Post by nickd on Apr 3, 2012 10:17:05 GMT 1
With all the current accent on abolishing large strands of legal aid and moving towards people insuring themselves with 'before the event' insurance cover for legal expenses, let us not forget the concern raised by consumer focus groups last year - when they said it's a market which is worth half a billion pounds & 'falls well short of the mark'
Consumer focus
"Millions confused by legal expenses insurance reveals new report"
Published: 18 April 2011
A report from Consumer Focus, ‘In Case of Emergency’, reveals that Before the Event Legal Expenses Insurance (BTE LEI) could play a bigger role in widening access to justice, but the current design and promotion of these products leaves them a long way short of the mark. Forty-three percent of people surveyed by the watchdog said they knew little or nothing about legal expenses insurance – this is despite the fact that an estimated 25 million UK households currently have this type of cover. Around six in 10 consumers already pay for this insurance in some form and the UK legal expenses insurance market is worth some £447 million.1
Two recent major legal reports recommended legal expenses insurance as a way of reaching people, even those on middle incomes or above, who would not otherwise have access to justice.2 Consumer Focus argues that in order to play such a role, BTE LEI would need to be more clearly explained, more consistent in what it offers, better promoted and give customers more choice over their legal representation. The watchdog is warning that even a better performing legal insurance market could not fully fill the gap that reform of ‘no-win, no fee’ arrangements and legal aid cuts of £350 million a year in England and Wales will leave.3
Read more...
www.consumerfocus.org.uk/news/millions-confused-by-legal-expenses-insurance-reveals-new-report
See our article on alternative 'business solutions' to legal aid for people with social welfare problems
mylegal.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=frontline&thread=631&page=1#1458