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Insurance for Law Firms in Washington and Idaho

Idaho requires lawyers who represent private clients to carry professional liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate. Washington does not require it, but lawyers must disclose annually whether they are insured, and the answer is public. Law firms also need cyber coverage for client data and trust account wire fraud, plus office and employment coverage.

By Trella Commercial · Updated October 5, 2026

The short version

  • Idaho requires malpractice insurance for lawyers representing private clients: at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 annual aggregate, with the carrier named and lapses reported within 30 days (Idaho Bar Commission Rule 302).
  • Washington requires disclosure, not coverage. Lawyers certify annually whether they carry professional liability insurance, the information is public, and lapses must be reported within 30 days (APR 26).
  • Cyber and trust accounts are the fast-growing risk. Hacked email, fake wire instructions, and client data breaches. See cyber for law and CPA firms.
  • Ethics rules shape security: Washington RPC 1.6(c) requires reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized access to client information.

Malpractice insurance rules

WashingtonIdaho
Required?No; annual disclosure of whether you are insuredYes, for lawyers representing private clients
MinimumNot applicable$100,000 per occurrence / $300,000 annual aggregate
Public?Yes, insurance status is made available to the publicProof submitted to the Idaho State Bar
LapseReport within 30 daysNotify the Bar within 30 days
SourceAPR 26Idaho Bar Commission Rule 302

Coverage for a law firm

CoverageWhat it handles
Professional liabilityMalpractice claims: missed deadlines, conflicts, errors in advice or filings
CyberClient data breaches, ransomware, fake wire instructions on settlement and trust funds
CrimeEmployee theft from trust or operating accounts
Business owners policyOffice, equipment, lost income
Employment practicesStaff and associate claims

For one firm's experience, see the law firm story.

Common questions

Are lawyers required to carry malpractice insurance in Idaho?

Yes. Idaho Bar Commission Rule 302 requires lawyers who represent private clients to submit proof of professional liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 annual aggregate.

Are lawyers required to carry malpractice insurance in Washington?

No, but under APR 26 lawyers must certify each year whether they are covered, the information is public, and they must report a lapse within 30 days.

Does malpractice insurance cover a data breach?

Usually not fully. Breach response, ransomware, and regulatory costs are generally cyber coverages; some malpractice policies add a small cyber endorsement.

Sources

This page is general information, not legal or ethics advice. Rules were checked against primary sources in October 2026.

The coverage we usually build for law firms

Professional Liability (E&O)

Claims that your advice, work, or service cost a client money. Excluded from every BOP and GL policy.

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Cyber Liability

Ransomware, data breaches, and wire fraud. The claim small businesses are now most likely to file.

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Business Owners Policy

Property, liability, and lost income bundled into one policy. The right starting point for most small businesses.

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Employment Practices Liability

Wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims from employees and applicants.

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General Liability

Injury and property damage claims from customers, clients, and the public. The policy most contracts require.

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What our clients say

“As a professional services firm, we needed solid professional liability and general liability that would satisfy client contract requirements. Trella took the time to understand our exposure, compared options across their carrier panel, and delivered a tailored commercial program without the usual sales pressure. Responsive and knowledgeable.”
Annunay A. · Seattle, WA
“We’re a growing consulting firm and our liability needs kept changing. Trella helped us get the right professional and general liability limits without overbuying. They checked in again six months later when we hired more people. That follow-up mattered.”
Rick A. · Woodinville, WA

Stories from professional services

Illustrative stories: what each business came in for, and what the review found.

Professional services

A CPA Firm Bought E&O for Tax Mistakes. The Bigger Risk Was a Fake Email.

A twelve-person accounting firm had professional liability for errors in its work. The review found a claims-made trap in its switch of carriers, and a wire fraud exposure its E&O policy was never designed to cover.

E&OCyberEPLILegal services

A Small Law Firm's Trust Account and the Email That Almost Emptied It

A four-attorney firm handling real estate closings assumed its malpractice policy covered a stolen wire. The review found that malpractice, cyber, and crime coverage each covered a different piece, and the firm had only one of them.

CyberE&OBOPStaffing

A Staffing Agency Has Two Sets of Employees Who Can Sue It

A staffing firm placing warehouse workers had an EPLI policy for its own office staff. The review found that its real exposure was the hundreds of temporary workers it placed, and the client companies they worked for.

EPLIStop-gapE&O

More professional services we insure

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