Legal Matters

There are two kinds of attorneys in the Netherlands: notary (notaris) and attorney (advocaat).

Notary (notaris)

A notaris handles general civil matters and matters involving documentation, such as:

• marriage contract/registered partnership
• wills
• company or business founding documents
• issuance of Powers of Attorney
• deeds for real estate or property transactions

A notaris is not a litigator and does not appear in court. Because the notaris in the Netherlands can work for the vendor and buyer, the buyer usually chooses the notaris. There is also a notaris helpline which is available in English.

Attorney (advocaat)

The advocaat is a litigator and represents and assists only one party in a legal civil matter. They can also be considered an advisor/counselor who can go to court, communicate with all party representatives, and interact with superior legal entities. For criminal cases, a criminal lawyer is needed. You can find more detailed information on advocaten at De Rechtspraak.