Lawcovernotes March 2020

3. Financial hardship arising frompandemic The COVID-19 pandemic is creating uncertainty and challenge for many in the profession. We have been considering what we can do to support you at this time. As it is for you, our immediate priority has been to provide for the health and safety of our staff whilst ensuring that we are able to offer the service you expect from us. We have transitioned to all staff working remotely and have established infrastructure so this has limited impact to our services. Lawcover is part of the legal profession and one of the key reasons we have consistently maintained a strong capital position is to support the profession in times of need. Our other priority has been to consider how we use our financial strength in a way that supports you and your business in the short-term, whilst ensuring that we continue to be able to support you in the long-term. We are doing this in two ways: 1. Premium moderation The Lawcover Board has agreed to allocate a substantial portion of capital to keep premiums lower than could otherwise be the case, due to the economic conditions arising from the pandemic. 2. Lower premiums if your Gross Fee Income ( GFI ) is impacted We understand that your GFI over the next fewmonths is very uncertain and many of you may face cashflow issues. None of us know how long the financial strain arising from diminishing GFI will continue. In this environment it is important that your premium reflects your expected level of activity. To achieve this, when completing the application for your 2020/21 professional indemnity insurance (PII) renewal, simply enter your best estimate of your anticipated 2019/20 and 2020/21 GFI. If you expect there to be a substantial decline in your estimated GFI for 2020/21, your premium will be reduced to reflect this. You need only make a reasonable estimate and in this uncertain environment we would encourage you to be conservative. In twelve months we will have a much better idea of how this crisis has actually impacted your business and a reconciliation will take place at renewal in 2021. Any changes between estimated and actual GFI will be addressed at that time. ^ Payment options While we offer our normal range of payment options, we urge you to consider using one of the three premium funders available via our online renewal platform, or any other funder of your choice. This will help you manage your cashflow by making premium payments in instalments. Your premium will still be based on the GFI you submit as outlined above. ^ Other If you consider none of these premium options will address your anticipated financial hardship, please email us at insuranceservices@lawcover. com.au and we will contact you to discuss your particular situation in confidence. Lawcover is part of the profession, so you can be assured that we will do whatever is possible to support you.