Legal insurance in Germany covers the costs of a lawyer and court fees in case you want to or need to defend your rights in court.
ln this guide I will discuss why it’s good to have, especially as a foreigner, what is covered and what’s not covered, and of course, which is the best legal insurance provider in Germany for expats.
If you are short on time and just want an answer, here are the best legal insurance providers in Germany for expats:
1. Feather – Insurance service provider for expats in Germany. Website and customer support in English. Easy to sign up and option to reduce waiting time (which is usually 3-6 months) to use legal insurance.
2. Getsafe – Simple to use, cancel anytime, website, and customer support in English, unlimited coverage. You can only use it through their mobile app.
3. Adam Riese – Great German insurance. Backed by one of Germany’s biggest financial service providers, website, customer support, and contract only available in German. Most individualization is possible for the policy.
| Feather | Getsafe | Adam Riese | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Website & Support |  | |  |
| Coverage in Euros | up to €500.000 | unlimited | unlimited |
| Deductible | from €300 | from €300 | from €150 |
| Waiting Time (until you can file a claim) | up to 3 months (advanced cover) | up to 6 months | up to 3 months |
| Cancel Anytime | 1 month | | |
| Monthly Cost | from €13,51 | from €15,12 | from €14,76 |
What is legal insurance?
Legal Insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung) protects you from high legal expenses of court fees and lawyer fees if you get sued or want to sue someone. Some policies also cover the cost of third-party experts and mediation.
Why should you buy legal insurance in Germany?
Legal insurance is not the utmost important insurance you should get in Germany. Those are personal liability and health insurance. However, 46% of Germans have legal insurance, and especially for expats, it is worth considering.
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For Germans, it is important to exercise their right, if necessary, in court. And since almost half of all Germans don’t have to worry about the costs of consulting their lawyer or starting a lawsuit, the chances are high that you might get sued for things that seem trivial to you.
Since you are most likely new to Germany and are still trying to get the hang of things, you are naturally unfamiliar with all the laws and regulations. Thus, your chances of unintentionally disregarding the law and upsetting people around you are higher.
As described in this Toytown thread, I can confirm that simply threatening with an attorney works magic in Germany (it is sad but true).
Of course, that doesn’t mean that all Germans and other foreigners in my beautiful country are evil and are just waiting for you to trip and sue you; however, it does happen.
I have never had to use my legal insurance and never got into any trouble or desired to sue someone. On the other hand, my parents got the jackpot (not!) with one of their neighbors. The one neighbor is an angel. The other one is the complete opposite and has dragged my parents to court so many times; I can’t even give you the exact number.
Do you want to know for what reasons? Well, because the garden’s hedge didn’t please him or because the outdoor fireplace’s smoke is making it impossible to sleep (even though the fireplace is 30 meters away from the bedroom), etc. You get the picture.
Even though Germany has probably one of the most employee-friendly employment laws, it does not mean that you will run into disputes with your employer. I witnessed several people getting terminated, simply because they didn’t fit into the team structure anymore. In that case, you should sue, and that legal insurance comes in handy.
If you would just like to consult a lawyer without having legal insurance, you can do so via the online consultation platform yourXpert. The following website will be in German, however, you can translate the page by using Chrome as a browser, then do a right-click and select ‘translate to English’. You can fill out the form and ask your question in English. yourXpert will forward your inquiry to English-speaking consultants only.
yourXpert: Ask Legal Question Online NowWhat does legal insurance in Germany cover?
There are different types of legal insurance covers, so you can insure your most ‘vulnerable’ areas or exclude an area that is not important for you. The most common legal insurance types and their reported damages (in %) are:
Private Legal Insurance (29%)
- Compensation for damages, for example, after an accident caused by or to a third party (while you are not driving)
- Private contracts such as travel, purchases, or bricolage by a handyman
- Administrative authorities, e.g. tax authorities
- Social aspects such as fighting with your health insurance to cover a particular treatment
Traffic Offense Legal Insurance (16%)
- Compensation for damages, for example, after an accident caused by or to a third party (while you are driving)
- Parking violations
- Misdemeanor
Professional Legal Insurance (11%)
- Any job-related dispute such as
- Getting fired without a legally correct reason
- Negotiating a severance package
- Being denied vacation days
- Receiving a bad letter of recommendation (by law, you have a right for a positive letter of recommendation)
- Not getting paid
Home Rental Legal Insurance (8%)
- Disputes with your landlord
- Disputes with neighbors
- Deficiencies in your rented flat such as no heating, mold, etc.
Most legal insurance providers offer the first three legal insurances (private, professional & traffic) as one package, as these are the three areas with the most legal claims.
You usually have the option to buy add-ons (e.g., home) to the basic policy.
What does legal insurance NOT cover?
Legal insurance only covers legal expenses such as court and lawyer fees. It does not cover any fines or compensation for damages you have to pay. Generally, basic legal insurance plans do not cover legal costs for divorces. If you which cover, you need to check with your provider whether they offer such an add-on and buy it separately.
When purchasing legal insurance, most providers have a certain waiting period (usually two to three months) build into their policies until you can make use of the cover. With such a waiting period, providers want to protect themselves from customers only taking out insurance when the trouble and thus the costs are already expected.
