FAQ

It’s simple: On the landing page, you can enter up to three search criteria. You can choose to fill in all the fields or just a few — it’s entirely up to you. All the fields are optional, and you can use any combination of them. However, the more specific your search criteria, the easier it will be to find what you are looking for.

• Search-filter 1: Choose the area of law that best fits your situation from a predefined list. We understand that this can be tricky if you are unsure how to classify your situation. As a general rule, the type of person or party you are in conflict with usually indicates the relevant area of law. You can also refer to our FAQ for detailed explanations of each area. If you are still unsure, you can skip this step. However, taking your best guess can help refine your search results.
• Search-filter 2: Choose the preferred language(s) in which to communicate with a professional.
• Search-filter 3: Choose a region in which you want to look for a lawyer or mediator. From a legal perspective, the region does not matter. Lawyers and mediators can work anywhere in the country. However, if a lawyer needs to travel for you (e.g. for a court hearing), you may be charged for their travel time at their hourly rate. If you have to travel to meet the mediator or lawyer, you will have travel expenses and that will take up more of your time too. From a purely economic standpoint, we suggest clarifying with the professional you hire, where they will need to travel, and what the related costs will be.

After following those three steps, a list of legal professionals matching your three search criteria will be displayed. You may either directly start to go through these results or refine them further by using additional search filters.

Refine your search results using additional filters

On the left side, next to your search result list, you can further refine your results by applying additional filters to your search. Again, the more you narrow it down, the better the match. The filters are explained in detail below:

 “Lawyer or Mediator?”: Choose if you need help from a lawyer or mediator.

• Lawyers: Lawyers represent you and work in your best interests. They can provide legal advice, negotiate on your behalf, and represent you in court if necessary. They are your advocates and will take your side in a dispute.
• Mediators: Mediators are neutral facilitators who do not take sides. They only provide advice if both parties request it, and even then, they remain impartial. Mediators help both parties communicate effectively to resolve the issue together in the most sustainable manner. This way, you stay in control of the outcome of your conflict.

Some lawyers are also trained mediators. If you would like to learn more about those professionals, please continue reading our FAQ.

“Qualified for legal aid?”: Choose if you qualify for legal aid or not. Only some lawyers and mediators accept legal aid cases. Therefore, if you qualify for legal aid, we strongly recommend seeking out professionals who handle these cases to avoid wasting time.

In general, you may qualify for legal aid if you have a low income and a low amount of savings. The specific financial criteria change annually. If you are a single person and your current income, or your income of two years ago, is under €33,200; or if you have a partner and/or minors and your income is under €46,900, we suggest looking into this option further.

Would you like to learn more about legal aid? Please take a look further down in our FAQ.

Yes. At first you can only select one language, the language in which you would like to be assisted in. The site then shows you the search results that match your search terms. However, you can then further refine your search in a second step and add a second language. You can do that by adding the second language on the left side of the screen after the search results have been shown.

Yes. You may contact as many professionals as you want.

Bear in mind though that every professional you contact will invest time and share their knowledge in trying to help you. Therefore, it is fair not to overdo it with the number of contact requests.

Using the Counselr website is completely free if you’re searching for a lawyer or mediator. You can browse profiles, read about professionals, and send them messages without incurring any cost. The legal professionals listed on Counselr pay an annual fee to be featured on the platform, so there is no charge to users for accessing the site.

However, if you decide to hire a lawyer or mediator, any fees related to their services are your responsibility. These costs are something you will agree on directly with the legal professional. Counselr is not involved in setting or managing these fees and does not take a commission or percentage from the agreement.

Please note that while using the platform to search and communicate is free, the costs for legal services will depend on the specific terms you agree on with the lawyer or mediator you choose.

The Counselr Legal Hub is an online knowledge base designed to help expats understand the Dutch legal system. It offers clear, practical information and general guidance on how to navigate legal matters in the Netherlands.

To find the topics that interest you, simply use the search function to explore articles and answers tailored to your questions.

Start exploring the Counselr Legal Hub here!

Education law in the Netherlands regulates who must attend school, what types of education are available, and how schools are supervised. It applies to all children living in the Netherlands, regardless of nationality or immigration status.

For example, think of:

• A school refusing a request for exemption from compulsory education (leerplicht)

• A disagreement about whether a child qualifies for special needs support

• A rejected application to a public or international school

• Discrimination at school based on language, religion, or nationality

• A conflict with the school attendance officer (leerplichtambtenaar) over unexplained absences

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Employment law/ Labour law deals with regulations concerning, among other things, the relationship between an employer and an employee.

For example, think of:

• The content of employment agreements/ contracts,
• The applicability and meaning of general employment conditions,
• application and consequences of binding Collective Labour Agreements (“CAO”),
• dismissal of employees,
• dismissal of executives and board members,
• termination of employment contracts;
• reorganisations and restructuring,
• collective dismissal/ redundancy,
• non-competition issues and secrecy agreements;
• assistance in drafting personnel manuals and codes of conduct;
• obligations of the employer and employee during illness,
• expatriation and repatriation of employees,
• employment contracts for expatriates.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Asylum law governs the process and criteria by which individuals who are already present in a country can seek protection due to fear of persecution in their home country. Immigration law covers the regulations and policies governing the entry, stay, and status of foreign nationals in a country.

