Lawyer in the Netherlands

All lawyers in the Netherlands must register with the Netherlands Bar Association (Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten) before he starts practising this profession.  Besides supervising and regulating the professional behavior of lawyers in Holland, the Netherlands Order of Advocates or Bar Association sets up strict rules regarding how the fees for the services of a lawyer in Holland must be calculated. All these rules form a guideline called “Official schedule of charges for lawyers’ bill of costs”. In 2007, there were 15,000 lawyers in the Netherlands.

Admission

In order to become a licensed lawyer in the Netherlands, a candidate must study for three years and obtain an undergraduate law degree. Afterwards, he must complete a master of law degree of one year and a stage of apprentice for the following three years. During this period of three years after you have registered with the Netherlands Bar Association, a person is a trainee lawyer, since he must work under the supervision of a Dutch lawyer with experience. After the training period, he must obtain a certificate of good conduct. Only now, the candidate can be included in the National Register of Lawyers.

Forms of practice

A lawyer in Holland can work independently or choose to be part of a law firm. He can also be an employee in a company or municipal authority. When you register as a lawyer in the Netherlands, you must also submit a request to the district court where you want to establish your office. If you change your location, you will have to inform the Management Office of the National Register of Lawyers. For lawyers coming from a European Union member state or Switzerland, they can register as attorneys in Holland under the Professional Qualifications Directive, provided that they pass an examination of professional competence and meet the requirements of the General Act on the Recognition of EC Professional Qualifications. Attorneys may also register as Dutch lawyers under the Lawyers’ Establishment Directive if they request a statement from the Supervisory Council after three years.

Activities

Dutch attorneys are specialised in different legal fields, such as corporate law, administrative law, bankruptcy, business law, civil litigation, debt collection, employment law, finance, real estate, transactions, securities and banking, international trade or intellectual property.

Partners: Lawyers in Netherlands.