Legal Expenses, Insurance & Helpline - Providing fully paid Members of Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of Commerce with FREE unlimited access to qualified advice - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year ...

Legal Advice Line CALL 029 2034 9610

When calling you will be asked to provide:
Your name, company name, name of the Chamber that you are a member of

The Service

What would happen if you were faced with an escalating personnel issue, the threat of litigation or a health and safety problem? Do you have the expertise in all these fields to protect your business?
As a fully paid Member of the Chamber you can gain access to 'Chamber Advice Line'.
This service is provided by Composite Legal Expenses Ltd., a leading national consultancy that is endorsed by the BCC and is committed to reducing the burdens of dealing with the regulations facing businesses today.
Providing confidential advice on a range of legal and accountancy matters:

• Commercial Law
• Employment Law
• Health & Safety Legislation
• Environmental Health
• Tax & VAT Issues
• Construction Safety
• Benefits
• Direct access to professional advice 24 hours a day
• Free help and advice irrespective of the number of calls made
• Expert advice available on the telephone whenever a problem arises
• Exclusive service tailored to Chamber Members
• Guaranteed quality service from a national provider
  
  

Your free cover includes:

• Employment: The costs of your defence in actions brought by employees (e.g. unfair/wrongful dismissal, pension rights etc). Providing the legal advice given is followed, your insurance will pay the industrial tribunal compensation award in the event of failure in your employment representation.
• Personal Injury: Legal Expenses insurance cover is included for employees, directors and partners for personal injuries, including accidents outside the workplace.
• Prosecution Defence: The costs of defending a prosecution for an offence relating to your normal business activities as employer, employee, director or partner.
• Jury Service and Attendance Expenses: Up to £100 per person per day up to a maximum of £1,000 per claim, for employees, directors or partners who have to attend a court or tribunal for a case covered by the insurance.
  
  

Protection of Licenses:

Where your business is dependent on holding a statutory licence, cover is provided for appeal costs against altering, revoking or suspension.
Property Legal Protection: Enables your business to pursue legal rights arising from omissions, neglect acts of others and tort.
Disputes with Landlords: Representing your interests in disputes with landlords over business lease/tenancy (service charge disputes are not included)
Data Protection Act: Defend civil proceedings brought against you under the Data Protection Act and to appeal against:

• Refusal by the Registrar to Register your business or to alter your registered particulars
• Enforcement, De-Registration or Transfer Prohibition notices served on you under the Act  Tax, VAT, PAYE and NIC Investigations including Inland Revenue Schedule D and Corporation Tax Investigation: Professional fees incurred with Composite's consent for enquiries and investigations.
• Business Motoring: Pursuing uninsured losses following a road accident. Credit hire replacement vehicles and credit repair service will be provided wherever possible in non fault accidents to assist the cash flow needs of your business.
• Pursuing damages and compensation for personal injuries to employees and authorised passengers following an accident.
• Pursuing or defending motor relates contract disputes
Defence is provided for motor related prosecutions including representation at hearings for suspension, revocation or curtailment of driving or operating licenses.

The policy offers legal fees up to £65,000 and carries a £1,000 policy excess on all claims (except Jury Service). Those Chambers subscribing to the Chamber HR have the excess reduced to £800 on Employment Representation and Awards.

Chamber Legal Expenses User Guide

The following is a nine point guide to accessing the Chamber Legal Advice Line and how to benefit from the cover offered by the Chamber Legal Expenses policy.

1. It is advised that members make themselves aware of the Policy Wording to fully understand the policy terms and conditions.
2. Members should contact the Legal Advice Line as soon as they are aware of an issue that may give rise to a dispute no matter how trivial it may seem.
3. Members must not instruct their own Solicitor or Representative without the prior written authority of Composite Legal Expenses.
4. Members must make the Advisor aware of all material facts that relate to the dispute they are encountering.
5. Members should in the first instance always take advice from the Chamber Legal Advice Line and no other Helpline or organisation.
6. Members who have recently joined the Chamber of Commerce are unable to benefit from the Employment Representation and Awards cover for the first 90 days of their membership. Members can still access the 24/7 Chamber Advice Line.
7. Any claim (or issue that may give rise to a claim) must be notified to Composite Legal Expenses within 90 days of its occurrence.
8. Claimants must be a member of the Chamber of Commerce at the time of notifying Composite Legal Expenses of any potential claim.
9. Members are responsible for the first £1000 (£800 for those Chambers subscribing to Chamber HR) worth of fees in the event of an Employment Dispute claim and £1000 for all other areas of cover with the exception of Jury Service Allowance, Business Motoring and Personal Injury Claims.
10.  If in doubt call the Chamber Legal Advice Line on 0871 423 5239 and seek advice.
11. Calls from a BT Landline cost 10p per minute at all times. Mobiles and other networks may cost more.

Chamber Legal Expenses provides up to £65,000 per annum worth of cover for each of the areas covered by the policy including Employment Disputes, Prosecution Defence, Licence Protection, Property & Landlord Disputes, Data Protection Defence, Personal Injury Compensation, Business Motoring and Tax/VAT & Inland Revenue Investigations.