Legal expense insurance specialist ARAG Services Australia says it has expanded its market position through a distribution partnership with Steadfast Group.

The business has operated in Australia since late 2019, offering standalone and bundled legal expense covers to individuals and SMEs through broker channels and partners with direct markets.

“ARAG believes all citizens should be able to assert their legal rights – regardless of their financial or social situation,” it says in a LinkedIn post on the Steadfast arrangement.

“The partnership aims to enable more Australians with access to legal advice and representation through an insurance policy, and by offering affordable legal expenses insurance when facing unforeseen legal disputes.”

ARAG says legal expense insurance, which is well established in Europe, is still relatively new in Australia, but it has strong support through broker partners, associations and employer groups.

“Unforeseen events can lead to legal disputes that have the potential to financially devastate individuals and small businesses,” it says. “As the second most litigious country in the world per capita, many Australians need and yet don’t have that financial safety net.”

ARAG Group, headquartered in Dusseldorf in Germany, operates in 19 countries.

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