Many people aren’t aware that Legal Expenses Insurance exists, but we are changing this. Our mission is “Access to Justice” for everyone, and this insurance is akin to having “a solicitor in your pocket”.
Why Legal Expenses Insurance is so powerful
Crucially, Legal Expenses Insurance doesn’t just come into play when a dispute reaches court. In most cases, the service comes first.
Customers can access legal advice when an issue arises, often at an early stage, when the right guidance may resolve a manageable problem or prevent it becoming a much bigger one.
Behind this sits the insurance protection: where there is an insured event, and legal representation or financial support is required, insurance protection provides several lines of defence, rather than simply paying legal costs after a dispute has escalated.
Clients can use ARAG Legal Expenses Insurance to handle simple, everyday issues that arise in the office, at home, on the road – and now, online.
Legal Expenses Insurance attached to a home policy can be used to handle a dispute with a neighbour, building work that has gone wrong, a contract or consumer problem, an employment question or a query around a will.
With appropriate motor legal protection, ARAG can take over the management of a legal claim against a third party, rather than leaving the customer to navigate this alone. ARAG can also provide cover for other motor contract disputes – for example, where a garage has not completed repairs or servicing properly.
In many scenarios, customers find themselves in situations where they simply do not know their rights and wonder whether they need a solicitor, what their advice will cost and whether the issue is serious enough to pursue.
Legal Expenses Insurance gives them this guidance from the very start – available now through their insurance company or broker.
ARAG’s Safer Social: protecting customers from online harm
Digital safety and a good reputation matter to every individual and business nationwide, and we all know the business benefits of being visible online.
On the plus side, social media gives businesses a voice, a personality and a very effective way to connect directly with customers, clients and communities, building relationships and raising profile at the same time.
However, we also now know the darker side of an online presence. A single post, comment, review, image or video can “grow legs” and cause harm very quickly. This can quickly damage an organisation’s reputation, staff morale, customer confidence and, in many cases, the mental wellbeing of the people involved.
This is the reason ARAG has developed ARAG Safer Social. At its heart, this is a simple product that can solve very complex issues: when people face online harm or reputational abuse, they should not be left on their own trying to work out what to do next.
Online harm protection is not cyber protection
Arag Safer Social does not provide cyber protection. Online harm can include defamation, misinformation, impersonation, harassment, review-site attacks and misuse of personal information. It is very different from traditional cyber risk, which is, in essence, the technical side of things: phishing, malware, ransomware and similar threats.
Online harm is often public, fast-moving and nearly always hurts people, businesses and reputations. It may start with something as simple as a post or a review but can escalate very quickly.
For businesses, this can be extremely difficult to manage. The first question is often: what do we do? The second is: who do we call? The third is often: should we call the Gardaí?
The answer is: call ARAG. Customers are fully covered from day one if they have a Safer Social policy, giving them immediate reassurance and peace of mind that the experts are on the case. Literally.
The service provides a 24/7 helpline, access to experts, structured documentation, mitigation across platforms and legal and counselling support. It is designed to give customers something that is often missing in these situations: clarity, support and a clear path towards resolving the issue.
ARAG Safer Social: ‘musthave’ insurance for Irish homes
The changing demographic of Irish homes that has occurred over the past decade is another reason ARAG Safer Social is so prescient – protecting a household increasingly means protecting adult children as well as younger family members.
The figures speak for themselves: the latest detailed CSO Census figures show that over 522,000 adults aged 18 and over were living with their parents in 2022, including more than 440,000 people aged 18 to 34. More recent CSO research into a cohort of 25-year-olds found that 69.9 percent were still living in the parental home.
One household may have multiple exposures to online harm: teenagers facing online bullying; young adults encountering harmful content online or employment problems; and parents dealing with their own legal issues or simply putting off getting help to write a will because of legal costs.
Our Safer Social product represents a natural evolution of what we have always done at ARAG.
Legal Expenses Insurance has always been about access: Access to Justice through advice, support and the confidence to act. Safer Social brings this same principle into the online world – because online risk is now part of business risk.
Speak to your insurance company or broker to access the peace of mind of knowing you are covered in the event of online harm, which is now omnipresent.
JDM Insurance Services offers ARAG Safer Social
JDM Insurance Services is delighted to offer clients access to Safer Social, ARAG’s innovative Legal Expenses insurance.
Helen Murphy, Managing Director of JDM Insurance services, says: “Your online reputation can take years to build but may be damaged in a matter of seconds. Safer Social provides the specialist advice and support needed to respond quickly and effectively when online harm occurs.”
If you would like to understand your exposure to online harm or obtain a quotation, contact JDM today and let us help you put the right protection in place. helen@jdminsurance.ie
For more information on ARAG Safer Social, log on to: arag.ie/broker-products/ safer-social
