Legal Aid

When a client receives a certain sum of money because of the result of a procedure, his certificate will be withdrawn retroactively. He will be expected to pay his own lawyer.…

If the Dutch Legal Aid Board rejects the application for legal aid because your income in the reference year exceeded the statutory financial limits, there is an option of asking the Board to make the current year the reference year. This is only possible, however, if your income has fallen considerably in the meantime. You will have to submit such a request to change the reference year to the Board yourself. Should you wish to do this, you can contact us and we will send you the relevant form.…

It is possible that the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration has not yet taken a final decision on your income for the reference year. In that case, the Dutch Legal Aid Board will perform a re-inspection a year after the application. If it then turns out that you were not eligible for legal aid after all, the Dutch Legal Aid Board will reclaim any amounts it has paid to the lawyer from you, with retroactive effect.…

If you have a low income and it is impossible for you to pay exceptional and unexpected costs, you may be entitled to extra financial support from the municipality. This is called “bijzondere bijstand” (special social assistance). Special social assistance is subject to the following conditions among others: (a) You are lawfully living and staying in the Netherlands; (b) You do not have enough income and funds to pay the costs yourself; (c) You are at least 18 years old; (d) You have expenses due to an exceptional or urgent situation, such as surgery or moving house; and (e) You cannot cover the costs in…

If you are eligible for legal aid, you can receive a discount of €58,= on your attorney’s fees. Citizens are encouraged to visit the Legal Services Counter (LSC) before approaching an attorney by offering them a discount of € 58 on the individual contribution, should it turn out that a certificate is needed after all. Because of the lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, it is – temporarily – not necessary to contact the LSC to make use of the ‘diagnosis and triage’ procedure. The discount is automatically given to everyone who needs a certificate.…

The lawyer will submit an application for legal aid on your behalf. To be able to submit an application, we will require a copy of proof of your identity showing your citizen service number (BSN number, formerly known as ‘sofi-nummer’). If you do not (yet) have a BSN number, we will require your alien registration number (vreemdelingennummer). If you have a partner with whom you share a joint household, we will also require a copy of his or her proof of identity and BSN number or alien registration number. This is because the Dutch Legal Aid Board looks at the…