Irwin Mitchell Lawyer Sits On Report’s Working Group

The Civil Justice Council (CJC) has today published a report on Before the Event (BTE) legal expenses insurance.

Produced by a CJC working group, which includes Irwin Mitchell partner Steve Beahan, the comprehensive study explores the role that BTE insurance plays in enhancing access to justice in England and Wales.

Before the Event legal expenses insurance is a policy which is bought to cover legal costs associated with different legal scenarios. These can include employment disputes, personal injury and medical negligence.

The new report offers a comprehensive range of information, interviews, case studies and includes an analysis of the distribution and take-up of BTE. It looks at the services it provides, such as the role of legal helplines, and also assesses levels of awareness and the pricing of policies.

Steve Beahan, Commercial Litigation partner at Irwin Mitchell, sat on the CJC working group and contributed to the report. He said:

Expert Opinion

“The legal market is constantly developing and we think it’s important that personal and business clients have access to a range of options to enable them to access professional legal advice they need, when they need it.

“Irwin Mitchell supports measures to improve awareness in this area as both individuals and businesses should be aware they can have BTE legal expenses insurance, or that they already have it and therefore have access to legal advice.

“For businesses, this may well be an area which will be become more and more popular as costs regimes change in the coming years. Insurance offers certainty to businesses, especially smaller businesses who will benefit in terms of contractual matters, dispute resolution work and in being able to pursue debtors in a cost-effective manner.

“The cost of BTE insurance means it can never be an option for everyone and we continue to work with political parties on all sides to try and ensure we have a justice system which offers access to justice for all. However, it does have a part to play for some clients and we’d be happy to work with regulators and political stakeholders to ensure we have an effective market for those who wish to choose that option.”
Steven Beahan - Partner

The CJC is an Advisory Public Body which was established under the Civil Procedure Act 1997 with responsibility for overseeing and co-ordinating the modernisation of the civil justice system. It provides advice to the Lord Chancellor, the Judiciary and Civil Procedure Rule Committee on the effectiveness of aspects of the civil justice system.