Jury service for self-employed: getting cover for loss of earnings

Jury duty if you’re self-employed can be the last thing you need. If you’re a freelancer or contractor and a jury service summons pops through your letterbox, your first thought is probably “how much is this going to cost me”. 

Unlike employees who might get support from their employer, self-employed workers face the real possibility of loss of earnings when called for jury service. So, what are your options? Can you claim compensation? Is there jury duty insurance that covers this kind of thing? 

In this post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about managing jury service as a self-employed person in the UK without letting it derail your business. 

*Disclaimer – The following contains a general guide to legal expenses insurance. Exact coverage may differ per policy and insurance provider. Please always check your policy documentation and/or terms & conditions for more details. 

What jury service means for the self-employed 

Many likely view jury service (or jury duty) as a bit of an inconvenience – it can disrupt your work, your routines and just generally pose difficulties for most working people. 

But the self-employed face unique challenges when it comes to managing a jury duty summons while working freelance. 

Legal obligation & jury service fines 

The first thing about jury duty is it’s a legal requirement. If you’re aged between 18 and 75 and on the electoral register, you can be called up – regardless of employment status. If you ignore the summons or fail to attend without a valid reason, you could face a fine of up to £1,000. 

Being self-employed doesn’t exempt you – although your circumstances may make you eligible for deferral (more on this later). 

No employer to cover costs 

Unlike employees who might get paid time off or have HR to help them navigate the process, self-employed people are on their own. There’s no automatic pay during jury service, and the government compensation is capped. 

If you’re a contractor, you’ll need to provide confirmation of your expected income – like a recent tax return or a letter from your accountant – to claim this compensation (which can be a hassle within itself). 

Disruption to clients & workflow 

Jury service can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. During that time, you might be unavailable for meetings, unable to meet deadlines, or forced to pause ongoing projects.  

When you’re employed full time, it’s likely you can take a few days to complete your jury service and have work waiting for you when you go back to the office. 

But if you freelance, you’re reliant on having client work lined up and being able to meet deadlines. Taking time off for jury duty while self-employed could lead to: 

• Lost clients or contracts 

• Delayed payments 

• Damaged reputation if deadlines slip 

Even if you’re not selected for a trial right away, you’ll still need to be “on call” and available to attend court, which makes planning work nearly impossible. 

Loss of earnings 

If you’re working for yourself, you’re typically relying on your own ability to work to make a living. So, one of the biggest concerns when freelancing is probably how to recover lost income. 

While the UK courts do offer some compensation, it’s not always straightforward – and as a freelancer, it’s unlikely to match your daily rate, leaving you facing income loss.  

Real-life concern for freelancers: loss of earnings from jury service 

While there are multiple challenges faced by the self-employed called up for jury service, it’s clear income loss is the big kicker. It’s echoed in real-life experiences shared by freelancers online: 

“The problem is that I’m self-employed…I have some large contracts that are pre-paid plus a large retainer client, and some contracts say that I cannot hire someone else to do the work…it’s not just losing income, I have to pay [money] for someone to cover for me, and be available on breaks to give them direction.” 

“I’m self-employed, I work remotely so being on Jury Service will mean I won’t be able to work and will lose earnings” 

“I freelance and whilst work is very regular, I generally live invoice-to-invoice… I’ve just received a jury summons letter…I have a mortgage, bills (that are all going up – again – in March), a pre-schooler and a 10-month-old to support (my OH is currently on maternity). If the jury service lasts 10 days I stand to lose £4k income…” 

Ultimately, jury service for the self-employed doesn’t just impact business, it can affect personal lives. The good news is that there are some things you can do in response to your jury summons and ways to reclaim earnings lost. 

Can you defer jury duty if you’re self-employed? 

If you receive a jury summons but find that you’re unable to attend, you can apply to defer your jury service or be excused – but it has to be a very good reason (not just because you don’t fancy it!).  

Reasons to be excused from jury duty or defer your service could include things like having an operation, an inability to take time off work (e.g. contractual agreements), exceptional financial hardship or difficulty finding childcare. 

You can apply to defer your jury service once and provide alternative dates for the next 12 months. 

What can you claim for loss of earnings? 

