Professional indemnity, cyber liability, and trust account fraud cover for Queensland solicitors and law firms who know that a claim doesn't need to have merit to be expensive.
These are the exposures that regularly catch Lawyers & Law Firms off guard — often because they weren't on anyone's radar until a claim was already underway.
Statute of limitations failures, missed court filing deadlines, and overlooked conditions precedent are among the most common PI claims against solicitors. The consequences of a missed deadline are often catastrophic for the client — and the claim flows directly to you.
A client who suffers a financial loss following your legal advice — whether on property transactions, commercial agreements, estate planning, or litigation strategy — may attribute it to an error or omission in your work. The cost of defending a claim is significant, regardless of whether it succeeds.
Solicitor trust accounts are high-value targets. Fraudulent payment redirection, internal misappropriation, and impersonation scams targeting trust account transfers have resulted in material losses for Queensland law firms. PI alone does not cover trust account fraud.
Law firms hold highly confidential client information — privileged communications, commercial contracts, personal records, and litigation strategy. A data breach or ransomware attack creates both regulatory exposure and third-party claims risk that a standard PI policy doesn't address.
PI claims can arrive years after the work was done. Without run-off cover when a firm dissolves or a sole practitioner retires, prior work is exposed. Queensland Law Society requirements govern minimum run-off periods — but the actual exposure often extends beyond them.
A complaint to the Queensland Law Society, Legal Services Commission, or disciplinary body can generate significant investigation costs before any formal claim is made. Not all PI policies provide adequate coverage for regulatory proceedings — the policy wording matters.
The insurance products most relevant for Lawyers & Law Firms — each placed through our panel of 20+ specialist insurers.
Compulsory for Queensland solicitors. Covers claims arising from errors, omissions, or breaches of professional duty in the provision of legal services — including defence costs, settlements, and regulatory proceedings.
Covers the firm's own costs and third-party liability arising from a data breach, ransomware attack, or system compromise. Includes notification costs, forensic investigation, and regulatory response.
Covers direct financial losses from employee fraud, trust account misappropriation, and social engineering attacks targeting payment redirection. PI does not cover these exposures.
Protects partners and directors from personal liability arising from decisions made in running the firm — including employment claims, regulatory action, and statutory obligations.
Three reasons an independent broker delivers more for your premium than buying direct.
We structure your PI to meet QLS minimum requirements while also reviewing whether those minimums are adequate for your firm's actual risk profile, client base, and the nature of work you undertake.
PI, cyber, and crime are three separate but closely related exposures for law firms. We structure and place all three as a coordinated programme — ensuring the policies don't leave gaps between them at the worst possible moment.
Firm dissolution, retirement, and changes in practice structure all create run-off considerations. We plan for run-off proactively — not as a last-minute afterthought when the pressure is already on.
I'd been renewing with the same insurer for years on the assumption they were the default for legal PI. Alvero went to market properly and came back with a broader wording, a higher cyber sublimit, and a lower overall premium. The difference in the policy wording alone justified the review.
Answers to the questions we hear most from Lawyers & Law Firms — no jargon, no spin.
Yes. Queensland solicitors are required to hold professional indemnity insurance as a condition of their practising certificate, in accordance with the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) and the Queensland Law Society's minimum requirements. The minimum limit and policy terms are prescribed — we ensure your policy meets these requirements while also reviewing whether the minimums reflect your actual exposure.
No — trust account fraud is generally excluded from PI policies. A client whose funds are misappropriated from your trust account may have a claim against you, but it's a different type of loss requiring a dedicated crime or fidelity policy. PI and crime cover work together and need to be structured as a coordinated programme, not purchased in isolation.
The Queensland Law Society prescribes minimum limits, but these are often inadequate for the actual risk profile of a practice — particularly firms undertaking property conveyancing, commercial transactions, or litigation work. We review your fee income, client profile, matter types, and exposure to determine an appropriate limit that goes beyond simply meeting the compliance minimum.
No. PI covers third-party claims arising from professional errors or omissions — not the firm's own costs of responding to a cyber incident. Cyber insurance is a separate product covering forensic investigation, ransomware response, client notification, regulatory costs, and business interruption from a system outage. Both policies are necessary for a properly protected law firm.
Queensland Law Society rules set minimum run-off periods for practising solicitors. However, the actual exposure from prior work can extend well beyond the minimum — particularly for long-running matters, property transactions, estate work, and complex litigation. We review run-off requirements against your specific practice history and structure the cover accordingly.
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