For example, think of:

• Getting a working permit to be allowed to work in the Netherlands,
• Family reunification, let them come to join you in the Netherlands
• Getting Dutch citizenship,
• Getting a residence permit,
• Asylum applications,
• Refugee Status determination,
• Deportation and Removal procedures, meaning you may have to leave the Netherlands.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Tax law deals with regulations regarding the assessment and collection of taxes.

For example, think of:

• Income tax compliance,
• Tax audits and disputes,
• Corporate tax advice,
• Checking rules of tax deduction.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Administrative law centres around government decisions and rules the government has to follow to take those decisions.

For example, think of:

• Decision where events may take place,
• The city or other authority not deciding fast enough,
• applying for a building permit, for an extension, or transforming a commercial building into residential units.
• benefits,
• enforcement orders,
• getting damage payments as a result of the city’s or government’s plans.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Inheritance law deals with the assets and debts of someone who has passed away.

The drafting and registering of a testament/ last will is the task of a notary. Lawyers and mediators can help you in case you have a conflict or try to avoid a future conflict.

For example, think of:

• Checking the applicable law,
• Explaining who can inherit and who cannot, who can be excluded from a will and who cannot be excluded,
• Contesting a will,
• Figuring out who is entitled to which assets that the deceased left behind,
• Helping you get the needed information from someone’s last will.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Rental law deals with all aspects of leasing and renting.

For example, think of:

• Advice regarding your rental agreement with regards to a room, apartment, house, car or bike.
• Checking if the housing renting price is in accordance with the law,
• Conflicts with your landlord, e.g. who has to repair a broken heater, how to deal with a leakage or other issues in the house,
• When to get the deposit back,
• What the rights and duties are of landlords and the tenant

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Intellectual property law deals with rights to developed ideas and creative concepts, such as music, trademarks, software, games, texts, and photographs.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Personal injury law deals with liability for and the assessment of damages suffered by an individual who has been injured or has died due to the fault of another party.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Environmental law deals with regulations concerning the physical environment in which we live, including issues related to the environment, water, nature, and spatial planning.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Business law covers all the rules related to running a business. It includes the various legal requirements that businesses must follow in their day-to-day operations. This area of law covers topics such as contracts, employment law, intellectual property, and commercial transactions.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Commercial law, which is a subset of business law, specifically focuses on the laws governing trade, sales, and commerce. This includes areas like the sale of goods, the supply of services, and international trade.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Family law deals with matters concerning family and children, such as divorce, birth, parentage, and child protection measures.

For example, think of:

• Divorce, dissolution registered partnership,
• Child or partner alimony/maintenance payments
• Custody- disputes, meaning which parent gets to decide (e.g. on it’s location, vacation, school of the child, medical decisions etc.)
• Who gets to see the child when,
• With whom will the child live after separation,
• Determining whether a child can relocate, obtaining permission, or preventing a parent from moving with the child,
• recognition of fatherhood,
• DNA testing,
• Denial of paternity or disavowal of paternity
• Having a child being placed in foster care,
• Dealing with child protective services,
• Having your child under supervision of child protective authorities,
• Wanting to be informed about your child’s wellbeing,
• Division of assets ,
• Rainbow families, meaning the child may have four parents, two mums and two dads,
• Surrogacy,
• Duo-motherhood, meaning two mother’s raising a child,
• Adoption

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Privacy law deals with the regulations on privacy protection established in various laws and guidelines, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Criminal law addresses what behaviour is punishable and what penalties apply for violations of the law. Criminal procedure law deals with the procedures that must be followed in enforcing and adjudicating these penalties.

For example, think of:

• Theft or larcency,
• Assault and battery,
• Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs,
• Drug offences,
• White-collar-crimes, like embezzlement, fraud, or insider trading,
• Domestic violence,
• Sexual offence allegations, such as sexual assault, rape, or child pornography,
• homicide (murder) or manslaughter.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Transport and trade law deals with regulations concerning the trade and transportation of goods, whether by road, sea, inland waterways, rail, or air.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Real estate law deals with property, including the legal aspects of project development, financing, sale, purchase, and leasing.

For example, think of:

• Sale and purchase agreements,
• Structuring asset transactions,
• Neighbouring conflicts regarding the boarder of your property,
• Mortgage and liens,
• Building codes and regulations,
• Environmental permits,
• Land zoning and planning,
• Retail and office lease agreements,
• Tenancy,
• Owners associations (“VvE”);
• (Litigation in) planning procedures.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub

Company law / Corporate law primarily deals with the formation, governance, and dissolution of companies (corporations). It regulates the legal structure of companies, including how they are created, managed, and operated. This area of law is concerned with the rights and obligations of shareholders, directors, and officers, as well as issues like mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and compliance with corporate governance standards.

For example, think of:

• Formation and registration of companies,
• Shareholder rights and obligations,
• Director duties and responsibilities,
• Corporate governance,
• Mergers and acquisitions,
• Company dissolution.

Get help now Read more in the Legal Hub