FAQs

• The Member Fulfilment Pack, also called the Welcome Pack or Membership Pack, is given to or emailed to new Members when they join LegalWise. This pack likely contains important information and resources to help you understand your Membership benefits and get started.

The Fulfilment Pack includes your:

• Schedule of Insurance
• Membership Agreement
• Statutory Disclosure Notice
• It’s important to understand all the documents in your Member Fulfilment/ Welcome Pack, as they tell you what you are and are not covered for.

• If 6 weeks have passed and you have not received your Membership Pack, you can:
• Contact Our Branch Administration Department to talk to and or also to update your email address
• Visit your nearest branch, ask the receptionist for a copy of your Welcome pack and if they have a card printing machine, your card can be printed for you while you wait.
• Your Membership is still valid even if you haven’t received your fulfilment pack. You can still access Member benefits and pay your premiums – your Membership does not start when you receive your pack, but when We receive your first premium.

• If you have any questions or don’t understand something, please feel free to call us at our Branch Administration on +267 395 1560/78 or email to [email protected]

The Membership Agreement is important because it outlines the essential details of your policy/plan. It specifies the terms, conditions, and limitations of your cover, serving as a reference for both you and your insurer regarding cover, exclusions, rules and claims procedures.

If you need to update your personal information or make changes to your policy or plan, you can

• Visit your nearest LegalWise branch

• Download and complete the Personal Update form and or Membership Update form from Our website or Facebook and email to [email protected]
• Call us at our Branch Administration on +267 395 1560/78

The Schedule of Insurance contains all the essential details of your contract, as outlined in the Membership Agreement/policy document. It is important to ensure that the information in the schedule is accurate. A clear understanding of the contract and its conditions guarantees that you are properly covered and that your attorney or your beneficiaries will receive prompt payment in the event of a claim.

• Your legal policy provides paralegal services and Legal Expenses Insurance coverage for the main Member, a spouse, and children under 21, subject to the terms, conditions, and limitations outlined in the Membership Agreement.

• Yes, you can add parents or parents-in-law, siblings, brothers in law and sisters in law to your legal policy under the Extended Family Protection option, with a small additional premium for each person- subject to terms and conditions. However, other family Members like aunts, and uncles would need to apply for their own separate legal policy, as they can’t be added to your policy.
• The Extender Member is not entitled to all the benefits of the policy. Terms and Conditions apply.

• Why you need it: Legal Expenses Insurance helps you navigate legal challenges, covering potentially high and unexpected legal costs that may arise from actions taken by or against you. It gives peace of mind knowing you have legal backup, especially when facing legal matters in your daily life.
• How it works: Similar to how medical aid helps cover medical costs, Legal Expenses Insurance covers the legal costs for you and your family in case you need legal representation, be it for a lawsuit or other legal issues.
• What does “predates cover” mean? This refers to legal matters that happened before you took out the policy. Just like you can’t claim for a car accident that happened before you bought car insurance, Legal Expenses Insurance won’t cover matters that occurred before your policy started.
• What happens if I join LegalWise after a matter has already occurred? If your legal issue occurred before you joined, LegalWise won’t cover your legal costs, but they can still provide advice and paralegal services, provided your policy is paid up and meets the conditions outlined in your agreement.

• The LegalWise Paralegal Services benefit offers dispute prevention services through in-house, legally trained counsellors. These professionals help Members with guidance and assistance to prevent legal issues from escalating into disputes. It’s a proactive way to get legal support before things potentially become more complicated.

To access paralegal services at LegalWise, you have several options:

1. In-person consultation: You can make an appointment to consult with a legal counsellor at any of Our branches.
2. 24/7 Legal Call Centre: You can call the 24/7 legal call centre at +267 395 1560/78 for assistance.
3. Digital channels: You can also reach out via Facebook and the website, a customer care consultant will direct your query to the legal department, and one of their legal counsellors will call you back.

• No, as a LegalWise Member, you’re not automatically entitled to paralegal services. LegalWise provides these services at their discretion, and there’s no obligation to offer them. They may also set limits on these services whenever they choose. It’s always a good idea to check the terms and conditions or reach out to clarify your specific cover.

• If we cannot resolve your matter through paralegal services, We will refer your matter to one of our in-house senior legal specialists or to a network lawyer in terms of the Legal Expenses Insurance Cover benefit. The referral is, however, dependent on your cover, terms, conditions, and limitations as set out in the Membership Agreement.

If your matter is excluded from cover, a legal counsellors will still try to assist you through paralegal services, as long as you’re a paid-up Member (meaning you’re current on your premiums). They can provide advice, write legal letters, or even negotiate with third parties on your behalf.

However, there are some important things to keep in mind:

• LegalWise has discretion over whether or not they provide paralegal services, even in excluded cases.
• For certain excluded matters, no paralegal services may be offered.
• If your matter is excluded, you won’t be able to claim the Legal Expenses Insurance Cover benefit, which means they won’t be able to represent you in court.
• It’s always good to double-check the Membership Agreement for specific exclusions and conditions.

• The waiting period is stated in your Schedule of Insurance and starts from the day We receive your first premium.

As for claims during the waiting period:

• Paralegal services: You can claim for paralegal services during the waiting period, as long as you’re up to date on your premiums. However, keep in mind that LegalWise has discretion in deciding whether or not to offer these services.
• Legal Expenses Insurance Cover: You cannot claim for Legal Expenses Insurance cover during the waiting period. This benefit only becomes available once the waiting period has passed and must not relate to predated matters.

It is important to review the Membership Agreement to fully understand the terms and any exclusions that might apply.

Yes, LegalWise offers a cooling-off period of 31 days from the date We receive your first premium. During this period, you can review and familiarize yourself with the terms and conditions of your Membership. If you’re not completely satisfied with the cover provided and you haven’t requested assistance yet for paralegal assistance or a referral for claim, LegalWise will refund you. It is always good to ensure you’re comfortable with the policy before fully committing.

No, your premium will not be refunded if you’ve already received paralegal services or Legal Expenses Insurance cover during the cooling-off period. The cooling-off period is meant to give you time to review the terms and decide if the Membership is right for you. Once you’ve used any of the services, that would mean you’ve already started benefiting from the cover, so the refund option no longer applies.

It’s always a good idea to carefully consider if the policy meets your needs before making a claim during that time.

No, you will not be refunded if you cancel your Membership after the cooling-off/waiting period. Once that period has passed, the Membership is considered active, and cancellations won’t result in a refund.

It’s important to review your policy and terms carefully before deciding to cancel, especially after the cooling-off period.

• The Retrenchment/Disability benefit is applicable to only the main Member and becomes available only once the main Member is retrenched or becomes totally and temporarily disabled after a period of continuous paid Membership (as specified in your Schedule of Insurance).
• In this case, LegalWise will cover your premiums for 6 months from the date of retrenchment or disability. This means you can still receive legal cover for 6 months without worrying about making premium payments.
• This is, therefore, a 6-month premium waiver, so you will still receive legal assistance or cover for 6 months without having to worry about making your premium payments.

It is important to review the Membership Agreement to fully understand the terms and any conditions that might apply.

• No. It cannot be purchased as a standalone policy and it is only available as part of your main LegalWise legal policy.