Legal protection insurance for divorce tends to have a three-year waiting period (let’s skip the part on what your spouse might think when you want to get such insurance). Traffic legal protection insurance usually does not have any waiting period.
Most legal insurances also have a deductible or excess, which you need to pay yourself until the insurer covers the rest of the cost. Some insurances offer a bonus to decrease this excess, should you stay claim-free during the year.
How much does legal insurance in Germany cost?
Legal insurance in Germany costs, on average, between 10 and 35 euros per month. The exact cost of a legal insurance policy depends on a few individual factors and your policy’s size.
How much does a lawyer in Germany cost?
The legal expenses in Germany depend on the amount in dispute. The fee structure for legal experts is regulated in Germany, however, a lawyer can decide on the costs depending on how much work the case is. To give you a simple example, a disputed amount of 1.000 euros could cost around 114 euros in lawyer fees. Additionally, the court fees could be anything between 120 and 500 euros. So you could face legal expenses of 234 to 614 euros.
Which is the best legal insurance in Germany?
Not every insurance company covers legal disputes, which is why we have done the research and compare the top three legal insurance providers in Germany. Take a look at all the benefits and drawbacks for each one to find the provider that better suits your needs.
All of the insurances below have the following benefits:
✓ 100% digital
✓ Easy sign-up process
✓ Modern services founded to disrupt the traditional insurance game
1. Feather
Feather, based in Berlin, was founded in 2018. Feather is an insurance service provider for expats in Germany, offering their services in English and 100% digital. Legal insurance at Feather starts with its basic package at 13,51 euros a month and includes private, professional, traffic, and home insurance cover. You can also choose the advanced package, which reduces the waiting period, which is great if you are expecting trouble soon.
Feather Benefits
✅ Up to €500.000 cover
✅ Free choice of lawyer – so you can choose an English-speaking lawyer
✅ Worldwide cover
✅ Free initial legal consultation in English
✅ Website and customer support available in English
✅ Basic & Advanced covers the three main areas
✅ Home and criminal protection available as an add-on
✅ 1 month cancellation period
✅ Deductible gets reduced each year without claim
✅ Reduced waiting times with advanced cover for some cases
Feather Drawbacks
⛔️ Deductible of 300 euros in the first year and up to 500 euros after a claim
If you enter our special Feather code: SIMPLE15 at checkout, you even get a 15 euros bonus. It will be deposited into your account once your policy has been active for 3 months.
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2. Getsafe
Getsafe, based in Heidelberg, was founded in 2015. Getsafe is Germany’s first company to challenge the traditional insurance business. It allows customers to purchase insurance easily online. You can get Getsafe legal insurance starting at 15,12 euros per month, including private, professional, and traffic legal protection. You can add home legal protection and criminal protection to the package.
Getsafe Benefits
✅ Unlimited maximum cover
✅ Free choice of lawyer – so you can choose an English-speaking lawyer
✅ Worldwide cover for up to 12 months
✅ Free hotline for legal consultation
✅ Website and customer support available in English
✅ Three main areas of private, professional and traffic included
✅ Home and criminal protection available as an add-on
✅ Clean Fact Sheet in English on what is covered
✅ You may cancel anytime
✅ Deductible gets reduced by 100 euros each year without claim
✅ Interest-free loan to pay a bail of up to 200.000 euros possible
✅ You can easily add your family to the plan
Getsafe Drawbacks
⛔️ Deductible of 300 euros in the first year and up to 500 euros after a claim
⛔️ Waiting times of up to 6 months (depending on legal area)
With our special Getsafe code SIMPLEGERMANY15, you even get a 15 euros discount.
3. Adam Riese
Adam Riese, based in Stuttgart, was founded in 2017. Adam Riese is part of the Wüstenrot & Württembergische AG group, a big and established financial service provider in Germany. Adam Riese was founded as the Group’s strategy to digitize their products. Legal insurance at Adam Riese starts at 14,76 euros a month. You can mix and match the areas you would like to have covered and how much your policy should cover.
Adam Riese Benefits
✅ Unlimited maximum cover (with Tarif XL)
✅ Free choice of lawyer – so you can choose an English-speaking lawyer
✅ Worldwide cover
✅ Free hotline for legal advice (however only in German)
✅ Optional protection if you rent out property (e.g., on Airbnb)
✅ Clean Fact Sheet on what is covered (only in German)
✅ You may cancel anytime
✅ Deductible gets reduced each year without claim
Adam Riese Drawbacks
⛔️ Website and customer service only available in German
⛔️ Free hotline for legal consultation only in German
⛔️ Waiting time 3 months (except for traffic cases)
Conclusion
Now that you have a better idea of what legal insurance is and whether you want to get one, it is time to choose your best-suited insurance company. If the German language is not an issue for you, then Adam Riese might be your best choice, as you can really individualize your cover.
If you feel more comfortable in English and need legal insurance without long waiting periods, then Feather’s advanced policy is your savior. For everyone else, Getsafe is a solid, easy, and super flexible legal insurance; you can’t do anything wrong with it.