Although technically you’re not “paid” for doing jury service, you can claim back on expenses and receive compensation if your earnings are affected by having to take time away from work. 

What you can claim if you’re self-employed usually includes: 

• Cover for loss of earnings, childcare/pet care costs – up to £64.95 per day (more than 4 hours in court) or £32.47 per day (at court for less than 4 hours) 

• £5.71 for food and drink per day – when at court for 10 hours or less 

• Costs to travel to and from court – the amount will vary based on how you travel (e.g. bus, train, bicycle, car, taxi etc.) 

If your jury service lasts longer than 10 working days, the amount you can claim for income loss and care costs increases to up to £129.91 per day (more than 4 hours at court) or £64.95 per day (less than 4 hours at court). 

*Please note – above compensation rates are correct as of date of publication and may be subject to change over time. 

How insurance can help the self-employed with jury service 

Many might find that the compensation you can claim for jury service doesn’t quite cut it for covering loss of earnings. Even a beginner freelancer might charge £30/hour or £240/day – over 3 times the daily compensation you can claim for. 

A common query online: “Is there an insurance product that will pay out for missing work due to jury duty?” 

The good news is yes! Some home insurance policies may include legal insurance or have optional legal expenses add-ons. This often covers costs of lost earnings due to jury service. 

You can also get dedicated business Legal Expenses insurance that may offer better compensation – though not every legal expenses insurance policy covers jury duty. 

You should always check your policy wording or your insurer’s terms and conditions for what you’re covered for – more specifically, how much compensation you’ll receive. 

Some insurers might offer a set sum, for example £100 per day towards earnings you lose. Other insurers will pay your net salary minus any compensation you receive from the courts. 

Jury duty insurance with Kingsbridge Legal Expenses cover 

For contractors, jury service doesn’t have to be a worrying possibility. 

With Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance you can choose our optional Legal Expenses insurance add-on, which can provide jury attendance cover – up to your net weekly earnings for the time you’re absent from work (minus any amount compensated by the courts). 

Plus, our Legal Expenses cover can protect your business from other risks like: 

• IR35 investigations (defence and legal fees up to £100k)  

• Legal expenses for tax, VAT, PAYE and NICs enquiries  

• Contract disputes  

• Debt recovery (unpaid goods and services)  

• Costs resulting from identity theft  

• Legal fees to recover losses from personal injury (caused by a third-party) 

 This is all available as an add-on to our core Contractor Insurance which includes Public Liability, Professional Indemnity and Personal Accident policies as standard! 

If you’d like to know more, simply give one of our team a call on 01242 808740 or get an instant quote online. 

Jury service and legal expenses FAQs 

We’ve answered some FAQs below. As always, the following is a general guide – please check your own policy schedule and policy wording for more specific information. 

What are the current daily compensation rates for jury service? 

At the time of writing (2025), the standard allowance is £64.95 per day if in court more than four hours and £32.47 if under four hours. After 10 days of attendance, this rises to £129.91 per day. Food and travel can also be reclaimed. 

Can self-employed people defer or be excused from jury service? 

A deferral may be granted if service would cause financial hardship or disrupt important client work. Only one deferral is allowed, and you must propose new dates within 12 months.  

Can Legal Expenses insurance cover loss of earnings during jury service? 

Yes, some Legal Expenses insurance policies include jury service cover. This can help replace income when court allowances don’t match your usual day rate. Always check the policy wording or the insurer’s terms and conditions for exact coverage details. 

How much does Kingsbridge’s Legal Expenses insurance pay for jury service? 

The optional add-on may cover your net weekly income, minus any compensation already paid by the court. This helps bridge the gap between capped compensation and your actual earnings. 

Is jury service cover included in Contractor Insurance as standard? 

Legal Expenses cover as available as an optional add-on with our Contractor Insurance – it isn’t automatically included. This extension gives you jury attendance cover as well as protection for tax investigations, contract disputes, and debt recovery. 

What other benefits come with Kingsbridge Legal Expenses insurance? 

Beyond jury service, the cover can support you with IR35 investigations, professional fees for other HMRC enquiries, contract disputes, debt recovery, legal fees to cover losses from personal injury, and costs resulting from identity theft. It’s designed to give wider protection to contractors and freelancers.