The first question is not which policy to buy but whether one is compulsory for you. For regulated professions it is a condition of practising; for everyone else it is a voluntary decision. Liability for a professional error exists either way.
Who needs professional liability cover
For some professions liability insurance is required by law or by a chamber; for the rest it is voluntary — and that is precisely where damage most often goes uncovered.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
I was certain my private liability policy covered work too. I read the terms only when a client made a claim — professional activity is excluded in plain words.
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Lea recommends:
Check your current client contracts for an insurance clause. Sometimes it is already there and the policy is not.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For whom is it compulsory? ▾
For several regulated professions: doctors, lawyers, tax advisers, and in some cases architects and engineers. The duty comes from statute or chamber rules, and without proof of cover practice is not permitted.
What if my profession is not on the list? ▾
Then the insurance is voluntary, but liability remains: whoever causes damage must make it good. For IT specialists, translators or consultants an error easily becomes a client’s financial loss, met from personal assets.
Does private liability insurance not cover this? ▾
No, and this is the most common misconception. Private liability covers damage in private life and expressly excludes damage arising from professional activity. One policy does not substitute for the other.
Do clients themselves require cover? ▾
Increasingly yes: large companies and agencies write minimum cover levels into contracts. At that point a voluntary question becomes a condition of working together.