# Insurance for professional legal guardians and guardians of minors in Germany

> As a professional legal guardian (Berufsbetreuer) in Germany you run bank accounts, file applications and sign contracts for people who can no longer do so themselves. A missed deadline or a forgotten pension claim costs them money, and you are liable for it. Since 2023 you cannot register without financial loss liability insurance. This page explains what is compulsory, what makes sense and what it costs. Much of it applies equally to professional guardians of minors (Berufsvormund).

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-professional-legal-guardian.php  
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Is the €250,000 minimum enough?

For registration, yes. In practice often not. If you look after people with property, inheritances or larger savings, €250,000 per claim can run out quickly, and all claims in one year share the €1 million annual limit. Higher limits usually cost only a modest extra premium. Make sure the policy names your work as a professional legal guardian and, where relevant, as a guardian of minors.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Professional liability for financial loss with at least €250,000 per claim and €1 million for all claims in a year, a condition of registration under section 23 of the Betreuungsorganisationsgesetz
- **Biggest risk:** Financial loss for the people you look after through missed deadlines, late applications or mismanaged money
- **Basic cover from:** about €150 a year for the statutory minimum cover of a self employed guardian, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Liability:** The guardian is responsible to the person in care for damage caused by a breach of duty (section 1826 BGB, the German Civil Code); the guardian of a minor likewise (section 1794 BGB)
- **Often forgotten:** Cyber cover: your office holds banking access, health data and official notices for many clients

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Missed deadline:** An objection to a health insurer's decision goes out too late. The benefit is lost and the client claims the amount from you.
- **Forgotten application:** Housing benefit, basic income support or a care grade is applied for months too late. Lost benefits are a classic financial loss.
- **Payments that keep running:** After a move into a care home the old rent keeps going out by standing order for months.
- **Clearing a flat:** When a home is cleared, keepsakes or valuable items end up in the skip. Relatives demand compensation.
- **Data in the wrong hands:** Malware in your office opens online banking and email. Several clients are affected at once.
- **Disputes with relatives:** Children or heirs accuse you of mistakes and bring in a lawyer and the guardianship court.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 2, Theft 2, Cyber 4, Downtime 3, Health 2

## The insurance you need

- **Professional indemnity** (Essential): Financial loss liability is a condition of registration and pays when a client loses money through your mistake. It also defends you against unfounded claims. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-professional-indemnity.php
- **Business liability** (Strongly advised): For injury and property damage, for example if a client falls in your office or you damage something on a home visit. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Strongly advised): For data breaches, ransomware and the cost of notifying clients and authorities. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Strongly advised): For disputes about your fees, with your office landlord or other conflicts that liability insurance does not cover. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Occupational disability** (Strongly advised): Self employed guardians live on their ability to work. If you fall ill, the fees for every case stop. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): Replaces files, computers and furniture after fire, water or burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend on the number of cases, the limit of cover, office staff and whether you are a self employed guardian or a guardianship association.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Professional indemnity | Self employed guardian, statutory minimum of €250,000 and €1 million a year | about €150 to €350 a year |
| Professional indemnity | Office with two guardians, €500,000 per claim | about €400 to €900 a year |
| Cyber insurance | Small guardianship office, €250,000 limit | about €300 to €700 a year |
| Business legal expenses | Guardian with an office, contract and employment legal expenses | about €300 to €600 a year |
| Business contents | Office furniture and equipment worth €20,000 | about €80 to €200 a year |

For comparison: The statutory cover for a self employed guardian costs about as much a year as a few hours of your work on a single case.

_All premiums are guide figures from our quoting work, excluding German insurance premium tax, October 2026. The minimum limits are set out in the Betreuungsorganisationsgesetz. Your premium depends on the number and type of cases._

- [Betreuungsorganisationsgesetz section 23: registration and liability insurance](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/btog/__23.html)
- [BGB section 1826: liability of the legal guardian](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1826.html)
- [BGB section 1794: liability of the guardian of a minor](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__1794.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Sole guardian** (self employed guardians working from home): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Occupational disability. Together: about €250 to €500 a year, excluding income protection
- **Guardianship office** (two to five guardians sharing an office and an administrator): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses, Business contents. Together: about €1,200 to €2,800 a year
- **Association** (recognised guardianship associations with employed guardians): Professional indemnity, Business liability, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses, Business contents. Together: individual, usually from about €2,500 a year

## The worst day in a guardianship office

Six things that really can happen to professional guardians, all on one Monday. Tap through and see who pays.

- 08:30: A decision turns up in the post; the deadline for an objection passed last week. The client loses a benefit. (€4,800, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 10:15: A client trips over a cable in your office and breaks a wrist. (€6,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:00: The bank reports that the old rent has been paid for six months after the move into a care home. (€3,900, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 14:40: A fake email installs ransomware, and the files of forty clients are encrypted. (€12,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 16:20: A son claims you sold the family home below value and sues. (€9,000, Paid by: Professional indemnity)
- 17:45: Your office landlord demands a disputed service charge payment and you need a lawyer. (€1,600, Paid by: Business legal expenses)

**Damage so far:** €37,800

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have the policy name your work as a professional legal guardian and, if relevant, as a guardian of minors.
- Choose a higher limit than the minimum if you look after people with property or larger assets.
- Keep a deadline calendar with a stand in for holidays; missed deadlines are the most common cause of claims.
- Ask about run off cover: losses often come to light long after a case has ended.
- Protect banking access with two factor login and a separate password for each client.
- Report every claim to the insurer straight away, even if you think it is unfounded.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **A comparison, not a group scheme:** As a broker we collect quotes from several insurers and compare limits, annual aggregate and run off cover, not just the premium.
- **Proof for the registration authority:** We make sure the insurance certificate shows the statutory minimum limits, so your registration does not stall over paperwork.
- **Explained in English:** German policy wording can be hard going. We explain the clauses that matter in plain English.
- **Family run since 1989:** Our work is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### What insurance do I need as a professional legal guardian in Germany?

Professional liability for financial loss with at least €250,000 per claim and €1 million for all claims in a year is compulsory. Without it you cannot register under the Betreuungsorganisationsgesetz.

### What does it cost?

For a self employed guardian with the statutory minimum, premiums in our quoting work are about €150 to €350 a year. Higher limits and more guardians cost more.

### Am I personally liable to the person I look after?

Yes. Under the German Civil Code the guardian is responsible for damage caused by a breach of duty unless the guardian is not at fault. That is why financial loss cover matters so much.

### Does the policy also cover guardianship of minors?

Only if that work is named in the policy. A guardian of a minor is liable in much the same way, so it should be included.

### Is bodily injury covered by financial loss liability?

No. If someone falls in your office or you damage something on a visit, public liability pays. Many insurers offer both in one policy.

### What about claims after a case has ended?

Claims often arrive years later, for example from heirs. Check that run off cover is long enough, including after you retire.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-professional-legal-guardian.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.