Many firms charge office costs as a percentage of their fees of up to 7%! We think that that is nonsense. Everything is included in our fees. No office surcharge. (We do charge you for disbursements, though. Those are costs we pay on your behalf to the court, bailiffs, or other third parties.)

How many hours will you spend on my case?

A lot depends, of course, on how many documents and correspondence we need to read to properly assess your case. A general rule of thumb, based on years of experience, is the following:

• 5 hours for advice without the need to negotiate with an opponent;
• 10 hours for representation in and negotiation with an adversary;
• 20 hours for legal proceedings.

If you do not qualify for subsidised legal aid, we ask for a retainer for the expected number of hours and for court fees (if applicable). We determine the expected number of hours in accordance with the rule of thumb above.

Winning a Lawsuit: Does the Loser Pay Your Legal Fees?

Pro deo / subsidised legal aid, or a discount of up to 75% on our regular hourly rate

Do you qualify for subsidised legal aid? Then we will apply for you that subsidy, and we will work under that scheme (so “pro deo”), wherever you live in the world, as long as you have a legal issue for which Dutch courts are competent. In the schedule below, you can see what your own contribution for legal aid will be. This is a one-time monetary contribution payable to us once the subsidy is awarded. However, if legal proceedings are required, you may also incur court fees (up to approximately €100 for first instance court proceedings and up to approximately €360 for appeals).

Are you (just) not eligible for subsidised legal aid because the dispute is business-related (resulting from running a business) or because you had and have too much income, but is our regular hourly rate a problem for you? With us, you may be eligible for a discount on our hourly rate.

Do you meet the following conditions?

• You (and your tax partner) had no assets above the threshold amount two years ago and this year (in 2024: €36,952).
• Your taxable income in the reference year (two years ago) was lower than the amounts printed below. (By taxable income, we mean income from employment or benefits, regardless of which country in the world you received that income.)

Then send us the information we need:

1. A copy of proof of identity (you may redact the passport photo for your security) of you and your partner.
2. An income statement for the reference year (which is the current year minus two) of you and your partner.
3. Did you have income abroad? Then send us a completed “Income and assets statement” form of the Legal Aid Board (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand). Do not forget to include the supporting documents requested in that form and provide us with your BSN (citizen service number) and that of your partner.
4. Provide us with your full address. If your address is not the same as the address where you are registered with the Municipality, provide both addresses and explain why the two addresses differ.
5. Only send us PDF documents according to these instructions. If you are unable to do so, please ask someone for help. If that is not possible, make an appointment to come and hand over everything on paper. We will then scan your papers.

Result assessment

You will still have to pay all the solicitor’s fees yourself if the proceeds of the case are equal to or higher than the results threshold. In 2026, this threshold will be €19,239.50. This means that, retroactively, you will not be eligible for subsidised legal aid or a discount on our regular rate for your case. The idea behind this is that the favourable outcome of our work should enable you to pay our normal rate. More information can be found here.