01Consultants
Consulting work is shaped by the decisions clients make using your advice. Strategy, operations, project support and specialist recommendations may have different consequences if a client alleges an error. The scope of work, deliverables and assumptions are therefore as important to the insurance discussion as the consultant’s job title.
Describe the services, client sectors, contract sizes and any subcontracted expertise. Professional indemnity concerns allegations arising from professional services, while public liability addresses different third-party injury or property risks. Check contractual promises, liability caps, past work and known circumstances carefully. Clear engagement letters and records of agreed changes support good practice but do not replace an appropriate policy review.
02Accounting & Bookkeeping
Accounting and bookkeeping practices handle information that clients rely on for reporting, cash flow and business decisions. A practice doing data entry has a different service profile from one providing tax, advisory or audit work. Deadlines, delegated tasks and access to client systems all deserve attention.
Prepare a clear breakdown of services, qualifications, turnover and client types. Professional indemnity should be considered alongside cyber exposure and ordinary office risks, with the actual professional activities accurately declared. Review engagement terms, past work and notification requirements. Strong checks around payment instructions, document retention and client approvals remain useful controls rather than guarantees that a loss will be insured.
03Design & Engineering Consulting
Design and engineering advice may influence a project long after a drawing or report is delivered. Feasibility advice, specifications, certification, inspections and project supervision are different services, and the allocation of design responsibility is not always obvious from the project name.
Explain the disciplines involved, project types, values and whether you also construct, install or supply equipment. Professional indemnity and public liability serve different purposes and should be checked against the actual services. Contractual fitness-for-purpose promises, liability assumed for other parties and design changes need careful review. Keep the agreed scope, versions, assumptions and approvals together as the project develops.
