The Hartford doesn’t offer attorney malpractice insurance online, but a local agency or Tivly may be able to help you find the coverage you need. The following content includes information from various sources and can change over time.
What Is Attorney Malpractice Insurance?
Attorney malpractice insurance is a type of professional liability insurance, also known as lawyer malpractice insurance, designed to help protect attorneys and law firms from claims of errors, omissions or negligence in the services they provide to clients. These claims can arise from issues such as missed deadlines or allegations that your professional advice caused a client financial harm.
Attorney malpractice insurance is a collection of different business insurance coverages that work together to help protect a law practice. Depending on the policy, it can help with legal defense costs, settlements or judgments. Keep in mind that coverage details, limits and exclusions will vary based on an attorney’s specific needs.
Why Might You Need Lawyer Malpractice Insurance?
Even the most experienced legal professionals can face malpractice claims during their career. In some cases, allegations may arise even when an attorney or their employees believe they acted appropriately — such as when a client feels expectations were not met or disagrees with the outcome of legal services. Claims may also result from issues like administrative matters, filing disputes or differing interpretations of legal advice.
Malpractice insurance for lawyers can help lessen the financial impact of these situations by helping to cover your legal expenses and potential damages. This coverage is often combined with broader lawyer insurance, helping attorneys and law firms manage risks while continuing to serve clients with confidence.
The amount and type of lawyer malpractice insurance needed can vary based on several factors, including:
- Practice area
- Firm size
- Client type
- Case complexity
- Jurisdiction
The Hartford understands the unique risks attorneys face. That’s why we help connect you with Tivly, so you can get a quote for the malpractice coverage you need.
Is Legal Malpractice Insurance Required for Attorneys?
Legal malpractice insurance is not always required by law and requirements can vary by state. However, some states require attorneys to disclose whether they carry malpractice insurance, and certain clients, courts or contracts may ask for proof of coverage.
Who Might Need Attorney Malpractice Insurance?
Attorney malpractice insurance may be relevant for a wide range of legal professionals. Coverage needs could vary based on the type of work performed and the level of exposure to client claims.
Coverage is commonly needed by:
- Solo attorneys
- Small law firms
- Large law firms
- Independent legal consultants
- Contract attorneys
- Specialized practice attorneys (e.g., family law, real estate, litigation)
What Does Malpractice Insurance for Lawyers Cover?
Attorney malpractice insurance is designed to help protect lawyers from the common risks that can arise while running a legal practice. While coverage details will vary by policy, malpractice insurance for lawyers can help provide financial protection if a client or other party files a claim against your practice.
Depending on the policy, coverage may include protection for:
- Claims related to errors or omissions in legal services
- Allegations of negligence or failure to meet professional standards
- Legal defense costs, including attorney fees
- Settlements or judgments resulting from covered claims
Understanding how professional malpractice insurance for lawyers works can help attorneys make informed decisions about the best coverage for their practice.
Claims-Made Policies
Many attorney malpractice insurance policies operate on a claims-made basis. This means coverage generally applies to claims that are first made and reported while the policy is active.
Because timing matters with claims-made coverage, it’s important for attorneys to maintain continuous coverage and understand how their policy responds when claims arise.
Tail Coverage
Tail coverage, also called an extended reporting period endorsement, may help extend protection for certain claims reported after a policy ends if the services provided to a client were performed within your policy’s retroactive date and before the termination date. This type of coverage can be relevant when an attorney retires, changes firms or switches insurance providers.
Whether tail coverage is available or necessary depends on the policy terms and individual circumstances.
What Does Malpractice Insurance for Lawyers Not Cover?
While attorney malpractice insurance can help manage many professional risks, it does not cover all situations. Common exclusions may include:
- Intentional wrongdoing or fraudulent acts
- Criminal activity
- Claims outside the policy’s coverage period or terms
Because exclusions and limitations vary, reviewing your policy details carefully can help you determine what is and isn’t covered.
What Other Insurance Might Attorneys Need?
Attorney malpractice insurance is often a key part of protecting a law practice, but it’s typically combined with other types of business insurance that can help support daily operations. Together, these coverages can help address risks related to clients, employees, property and digital information.
Other types of insurance for lawyers to consider include:
Commercial property insurance: Helps cover damage to business property such as office space, furniture, inventory and equipment due to covered events like fire or theft.
Cyber insurance: Helps cover expenses related to data breaches, cyberattacks or the loss of sensitive client information stored digitally.
Workers’ compensation insurance: Helps provide benefits for employees who experience work-related injuries or illnesses. It’s often required by state law.
Workers’ compensation insurance: Helps provide benefits for employees who experience work-related injuries or illnesses. It’s often required by state law.
