No, it's not. Professional indemnity cover is usually offered on a claims-made basis and this means that your insurer will only cover you for claims that are brought against you DURING the term of your policy.
If a claim is made against you after your policy has expired – even if the incident occurred while your policy was in place – you will not be covered for that claim. For example, if an incident occurred in 2014 when you had professional indemnity cover, but the client brings a claim against you in 2015 – after your policy has expired – you will not be insured for that claim.
Therefore a valid policy must always be in force for a claim to be met by an insurer.
We hope this answers your question. For more information or to talk to a professional indemnity adviser, please call us on 0345 251 4000 or email support@professionalindemnity.co.uk.