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March 9, 2017

Why Have Legal Expense Insurance

The cost and complexity of the Canadian legal system may cause many individuals to walk away from legal issues and forgoing access to justice. OMA wants you to feel empowered to defend or pursue your legal rights. That’s why we’ve designed a product for OMA members as part of the OMA Priority Insurance Program (OPIP) that offers you access to legal resources when faced with a legal dispute.

​Did you know?

  • The average hourly rate for an experienced lawyer in Canada is $3941
  • 55% of Canadians did not have a lawyer represent them when they accessed the legal system2
  • 45% of Canadians know somebody personally who has gone into debt trying to settle a legal dispute3

When you have a claim through legal expense insurance under OPIP your legal costs are covered, including lawyer's fees, disbursements, court costs, expert witness fees, and adverse costs should the judge deem you re​sponsible to pay the other party's legal costs.

In addition, a Legal Expense Insurance policy gives you unlimited access to general legal advice for any legal question. All you have to do is pick up the phone, even if the issue under discussion is not covered by your policy.

Many legal situations can be prevented or diffused when legal advice is given in the early stages, but 63% of Canadians say that cost prevents them from meeting with a lawyer to discuss a legal situation. The OMA legal expense insurance policy provides peace of mind and the power to take action.

Our Legal Expense Insurance policy offers coverage for a variety of common legal events, such as:

  • Contract disputes for such things as a holiday booking not unfolding as represented, issues buying or leasing a car, an issue with a home renovator
  • Legal Defence of Highway Traffic Act infractions and offences such as speeding, illegal turn, not wearing a seatbelt
  • Employment disputes, (when the physician or his family are the employee) you or a member of your family lose their job and need a lawyer
  • Tax Audits & Appeals – the policy will provide professional services should the CRA audit your income tax or you wish to appeal a CRA decision
  • Bodily injury prosecution – provide a lawyer if you or a member of your family are injured and wish to take action against the responsible party

​​​1 Canadian Lawyer Magazine Legal Fees Survey, 2014 

2 Access to Justice or Exposure to Debt: Understanding a difficult choice for Canadians: DAS Canada whitepaper, May 2014

3 Access to Justice or Exposure to Debt: Understanding a difficult choice for Canadians: DAS Canada whitepaper, May 2014​

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