How Much Does Attorney Malpractice Insurance Cost?
Although The Hartford doesn’t offer attorney malpractice insurance, here are the average costs our small business customers pay for common types of insurance. You can use these amounts to help estimate your coverage costs:**
- BOP: $1,687 a year, or about $141 a month
- Stand-alone general liability insurance: $810 a year, or about $68 a month
- Workers’ compensation insurance: $1,032 a year, or $86 a month
- Professional liability insurance: $744 a year, or $62 a month1
Keep in mind that the cost of malpractice insurance for lawyers may differ from these averages because every law practice faces unique risks. Insurance pricing is often influenced by several factors, including:
- Practice area
- Firm size
- Location
- Claims history
- Coverage needs
- Coverage limits selected
The best way to find out how much attorney malpractice insurance may cost for your practice is to get a free quote online through Tivly.
Professional Liability Insurance
“A client claimed that we missed a filing deadline and it delayed their case, even though we believed our team followed proper procedures.”
Professional liability insurance, often referred to as attorney malpractice insurance, can help address claims alleging errors, omissions or negligence in the professional services a law practice provides to clients. This coverage may help with legal defense costs and potential settlements or judgments related to covered claims, depending on the policy.
Errors and Omissions Insurance
“A former client claimed our legal advice caused them a financial loss, even though we believed we acted appropriately.”
Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance is another name for professional liability insurance. This coverage can help address claims of negligence, errors or omissions in the services that a firm provides a client. This coverage may help pay for legal defense costs and potential settlements or judgments related to covered claims.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
“An employee injured their wrist after slipping and falling in the office. They needed medical treatment and time off from work to recover.”
Workers’ compensation insurance can help provide benefits for employees who experience work related injuries or illnesses. It can also help protect a law firm from potential legal and financial challenges related to workplace injuries, depending on state requirements and policy terms.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
“A former employee alleged they were treated unfairly after raising concerns about their workload and later filed an employment related claim following their departure.”
Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) can help address certain workplace related claims like allegations of wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment or retaliation. Depending on the policy, EPLI may help cover your company’s legal defense costs and settlements associated with covered claims.
Commercial Property Insurance
“A frozen pipe burst overnight and flooded our office, damaging client files, computers and other technology we rely on to operate.”
Commercial property insurance can help cover repair or replacement costs if a law firm’s physical assets – like your office space, furniture, files and equipment — are damaged due to a covered event like water damage, theft or fire.
Cyber Insurance
“We discovered that someone accessed sensitive client files stored on our network during a cyber incident.”
Cyber insurance can help cover expenses related to data breaches or cyberattacks, such as notification costs, data recovery and certain legal or forensic services. For law firms that handle confidential information digitally, this coverage can help support recovery efforts following a covered cyber event.
Get Attorney Malpractice Insurance That Fits Your Firm
See your price and understand what malpractice insurance coverage options may make sense for your law practice. We help connect you with Tivly, so you can explore coverage options and move forward with confidence.
Last Updated: May 28, 2026
1 What you pay for professional liability insurance will vary by product, limits chosen and risk class or hazard group associated with your business.
2 American Bar Association, “Profile of Legal Malpractice Claims 2020 to 2023,” viewed April 2026.
3 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, 2023 to 2024,” viewed April 2026.
4 The Hartford, “Water and Freezing Damage, Burglary Lead The Hartford’s Top Five Small-Business Claims,” viewed April 2026.
** Costs, premiums, and coverages mentioned are estimates and are not guaranteed. Actual cost, premium, and coverage are determined at the time of quote or issue and are specific to an individual risk. Premiums are based on information provided to The Hartford, including, but not limited to, underwriting and rating criteria. All examples included on this website or in an advertisement are intended for informational purposes only and are not an offer or a guarantee of premium or coverage. Coverage and products described are subject to the terms and conditions found in the policy contract. Any educational information provided about available coverages does not modify the policy language or imply that any claim is covered. Products are not available in all states or for all businesses.
The Hartford does not currently have a product available to provide the coverage described on this page. You are being referred to Tivly in an effort to connect you with a carrier who may provide this coverage. This link will redirect you to a third-party website, owned and operated by an independent party ("Tivly"). Any link you make to or from the Tivly website will be at your own risk. Any use of the Tivly website will be subject to and any information you provide will be governed by the terms of the Tivly website, including those relating to confidentiality, data privacy and security. The Hartford and its affiliates (collectively "The Hartford") do not endorse or approve and make no warranties, representations or undertakings relating to the content of the Tivly website. The Hartford assumes no liability for loss, damage and any other consequence resulting directly or indirectly from your access to the Tivly website or any information that you may provide on the Tivly website.
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