We provide comprehensive professional indemnity insurance cover alongside exceptional claims handing and service.
Professional indemnity insurance
Professional indemnity insurance can offer protection to self-employed barristers in England & Wales if a client claims you’ve made a mistake, been negligent or offered poor advice.
Bar Mutual insurance is on hand for when things don’t go to plan.
Do I need professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity insurance is required by the Bar Standards Board, Bar Mutual also provides professional indemnity insurance to single person entities that have been authorised by the Bar Standards Board and, on a discretionary basis, multi-person entities and alternative business structures that have been authorised or licensed by the Bar Standards Board.
What is covered?
Bar Mutual provides cover for:
- Civil liabilities arising from the Insured Practice of its Members
- Defending applications for Wasted Costs Orders
- Defending complaints made to, or raised by, the Bar Standards Board where their subject matter has given rise to a civil liability that remains outstanding, or could do so
- Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman in which compensation is sought
- Claims by solicitors for their fees under approved CFAs
- The cover is subject to the full terms and conditions set out in Bar Mutual’s Terms of Cover and Rules
- The cover extends to claims brought in any jurisdiction, provided the provisions of the Terms of Cover are met
Limits of cover
| Basic Contribution | Automatic Limit of Cover |
| £100 - £399 | £500,000 |
| £400 - £599 | £1,000,000 |
| £600 - £799 | £1,500,000 |
| £800 - £999 | £2,000,000 |
| £1000 plus | £2,500,000 |
The basic contribution shown above is excluding Insurance Premium Tax.
Terms of Cover
The insurance cover provided by Bar Mutual is set out in the Terms of Cover (reference should also be made to the Rules). The Terms of Cover are reviewed frequently to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of Bar Mutual’s Members.
How to apply
Applying to join Bar Mutual is a straightforward process.
Before applying for insurance with Bar Mutual, barristers commencing self-employed practice must first apply for their practising certificate through the Bar Council.
Once you have received confirmation or acknowledgement from the Bar Council that your practising certificate application has been received, you may submit your application for insurance with Bar Mutual by clicking on the box below.
Following verification of your self-employed status by the Bar Council, the Managers will process your insurance application. You will then receive an email containing a link to create your online account on the Members' Portal.
Payment for your insurance policy can be made through the Members' Portal and, if paying by card, your Cover Note will be available to download immediately.
If your chambers will be making payment on your behalf, please ensure that you forward the Debit Note available within your account to the appropriate person. Where payment is not made by card, a Cover Note will be issued once the premium payment has been received and processed.
Apply for Membership and Insurance
Talk to us and find out how we can help.
Why Bar Mutual for your professional indemnity insurance?
The minimum level of cover provided by Bar Mutual is £500,000 plus defence costs, each and every claim. The maximum is £2,500,000 plus defence costs, each and every claim.
As a mutual insurance company owned by its members, one of Bar Mutual’s central objectives is to provide professional indemnity insurance at a price that is fair and reasonable. With no shareholders to generate profit for, premiums are transparent and fair.
Established in 1988 and with 100% of the market we have unrivalled experience and expertise.