Does your home contents insurance cover legal expenses in the event of a dispute with the seller of the home?

Have you bought a house with defects and want to make a claim against the seller? Buying a home is one of the most important investments most of us will ever make. That's why it's crucial that the property meets our expectations and is in the condition we expect.

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If you as a buyer discover defects in the property after the purchase, it may be a good idea to contact a lawyer for guidance in the claims process. If you have home contents insurance, it will probably cover the cost of a lawyer up to NOK 100,000. 100 000. As a rule, the policyholder only has to pay a deductible of between NOK 2,000-5,000, plus 20 percent of the expenses incurred in excess of the deductible. In other words, the insurance company covers the lion's share of the legal expenses. The threshold for contacting a lawyer should therefore not be high, especially if you fear high legal costs.

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Example: if the total legal costs are NOK 60,000 and the deductible is NOK 2,000, in addition to the NOK 2,000, you must pay 20% of NOK 58,000 (NOK 60,000 - NOK 2,000). In this case, you must therefore pay a total of NOK 13,600 yourself. In other words: your home contents insurance will potentially cover a large part of your legal expenses.

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The insurance company may also cover expenses in connection with the preparation of a valuation report or expert report.

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The insurance contract regulates the conditions that must be met in order to obtain legal aid coverage through the home contents insurance. As a general rule, legal aid is granted from the time a dispute arises. A dispute arises if you submit a claim and the other party refuses, i.e. at the time the disagreement arises. A lack of response from the other party (inaction) may also mean that a dispute exists under insurance law.

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ATTENTION: The insurance contract must have been concluded before the dispute arises. If the insurance was taken out after the dispute arose, the insurance will probably refuse legal aid coverage.

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It is also good to know that the insurance generally does not cover expenses greater than the financial interest in the case.

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If you have questions or need help with your case, book a free consultation with us here.