As an Expat working in Germany there is always a fear of getting FIRED. To reduce this fear and help you fight unlawful job termination in this article I share exactly Why you should get Legal Insurance In Germany.
There are many factors that are out of our hands but one thing that we can do in situations where job terminations are unlawful and violate our rights in Germany, is get legal help. In this article I will also share some of the Best Legal Insurance in Germany. But lets start with the basics:
You Need this Insurance in Germany
Legal insurance is one of the most popular voluntary insurances in Germany. Despite being voluntary, having this insurance can save you hundreds of euros!
Legal Insurance
Legal insurance or Rechtsschutzversicherung is like having a lawyer friend on call at all times. For about €300 a year, you’ll be covered for legal disputes at work, at home, and in your personal life.
Legal insurance is among the top voluntary insurance that Germans have. It’s also especially important for ex-pats who are usually not familiar with the Laws and regulations in Germany. This lack of knowledge can often lead to problems where legal help is not only needed but essential.
When is Legal Insurance in Germany helpful?
Many situations which you never thought you needed legal assistance can take place at any time. For example You submitted a tax return and do not think your assesment was correct, or maybe traffic police claim you parked in a no-parking zone but there were no signs alerting you to the rules. These situations can be worked out with the help of a lawyer.
Legal Assistance isnt only needed in cases where you are the defendant, in some cases you need to pursue legal action against other people.
Legal Insurance can help with German Bureaucracy
A Friend of mine had applied for Permanent Residence and he was missing a document, so he got this document and submitted it. Each time he submitted something another thing was missing or not correct.
After months of back and forth, he finally got everything but then the person handling his case left their job. Now the Ausländerbehorde asked him to get a new appointment and apply for the PR all over again. This was the last straw.
My friend contacted a lawyer and within a couple of hours later the Auslanderbehorde contacted my friend. They asked him to submit his documents via Email. No need to get an appointment anymore. Obviously such a quick result and may be an exception.
As there are some lawyers who say that they have contacted the ABH and then wait for at least 3 months. That said there are many cases where just a threatening letter from a lawyer either solved a huge problem or saved a lot of precious time.
Cost of Legal Advice in Germany
But legal expenses in Germany can be pretty expensive even though the fee structure for legal advice is regulated. A lawyer can decide on the costs depending on how much work they would have to do in a case. In addition to lawyer fees, there are court fees which can be in multiple hundreds of Euros. Here having Legal Insurance can save you thousands of Euros in Litigation fees.
What Does Legal Insurance Cover?
There are different types of legal insurance covers, but depending on your needs you can get a Legal insurance that could cover an area you are most concerned about.
Most Common legal disputes in Germany
- Unjust fees incurred by travel cancelation.
- Problems with motor vehicle purchases like warranty or repairs.
- Dispute over unfair dismissal from a job or discrimination.
- Incorrect salary classification.
- Defending yourself against a termination notice.
- and Rent increases.
No all issues are covered by the every Legal Insurance provider in Germany. Basically the cover based on certain categories.
Categories for Legal Coverage in Germany
We can essential divide legal insurance coverage in Germany in five categories.
- Private Legal Insurance
- Work Legal Insurance
- Traffic Legal Insurance
- Home Legal Insurance
- Criminal Protection
As I mentioned earlier, not every case is covered under all circumstances and the cost for the coverage also varies.
Best Legal Insurance in Germany
The cost for Legal Insurance in Germany varies on the coverage but the basic coverage starts from 15€ per month.
If you dont know which Legal Insurance to choose, let me share Some of the Best Legal Insurance in Germany that you can look into:
Feather Insurance
They have basic coverage which starts from 17€ per month which covers private, professional, traffic, and home insurance.
Both of their packages have unlimited coverage in Germany and Internationally the basic package covers € 250k and the advanced package covers Half a million euros.
With Feather you also have a free choice of Lawyer selection and free initial telephone consultation. If you want to cancel your insurance you can easily do so with a cancellation period of 1 month.
The best thing with Feather Insurance is that they offer Complete service in English, including English speaking lawyers in Germany.
You must however observe a waiting period. A waiting period refers to the period between the start date of your policy and when your coverage takes effect, either partially or fully. The duration of the waiting period depends on the policy chosen and the legal area to which your matter relates. Typically, the waiting period for legal insurance ranges from 3 to 6 months.
Adam Riese
Adam Riese offers 2 tariffs, Tariff L and Tarif XL. The Tariff L starts from 14.84€ per month and Tarif XL starts from 20.11€
Maximum Coverage is between 1million and Unlimited depending on the tariff. You can freely choose the lawyer you trust or Adam Reese can also help you with your search and refer you to specialized lawyers from their network of partner lawyers.
Their plans are cancellable on a daily basis so this can be a great option if you are not satisfied with their services. Additionally if you have a legal question or would like an assessment. You will receive an initial telephone consultation free of charge.
Adam Riese legal protection offers coverage for you and other co-insured individuals in both personal and professional contexts as an employee. If you are involved in the transport sector, the coverage extends to you as the owner, keeper, purchaser, renter, or lessee of motor vehicles registered in your name, as well as for any co-insured individuals. Additionally, the protection applies even if you are driving someone else’s vehicle.
Get Safe Legal Insurance
Legal Insurance with GetSafe starts from 15€ including private, professional, and traffic legal protection. Home legal protection and criminal protection can also be added to the legal insurance bundle at additional charges.
They offer Unlimited maximum cover with a Free choice of Lawyer Selection. With GetSafe Legal Insurance you also get Free Hotline for legal consulatation and you may Cancel their services at anytime.
Before selecting a legal insurance please read their terms and conditions so that you know before hand what these policies cover and how to proceed. For example, the most important thing in my opinion is the Waiting time before the Legal Insurance gets active.
Events that occur before the policy starts or during the waiting period will not be covered. The waiting period for all the three legal Insurances I mentioned is between 3 to 6 months depending on the type and can go higher in certain cases.
With the Advance Coverage package of Feather Insurance, you can totally avoid the waiting time in many legal situations.
Getsafe provides a flexible deductible option, allowing you to cover a portion of the costs. By default, you pay €300 in the first year, and the deductible reduces by €100 each year if you do not make a legal claim. However, if you file a claim, the deductible will increase to €500 for the following year. Learn more about your deductible options to make an informed decision.
Why Get Legal Insurance?
Germany and Europe are headed towards a recession and some people will loose their job, so if you want to be safe and don’t want to get caught in the waiting period, Now is the right time to get your Legal Insurance in Germany. That said as an Employee you need to know your rights in Germany before you can take any legal action, so In this article I share your rights as an employee in Germany and what you can do in case of Employment Termination.
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Disclaimer: None of the content in this article is meant to be considered as investment advice, as I am not a financial expert and am only sharing my experience with stock investing. The information is based on my own research and is only accurate at the time of posting this article but may not be accurate at the time you are reading it.