Employment and absence
- Dismissal and settlement agreement
- Wage claims and changes to the job
- A dispute with the UWV (the Dutch employee insurance agency) about absence
- Collective agreement and pension matters
Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) for SMEs
Legal expenses insurance pays for the legal help in a conflict, and usually provides that help itself as well. You choose per module which disputes are covered. What you do not choose, you pay for yourself.
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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
A business legal expenses policy is built up from modular. The basis is almost always employment law (dismissal, sickness absence, a conflict with an employee) and running the business (disputes with suppliers, customers, the landlord or the local authority). You can also choose debt collection of undisputed invoices, traffic for company drivers and vehicles, and modules for real estate or tax and social security law.
The cover consists of two things. First the handling itself: a lawyer from the insurer or an affiliated legal services provider runs the file, from the first letter to proceedings. Second the costs: external experts, court fees, witnesses and any costs order made against you. A separate limit usually applies to the cost of external legal help.
When taking out the policy, watch three things above all: the waiting period during which new disputes are not yet covered, the threshold amount below which a case is not taken on, and whether the conflict was already running or foreseeable when you signed. Compare this with the version for self-employed professionals, which is set up more narrowly.
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Which modules are there?
You put the cover together from modules. Only what is on the policy is handled.
Running the business and contracts
Disputes with suppliers, customers, the landlord or the authorities.
- Breach of contract by a supplier
- A tenancy dispute about the business premises
- A permit or enforcement by the local authority
- A dispute about general terms and conditions
Debt collection and traffic
Collecting unpaid invoices and legal help after a road accident.
- Collection of undisputed claims
- Recovering loss after a collision
- Assistance in a traffic prosecution
- Often a separate module with its own limit
What is covered
| Situation | Basic | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Dismissal proceedings against an employee | Yes | Yes |
| A dispute with a supplier about breach of contract | Yes | Yes |
| Collection of an undisputed invoice | Provided that | Yes |
| A dispute with the Belastingdienst (the Dutch tax authority) | No | Provided that |
| A conflict between shareholders | No | No |
| A conflict already running when the policy was taken out | No | No |
What is actually covered, including the waiting period, threshold amount, cost ceilings and exclusions, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) you receive before taking out the policy.
What does your premium depend on?
- Number of employees: employment conflicts scale with the wage bill
- Turnover: the usual basis for calculation
- Sector: construction, catering and care have more disputes
- Modules chosen: debt collection, traffic and tax cost extra
- Excess or threshold amount: a higher threshold lowers the premium
- Claims history: files reported earlier are taken into account
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, risk 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 decide whether your case is actually taken on.
The waiting period and when the dispute arose
Almost every policy has a waiting period after the start date during which new disputes are not yet handled. For employment conflicts it is often the longest. Also, a conflict that was already running when the policy was taken out or was reasonably foreseeable is never covered. So do not take out a policy because something is going on, but well before that. In determining when the dispute arose, the insurer looks at the first event from which it flowed, not at the letter from the lawyer.
The threshold amount and handling in house
Most policies only take a case on above a threshold amount; smaller claims fall outside it or are supported with advice only. Beyond that, the insurer in principle handles the case yourself, with its own lawyers. If you instruct a lawyer on your own initiative and only report the file afterwards, those costs are usually not reimbursed. So report a conflict at an early stage, even if you still hope it will resolve itself.
What is not included
The following, among others, are outside the cover: disputes that already existed or were foreseeable at the start; conflicts between shareholders, partners or statutory directors; the business's own bankruptcy or suspension of payments; tax disputes unless the tax law module is included; and the defence against fines and criminal sanctions, with the exception of some traffic cases. Disputes about private matters, about intellectual property and about activities that do not fall within the business activity stated on the policy are not handled either.
Free choice of lawyer exists, but not always
If it comes to court or administrative proceedings, settled case law of the Court of Justice means you may choose your own lawyer. The insurer then pays up to a maximum stated in the policy. Outside proceedings that right does not apply and the insurer handles the case itself. If you disagree with that handling on the merits, you can invoke the disputes procedure in the conditions: an independent lawyer then assesses whether your position is arguable.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
When do I have to report a conflict?
As soon as you can reasonably suspect that a legal dispute is arising, so rather too early than too late. Article 7:941 of the Dutch Civil Code requires you to report in good time and late reporting can cost you cover. What is more, at an early stage the lawyer can still steer towards a settlement; once the positions are on paper, there is less room for that.
May I instruct my own lawyer?
In court or administrative proceedings, yes; free choice of lawyer then applies and the insurer pays up to the maximum stated in the policy. Outside proceedings the insurer handles the case with its own lawyers. If you instruct someone yourself without consulting it, those costs usually stay at your expense, even if you win the case.
What if the insurer thinks my case has no chance?
It then says so with reasons and you can invoke the disputes procedure. An independent lawyer, appointed in consultation with you, assesses whether your position has a reasonable prospect of success. If the opinion goes your way, the case is taken on after all or you may have it run at the insurer's expense, within the policy limit.
Does the policy also cover a conflict with a fellow director?
Almost never. Disputes between shareholders, partners or statutory directors are excluded as standard, as are conflicts about the division of control or the takeover of shares. If you are held personally liable as a director, that belongs with directors' and officers' liability insurance and not with legal expenses cover.
Is debt collection included automatically?
No, debt collection is usually a separate module. It also applies only to undisputed claims: if the customer disputes the invoice on its merits, it is a contractual dispute falling under the business module. Watch the threshold amount as well; small invoices are often not taken on.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Compare personal legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering)The main page
- Compare business legal expenses insuranceFree choice of lawyer, debt collection, waiting period
- Agency workers, interns & volunteers for self-employed professionals through Nationale-Nederlanden
- Legal expenses insurance for a VvEContractors, owners, the authorities
- Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) for the hospitality sectorStaff, rent, suppliers
- Agency workers, interns & volunteers through Turien & Co
- How legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) helps with your second homeBuilding dispute, neighbours, VvE and local authority
- Business legal expenses insurance and how a case is handledProspects, disputes procedure, cost maximum
Read more
Within Rechtsbijstandverzekering
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Which modules do you need?
Request a quotation without obligation. We set the waiting period, threshold amount and cost ceilings of each insurer side by side.
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 (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.