Do you need a lawyer (attorney-at-law) or mediator? If you cannot afford the costs for legal representation, you might get financial support, depending on your income. This is called legal aid.
The Legal Aid Board in the Netherlands determines whether you meet the conditions to receive legal aid. If you meet the conditions, you will receive financial support. The height of your income determines the size of the contribution you receive. You pay the rest of the costs yourself. Your lawyer or mediator applies for the legal aid on your behalf.
If you are living abroad, you can also apply for legal aid. You can find more information on the website of the Legal Aid Board.
Do you live in the Netherlands, but do you need a lawyer or mediator in another EU-country? Within the European Union there is a regulation which provides the possibility to apply for legal aid for civil cross-border disputes. You can find more information on the website of the Legal Aid Board.
Do you need a lawyer abroad for a procedure based on the Hague Child Abduction Convention? In the countries that have signed the Hague Convention, you might be eligible for legal aid. If you meet the conditions of that country, you are entitled to receive a contribution. Your lawyer in the Convention State can give you more information about the conditions and the application.
Do you need a lawyer in a country that is not part of the European Union and has not signed the Hague Child Abduction Convention? Then it depends on the conditions set by that country whether you are eligible for legal aid. A lawyer in that country can give you more information about the conditions and the application.
