What are the benefits of legal protection insurance?

Legal protection cover can often be forgotten or confused with the legal liability section of a boat insurance policy. So, what does legal protection within the Crystal Waters policy typically cover?

• Help recovering uninsured losses after an accident involving your insured craft.
• Access to a 24/7 UK based legal advice helpline for personal legal and tax matters.
• Legal support for personal injury claims arising from accidents.
• Cover for contractual disputes connected to buying, selling, servicing or repairing your craft (for disputes over £100).
• Legal defence if you face prosecution relating to the ownership or use of your craft.
• Up to £100,000 towards legal costs and expenses for most insured events; up to £50,000 for contract disputes.
• Specialist solicitors experienced in marine matters for tailored legal advice and representation.

As with all insurance policies, marine legal expenses cover has limits of cover and some exclusions. We would recommend that you contact your broker or insurer to understand the limitations of cover. 

Frequently asked questions

Why is marine legal expenses important for boat owners?

It provides legal advice and covers legal costs related to pleasure craft ownership and disputes such as with other boat owners, suppliers and regulatory authorities. The policy covers solicitors’ fees, court costs and legal expenses but excludes physical vessel damage.

What is the difference between legal protection cover and the legal liability section of a boat insurance policy?

The short answer is that legal liability pays other people if you are responsible for causing them injury or damage. Legal protection pays for your own legal costs when you need to defend against a claim or pursue a legal dispute.

Key differences:

• Legal liability section of boat insurance: covers compensation and legal defence costs if you’re legally responsible for injury to others or damage to their property (for example, you collide with another boat). It’s protection for when you have to pay third parties.
• Legal protection cover (also called legal expenses cover): covers solicitor fees, court costs and other legal expenses for you to pursue or defend certain disputes (for example, suing someone who damaged your boat or disputing a marina bill). It’s about funding your legal action or defence.

What could happen without cover in place?

Defending against prosecutions (for example alleged breaches of navigational by-laws) can be costly and without cover you would need to cover these costs yourself. With marine legal expenses you will be covered for these costs and also have access to specialist marine solicitors.

How legal protection works

The insured sends their boat to a boatyard and pays for engine repairs to be made. When the work is complete it proves to be defective, however the boatyard refuses any responsibility for the work. 

The defective work leaves the customer with costly repairs which they have already paid for. The customer is then in dispute with a commercial supplier and needs to take legal action to resolve the issue.

In this situation, marine legal expenses helps by providing legal advice from a marine specialist who manages the negotiation with the boat repairer and any required legal action is funded by the insurance.

The RYA is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Marsh Ltd and Bishop Skinner Marine is a trading name of Marsh Ltd. Marsh Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for General Insurance Distribution and Credit Broking (Firm Reference No. 307511). Copyright © 2026 Marsh Ltd. Registered in England and Wales Number: 1507274, Registered office: 1 Tower Place West, Tower Place, London EC3R 5BU. All rights reserved.