Personal injury lawyer: free help or legal aid?

Personal injury lawyer: free help or legal aid?. General information.

Free personal injury assistance and Dutch subsidised legal aid are different arrangements. A liable party may reimburse reasonable assistance costs. With a legal aid certificate, the government contributes subject to conditions. First ask which arrangement your adviser means.

Request written terms explaining fees, investigation costs and possible payments by you. Discuss what happens if the other party disputes liability or does not reimburse every cost. The word free alone does not explain those risks.

Check legal expenses insurance or trade union support before instructing someone yourself. For subsidised legal aid, the Dutch Legal Aid Board assesses the problem as well as income and assets. Not every application qualifies.

A legal aid certificate may be withdrawn if another party pays the lawyer's costs. A financial outcome can also have consequences afterwards. Ask how reimbursement, your contribution and the financial outcome assessment interact in your case, and obtain a clear explanation.

Ask who pays, which costs you may bear, when prior permission is needed, what happens in a dispute and what stopping will cost. Use our guide to prepare the discussion. This explanation does not replace an assessment of your individual case.

Read the full explanation and sources on our website. Obtain an assessment of which rules apply to your situation.