Pursue your claim with your costs risk covered.
Alternative ATE arranges After the Event legal expenses insurance for claimants, businesses and the solicitors who act for them. If your case is unsuccessful, your policy can pay your opponent's legal costs and your own disbursements.
- Part of Alternative Insurance Brokers
- FCA authorised, FRN 602443
- Cover for most civil claims
Tell us about your case
Our ATE team will talk you through the cover available and what insurers will need to see.
0161 706 0195Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Start an online enquiry
Or email contact@alternative-ate.co.uk
ATE insurance for everyone involved in a claim
Whether you are bringing a claim yourself or acting for a client, we find cover that fits the case and the stage it has reached.
Solicitors and law firms
Case by case cover for your clients, with a clear application process and a single point of contact.
For solicitors →Individuals
Protection against the cost of losing, so you can pursue a genuine claim without risking your savings or home.
About ATE →Businesses
Cover for commercial disputes, plus annual legal expenses insurance to protect against future claims.
Business cover →Insolvency practitioners
Cover for office holder claims, helping recover value for creditors without putting the estate at risk.
Insolvency →Protection if the case does not go your way
Losing a claim usually means paying the other side's legal costs as well as your own expenses. An ATE policy is designed to meet those costs, up to the limit of indemnity agreed with the insurer.
- Your opponent's legal costs if you lose
- Expert witness and medical reports
- Court and issue fees
- Barrister's fees
- Other agreed disbursements incurred during the claim
The exact cover depends on the insurer and the policy wording. We will explain what is and is not included before you take out a policy.
Read more about ATE insuranceWays the premium can be paid
Deferred premium. Nothing to pay upfront. The premium is paid at the end of the case, often from damages.
Contingent premium. Payable only if the claim succeeds, so there is nothing to pay if the case is lost.
Staged premium. The premium increases as the case progresses, so an early settlement keeps the cost lower.
Availability depends on the insurer and the case.
From enquiry to cover in four steps
Tell us about the case
Call us or send an online enquiry with the basic details of the claim.
We review the claim
We look at the prospects, the value and the costs risk, and gather what insurers need.
We approach insurers
We present the case to suitable ATE insurers and bring the terms back to you.
Cover is put in place
Once you accept the terms, the policy is issued and the case can proceed with protection.
Cover across a wide range of civil claims
We arrange ATE insurance for most types of civil litigation and arbitration in England and Wales.
A specialist broker backed by an established firm
Alternative ATE is part of Alternative Insurance Brokers, an FCA authorised broker based in Stockport with a long track record of placing cover that standard insurers will not offer.
We bring that same approach to litigation insurance: understanding the case, presenting it properly to insurers and keeping you informed until cover is in place.
About usMarket access
We approach the insurers best suited to the case type and value.
One point of contact
A named handler who knows the case from enquiry to policy.
Clear process
We tell you upfront what insurers need, so there are no surprises.
FCA authorised
Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FRN 602443.
What is After the Event insurance?
After the Event (ATE) insurance is legal expenses insurance taken out after a legal dispute has arisen. If the case is lost, the policy can pay the opponent's legal costs and your own disbursements, such as expert fees, court fees and barrister's fees, up to the limit of indemnity.
When should ATE insurance be taken out?
As early as possible. Many insurers will consider a case before proceedings are issued, and cover arranged early usually protects against more of the costs that build up during the claim. Cover can still be available later in a case, including after proceedings have started.
How much does ATE insurance cost?
Each premium is priced on the individual case, taking into account the prospects of success, the value of the claim and the level of cover needed. Many policies allow the premium to be deferred until the end of the case, and some are contingent, meaning no premium is payable if the case is lost.
Can I recover the premium from my opponent?
In England and Wales, ATE premiums for policies taken out since April 2013 are generally not recoverable from the losing party. A limited exception applies to the part of the premium covering expert reports on liability and causation in clinical negligence claims.
Do I need a solicitor to apply?
Most ATE policies are arranged through the solicitor running the case, as insurers will want to see their assessment of the claim. If you do not yet have a solicitor, contact us and we will explain what is needed.
Does ATE insurance work with no win no fee agreements?
Yes. ATE insurance is often arranged alongside a conditional fee agreement or damages based agreement, so that the client is protected against the costs a no win no fee agreement does not cover.
Ready to talk about your case?
Tell us about the claim and we will come back to you with the options available.