Norway

In 2007, ARAG acquired shares of HELP Forsikring and thus entered a field of business in Norway that had previously offered little potential to legal insurers, due to the strong influence of the welfare state. Although legal insurance coverage had been available in Norway during the 1960s, it was inadequate and offered only as a supplementary benefit in composite policies. It was to ARAG’s advantage that HELP Forsikring AS had been present with its legal insurance products in the Norwegian insurance market since 2005. Since its founding, HELP Forsikring AS has offered protection and support in legal matters for both individuals and trade unions.

HELP Forsikring AS employed 45 people in 2010, of whom 30 worked in the company’s Legal Services Department. The development of new products and business growth have generated a number of successful legal insurance services, such as legal service for house-purchasers, which provides assistance to prospective house-purchasers in contractual matters. Today, ARAG holds a 42 percent interest in HELP Forsikring AS.

The youngest international affiliate of the ARAG Group is expected to open the door to the entire Scandinavian market for ARAG. The growth achieved by HELP Forsikring AS is attributable primarily to cooperative agreements with numerous trade unions and an increasing share of the market for real-estate legal insurance.