Products & Services
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Legal Expense Insurance (LEI)?
Legal expense insurance is a unique product that helps individuals and business owners defend or pursue legal action if they have a dispute with another party. With the legal expense insurance coverage provided by DAS Canada, policyholders have access to legal advice and guidance, plus the security of knowing the costs of pursuing legal action will be covered.
DAS offers a suite of legal expense insurance coverages, each designed to meet specific business or personal needs.
- DASdrive– allows policyholders to pursue or defend their legal rights in many potential automobile related events including contract disputes, fault determination ruling or defending a traffic ticket.
- DASliving – provides professional guidance and legal fee coverage in a variety of potential events including employment issues, personal injury or contract disputes.
- DASlive&drive– offers policyholders a combination of our DASliving & DASdrive products for optimum guidance and legal fee coverage in both auto and personal disputes.
- DASbusiness – provides coverage to pursue or defend legal rights in a wide range of business-related disputes, including employment disputes, legal defence and property and tax protection
- DASgroup-- meets the needs and demands of any group, association, club or employer wishing to provide their members and employees with the benefits of legal assistance, advice and cost coverage.
What do ‘legal costs’ include?
Legal costs include items like lawyers’ fees, charges for disbursements and the opponent’s legal costs should you lose and be required to pay them.
Will my legal expense insurance policy cover ‘any’ legal dispute?
Our policies are designed to provide legal guidance and expense coverage for a wide range of common issues. The coverage provided under your particular policy is detailed in the policy wording; be sure to read it carefully. Although family law is not covered in any policies, DASliving policyholders can receive legal advice regarding family law matters from the Legal Advice Helpline.
What happens if my own lawyer begins work on my dispute, before I notify DAS Canada?
If you think you may have a claim, do not ask a lawyer for advice unless DAS has advised you to do so. If you instruct a lawyer before speaking to us, and we ultimately proceed with your claim, we are unable to honour any costs incurred before your claim was opened with us. There is also a chance that your claim could be prejudiced by not taking and following our advice from the moment you became aware of the dispute.
What if I am not happy with the way the appointed lawyer is dealing with my claim?
After reviewing your file, we assign a legal professional with the specific skills, experience and background required for your case. However, if you are unhappy with your appointed lawyer, we will work with you to agree upon another qualified person.
If I have a legal problem before my policy starts, will this still be covered?
No; matters which you are aware of before the start of your policy are excluded.
What is meant by ‘reasonable prospects’?
It is not in anyone’s best interests to support a claim which has little chance of success. In civil claims, the appointed lawyer must agree that the claim is more than likely to be successful in order for us to proceed; this is what is meant by the term “reasonable prospects.” Reasonable prospects must exist throughout the duration of a civil claim.
If I speak to the Legal Advice Helpline, does this automatically trigger a claim?
When you call the Legal Advice Helpline, our legal expense insurance Experts will discuss your situation with you and determine if you have a claim. If you do not have a claim, they will advise you on how you may resolve the issue. If you do have a claim, they will open a file for you at the end of the telephone call.
Of course, you may also contact the Legal Advice Helpline any time if you are seeking answers or advice on a specific legal topic.
What happens if my legal costs end up going over my limit of indemnity?
The indemnity limit shown in your policy is the maximum that would be paid out in the event of a claim. You are responsible for any costs over the indemnity limit, and we will inform you if it appears likely that will happen with your claim.
My policy suggests that some disputes may be ‘negotiated for’ rather than simply pursued or defended in court. Why is this?
It is often more beneficial for both parties to try and reach a settlement rather than go to court, as going to court can be stressful, expensive and time consuming. The majority of legal disputes are, in fact, settled by negotiation. Our goal is to provide the most appropriate solution to your legal dispute, which may well be negotiation as opposed to going to court.