Legal Researcher PI: Getting the Right Cover in Place

A sole operator working as an independent contractor provided legal research and advocacy services for a not-for-profit organisation. The work involved research reports, regulatory monitoring, and legal memos for internal policy use.

Crucially, this was not legal practice. There was no client advice, no court representation, and no legal documents being executed. The engagement was purely research-based.

With the nature of the work involved, $2M Professional Indemnity cover was needed to be appropriately covered. Annual turnover sat at roughly $75,000.

We took this to market across five insurers. The key challenge was how the risk was described to underwriters.

"Legal consultant" as an occupation triggers higher rates and stricter underwriting at many insurers. The word "legal" in the job title often leads to assumptions about practising law, which carries a very different risk profile.

We worked with each underwriter to clearly document the distinction between legal research and legal advice. This involved outlining the actual scope of work, confirming there was no practising certificate, and positioning the risk accurately for each insurer's appetite.

The occupation sits in a grey zone that many insurers handle differently. Some apply legal practitioner pricing to anyone with "legal" in their occupation title, regardless of the actual work being performed.

Getting the classification right meant each insurer could assess the risk accurately. One insurer declined to provide a full quote, while five others returned quotes for identical $2M cover.

Five insurers quoted for $2M PI cover. All returned comparable terms:

• Chubb - ~$675 (placed)
• DUAL - ~$800
• Vero - ~$825
• QBE - ~$900
• AIG - ~$950

This case is a good example of why accurate occupation description matters in legal consultant PI. Having a broker who can clearly articulate the scope of work to underwriters helps ensure you're assessed fairly and get the cover you need.