09/01/2026
“Most of my clients are friends. They’d never sue me.” This is what a new referral partner of mine told me today. He's been operating for several years and built much of his business by helping friends and people he knows. Now that he’s growing, he finally purchased an E&O policy because he’s worried the risk is getting bigger.
I’m glad he bought it. Really glad. That being said, there is something bigger worth talking about here: E&O coverage matters from the beginning, not just when your business takes off.
Professional Liability, or Errors & Omissions insurance, is designed to help when a client claims your advice, your service, your mistake, or missed detail or failure to act caused them financial harm.
Sometimes the hardest claims come from people you know and it isn't because they suddenly become terrible people. It is because money changes things. A friend may love you, trust you, and still be facing a $50,000 loss...At that point, the conversation stops being, “Don’t worry, I know them.” It starts to be, “Who is responsible for this?” Moreover, when your friends do blame you, they expect you to step up.
Growth absolutely increases exposure. More clients, more transactions, more employees, and more complexity generally mean more opportunities for something to go wrong. But your first client can create an E&O claim just as easily as your 500th. I'd almost argue it is more likely to happen in the beginning when you are less adept at stepping over professional landmines.
The time to think about Professional Liability is not when you finally feel big enough to get sued. It’s when you first start giving advice, providing a professional service or making decisions that someone else could rely on financially. Being small doesn’t mean you have no exposure. It may just mean you have less money available to survive the lawsuit.
If you’re building a business around your expertise, E&O should be part of the conversation early, not someday when you “get bigger.” Make it part of your plan from the get-go.