispute about the assignment
Compare business legal expenses insurance
The most used module of a business legal expenses policy is not employment law or contract law. It is debt collection, and for most business owners it pays for itself within a year.
- several insurers compared objectively
- 9.5 customer rating for a new policy
- AFM licence 12016589
- Personal 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 9–17
This page in another language: Nederlands
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
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
- Help with claims
In brief
Business legal expenses insurance provides lawyers rather than money. You choose modules: contracts and debt collection, employment law, running the business and premises, transport and sometimes tax. What you do not choose is not covered.
The right to free choice of lawyer applies to businesses too. It is anchored in Article 4:67 of the Dutch Financial Supervision Act (Wft) and the Court of Justice of the European Union has interpreted it broadly in a series of judgments: in every court case, even without compulsory legal representation, and in administrative proceedings as well.
For business owners there is one provision that is often missed: there is a waiting period, usually three months, and a conflict already running or foreseeable when the policy was taken out is excluded. Anyone insuring because a dispute is already there is too late.
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We compare your legal expenses insurance across dozens of insurers, explain where the real differences lie, and arrange the switch from start to finish — without you having to chase it yourself.
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What does business legal expenses insurance cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Employment law
Conflicts with staff, from dismissal to long-term absence.
- Dismissal proceedings
- Claim for unpaid wages
- A dispute about a non-competition clause
Business operations
Tenancy, permits, neighbours and official decisions.
- A dispute with the landlord
- A permit refused
- Enforcement by the local authority
What is covered
| Situation | Covered |
|---|---|
| A customer does not pay your invoice | Sometimes |
| A conflict with a supplier about quality | Sometimes |
| Dismissal proceedings with a member of staff | Sometimes |
| A dispute with the landlord of your premises | Sometimes |
| A dispute that was already running when you took out cover | No |
| Bankruptcy, tax penalties and shareholder disputes | No |
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
What does your premium depend on?
- Annual turnover: the main basis for calculation
- Number of employees
- Modules chosen: debt collection, employment, running the business, transport
- Maximum for external costs: the amount for lawyers of your own choosing
- Sector and risk profile
- Personal contribution per case
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.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
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.
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 is the module that pays for itself fastest
Unpaid invoices are the most common legal problem for most business owners. The debt collection module sets the process in motion from reminder to summons, without you settling up with a collection agency case by case. Do watch the minimum amount per claim; below that limit the insurer will not take the case on.
Free choice of lawyer applies more widely than insurers often say
In 2013 the Court of Justice ruled in Sneller v DAS that in every court case you may choose your own lawyer, even where legal representation is not compulsory. In 2016 that was extended to administrative proceedings, and in 2020 the Court held that the concept of court proceedings covers every stage that can lead to proceedings, including out-of-court mediation. The Kifid disputes committee endorsed that broad interpretation.
The reimbursement may be capped
If you choose your own lawyer, a maximum applies to external costs. That amount varies widely per policy and in a long-running employment or construction case it determines what you actually get out of it. So do not compare on premium but on that maximum.
Shareholder and board disputes fall outside it
Conflicts between shareholders, between directors, and disputes around a bankruptcy are excluded on almost every policy. There is a separate insurance for directors' and officers' liability, and that covers exactly the defence costs missing here.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
May I choose my own lawyer?
In court and administrative proceedings, yes, and that right does not depend on whether the insurer wants to outsource the case. That follows from Article 4:67 Wft and from a series of judgments of the Court of Justice, of which Sneller v DAS from 2013 is the best known.
What about the cost of that lawyer of my own?
The insurer may cap the reimbursement at a maximum, and it does. It may not take away the right to choose. So compare policies on that maximum for external costs.
Why is there a waiting period?
To prevent anyone insuring at the moment the conflict is already there. The waiting period is usually three months. With some modules longer. A dispute already running or foreseeable when the policy was taken out remains excluded.
Does the insurer take on every collection case?
No, there is a minimum amount per claim. Below that limit you have to collect yourself or instruct a collection agency. Ask for that amount before you choose.
Are conflicts between shareholders covered?
Almost never. Shareholder and board disputes and everything around a bankruptcy are excluded as standard. Directors' and officers' liability insurance is the right route for those.
What is the difference from liability insurance?
The AVB pays for the loss you are liable for towards someone else. Legal expenses insurance provides legal help to enforce your own rights or to run a defence.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare personal legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering)The main page
- Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) for a VvEContractors, debt collection, disputes with owners
- Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) for SMEsEmployment, contracts, debt collection
- Legal expenses insurance for a VvEContractors, owners, the authorities
- Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) for law firmsYour own practice, debt collection, staff
- How legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) helps with your second homeBuilding dispute, neighbours, VvE and local authority
- Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) for the hospitality sectorStaff, rent, suppliers
Insurers we compare
A selection. Which insurers appear in your comparison depends on your situation and the cover you choose.
Read more
Within Rechtsbijstandverzekering
Similar pages
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
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.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was compiled by Finass Verzekert. Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.