Legal protection for businesses
Support in legal disputes concerning your business.
Why this matters
Legal disputes usually hit businesses when they have the least time for them: an employee contests his dismissal, a customer suddenly disputes defects instead of paying the outstanding invoice, or the landlord terminates the business premises. Lawyers’ hours and court costs quickly add up to sums exceeding the profit on an entire job. Many SMEs therefore waive justified claims – not because they are in the wrong, but because the litigation risk seems too great. Legal protection turns exactly this calculation on its head.
The more contracts, employees and rented premises a business has, the more likely a dispute becomes sooner or later – employment law and debt claims top the statistics. Business legal protection is voluntary in Switzerland and paid for by the business itself. Important to know: only cases whose cause arises after the start of the contract and after any waiting periods are covered – a conflict already smouldering cannot be insured after the fact. And disputes arising from contracts, such as unpaid invoices, are with some providers covered only through a separate module.
What you get out of it
Employment law, contract disputes, claims: you argue your case with backing behind you.
Lawyers' fees and court costs won't blow your budget.
Legal advice over the phone, before it turns into a case.
What we take care of for you
- Analysis of your business's legal risks
- Comparison of business and contract legal protection insurance
- Coordination with your business liability insurance (no gaps, no duplication)
- Support with registering your case
The advice is free for you — we are remunerated by the insurance companies through brokerage commissions and will disclose these on request.
Tips from our consultations
What we tell our clients time and again – free of charge, even before the first meeting.
Legal protection works like an umbrella you have to buy while the sun is still shining: conflicts already on the horizon can no longer be insured. If you only sign after the first lawyer’s letter, you are too late. Allow for waiting periods of several months, too.
“Business legal protection” is not a protected term: employment law, tenancy law, criminal defence and contract disputes are included, excluded or available only as an add-on, depending on the provider. Compare the areas of cover, not just the premium. Precisely in the contract and debt recovery area, the differences are large.
Telephone legal advice is included in most policies and does not count as a claim. Use it early – for example before you issue a delicate dismissal or sign a major contract. Many conflicts can be defused before they arise.
When comparing, look at minimum dispute values, retentions and cover sums per case. A policy that excludes small claims is of little use to a business with many small orders. Free choice of lawyer is not regulated the same way by all providers either.