Prices and lawyers fee

For a careful assessment of your case, I often need a copy of the file. Most contacts can simply be made via email. Sometimes a (video) conversation is necessary. Your questions will be answered and the feasibility of your case will be discussed as well as the applicable rates and other costs. This can be done on the basis of the system of government payment (toevoegingen) or with a legal fee. Below you can find more information for both situations.

Government payment

In some cases depending on your income you may be eligible for free legal assistance through government payment (toevoegingen) also known as pro bono lawyer, aside from a personal fee (eigen bijdrage). If applicable I can submit an application for funded legal assistance on your behalf to the Legal Aid Board using your BSN number or V number (asylum seeker). The office works together with the Legal Aid Board on the basis of a high trust agreement.

You can see whether you qualify for this in this schedule:

Most asylum seekers do not have to pay a personal contribution. You can receive a discount of €58 on this personal contribution if you contact the Legal Desk in advance to discuss your problem. Don't forget to mention the fact that you want me as your lawyer. They will then draw up a diagnosis document and if the addition is later granted by the Council, you will receive the aforementioned discount on the personal contribution. For more information and the nearest address, see www.juridischloket.nl. The number to contact them is 0900 - 8020.

Please note that in certain cases a result assessment applies, which means that the government payment (toevoeging) can be withdrawn afterwards. In that case, you may have to pay the costs of legal assistance yourself. You can read these and all other conditions on the Legal Aid Board's website at www.rechtsbijstand.nl.

Please note that not every case or interest can be granted government payment (toevoeging). As a rule, government payment (toevoeging) can be requested for a zienswijze, objection or (appeal) and a complaint to the ECtHR. This is not possible for legal advice or an extensive analysis of your case in my office. I can only do these with a fixed fee. I don’t work with an hourly rate. For help and guidance in submitting an application for a residence permit or residence document, I only work on a fixed fee basis. With some complex applications it has recently become possible to request an addition, but my office chooses not to do these matters on an addition basis, but only with a legal fee. You explicitly refrain from requesting the government payment (toevoeging). If you still wish to submit the application by government payment (toevoeging), you will have to contact another office. If the application is rejected, for the appeal in most cases the government payment can be asked.

Legal fee (paid cases)

If you are not eligible for government payment (toevoeging), the assignment will be done on a legal fee. In almost all cases I work on the basis of a fixed price agreement (fixed fee) for the entire matter per procedure. I don’t work on an hourly fee. A procedure can be an advice or an application or an objection or appeal. That is pleasant for both of us, because you will not be confronted with additional costs afterwards.

The normal hourly rate is € 250.00 ex 21% VAT. The fixed price agreements are based on this. If we have to stop a case in the meantime, we will charge this hourly rate. The starting rate is a minimum of 3 hours regardless of the nature of the work. It is therefore not possible to return the first 3 hours as this also includes all administrative work. In some cases, the hourly rate may be deviated from upwards or downwards, depending on the nature of the case or its urgency. But of course always in mutual consultation and always before working on the case. This way you will never be faced with any surprises afterwards.

I don’t have a consultation fee. A conversation or email with questions therefore falls under advice. But I will let you know of course in advance. Some questions can be answered by me for free. Also consider analyzing an (old) file and assessing the options for submitting a (new) application. Or cases in which a certain strategy must be adviced. These matters always take place on the basis of a fixed price agreement.

I also always make a fixed price agreement (fixed fee) for help and guidance with an application for a residence permit or residence document. Because of my extensive experience, I can almost always make a good estimate of the costs in advance. It will therefore rarely happen that you have to pay more than the amount you paid. If this is the case, I will of course inform you in a timely manner. Clarity and transparency are important to me and to you.

In some cases it is not always clear whether an application has a chance. In that case, we can always split the invoice into two parts, using the first part as advice in which the chances of the application are examined and the remaining part of the invoice only needs to be paid if we actually continue or submit the application. Consider, for example, Visa or HASA cases or cases in which evidence or reports must be arranged and assessed. In this way, high further costs can be saved. This is because refund of amounts already paid is not possible, except in special circumstances. Consider the situation in which we jointly come to the conclusion that we can no longer continue together. A final invoice will then be made based on the aforementioned hourly rate.

The office does not charge separate office costs. If we need to hire third parties (such as medical or experts), these are never included in the fixed fees and will be charged separately. Also the IND costs for the application are never included in the price offer. We are talking only about lawyers fee here.

Court fees

You also owe court fees (griffierechten) for every procedure before the court. These are the costs of the court. These costs are not covered by the Legal Aid Board and are your own expense. You pay these costs directly to the court. For more information, please visit www.rechtspraak.nl.

Takeover

Please note that if your case is taken over from another lawyer for whom an addition has already been granted, a new fee (eigen bijdrage) may be imposed. This is not determined by me as a lawyer, but by the Legal Aid Board when the addition is changed. For that reason I cannot alwas take over a case with government payment because the reimbursement for the declaration must also be shared with the previous lawyer. This may mean that an acquisition by me can only take place in a paying manner and that we must expressly waive the right to request an addition or have it changed. We determine this together in consultation and always in advance so that you know where you stand. You always have the right to contact a lawyer who wishes to do so.