Colonial General Insurance Agency, Inc. offers a Lawyers Insurance program designed for agents and brokers who place professional liability for law firms across the Southwest. Colonial General works with a panel of admitted and non-admitted markets to provide flexible coverage options for new and established firms, solo practitioners, part-time or moonlighting attorneys, and newly admitted lawyers. Our underwriting relationships and loss-prevention resources help you secure market capacity for a broad range of practice sizes and common areas of law.
Overview of the Program From Colonial General
This Lawyers Insurance program provides access to leading professional liability carriers that understand legal practice exposures. Coverage forms and limits vary by carrier, with common features offered across the panel including disciplinary proceedings coverage, loss-only deductibles, first-dollar defense options, and claim expense outside the limits. Colonial General acts as a Managing General Agency and Excess & Surplus Lines broker, placing accounts in admitted and surplus markets as appropriate.
Ideal Accounts and Appetite
- Solo attorneys and small to mid-sized law firms.
- Newly formed firms and recently admitted attorneys.
- Part-time, moonlighting, or of-counsel attorneys needing tailored coverage.
- General civil practice areas and many specialty practices—subject to underwriting review.
Accounts with routine civil litigation, transactional work, family law, real estate, estate planning, and general corporate services often fit well. Firms with extensive regulatory, securities, or large mass-tort exposures may require specific carrier appetite checks.
Coverage Highlights and Advantages
- Limits available up to multi-million dollar levels depending on carrier (panel includes options commonly up to $5M; select markets may offer higher capacity).
- Disciplinary proceedings coverage to help manage regulatory exposures.
- Loss-only deductible structures and First Dollar Defense options.
- Claims Expense Outside the limits available on many programs.
- Loss prevention programs and resources to help reduce claim frequency and severity.
Underwriting Notes and Submission Tips
Underwriters evaluate practice area mix, attorney headcount, revenue, claims and disciplinary history, and risk management practices. To accelerate review, include:
- Current application and firm roster with dates admitted to the bar;
- Five-year loss run or claims history;
- Description of high-exposure matters (if any) and any risk management practices;
- Details on moonlighting/part-time arrangements where applicable.
Limits, deductibles, and specific coverage endorsements depend on carrier availability. Colonial General can quote admitted or non-admitted options where available; confirm state placement requirements when writing surplus lines.
Territories and Availability
Program availability includes: AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, NM, UT, WY. Some admitted markets are available depending on state and carrier; when admitted capacity is limited, E&S placement is used to secure broader coverage options.
Why Work With Colonial General on Lawyers Insurance
- Deep regional experience—Colonial General insures thousands of law firms in the Southwest and has established carrier relationships that understand legal exposures.
- Flexible placement—ability to access both admitted and excess & surplus markets to match client needs.
- Loss control support—programs and resources to help reduce the likelihood and cost of claims.
- Responsive underwriting—specialized underwriting for new, part-time, and newly admitted attorney accounts.
Example accounts that fit this program
- A three-attorney real estate and estate planning firm with clean loss history seeking $1M/$1M limits and disciplinary proceedings coverage.
- A newly formed solo practitioner recently admitted to the bar who moonlights part-time and needs a tailored policy with a lower-dollar deductible and access to loss prevention resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of law firms are a good fit for Colonial General’s Lawyers Insurance program?
Small to mid-sized firms, solo practitioners, newly formed firms, part-time attorneys, and newly admitted lawyers are core targets. Firms practicing routine civil litigation, real estate, family law, estate planning, and general transactional work typically fit well—subject to underwriting review.
Are admitted policies available or is coverage only placed as surplus lines?
Colonial General places business in both admitted and surplus markets where available. Some carriers on the panel write admitted paper in specific states; when admitted capacity isn’t available, excess & surplus placement is used.
What coverage features and limits can I expect to offer clients?
Common features include disciplinary proceedings coverage, loss-only deductible options, First Dollar Defense, and claims expense outside the limits. Limits vary by carrier and account, commonly up to $5M, with select markets offering higher capacity.
What submission information helps get a faster decision?
Provide a completed application, firm roster with bar admission dates, five-year loss runs, and a summary of any high-exposure matters. Clear information on part-time or moonlighting arrangements helps underwriters assess risk quickly.
Which states does this program serve?
The program is available in AZ, CA, CO, ID, NV, NM, UT, and WY. Availability of admitted vs. surplus markets varies by state and carrier.
Need help placing an account? Connect with a market specialist.