The Netherlands is a state governed by the rule of law. This means that citizens may not take the law into their own hands, but may (and must) rely on independent judges instead. That is why it is important that everyone has access to the courts and to legal assistance. To guarantee affordable legal assistance of good quality, the Legal Aid Act (Wet op de rechtsbijstand, Wrb) provides for a subsidy system. This means that people with a limited income and few assets are entitled to subsidised legal aid (gesubsidieerde rechtsbijstand). They then have to pay a small personal contribution. This page describes the situation in the Netherlands.
Tasks and powers of the Legal Aid Board
The right to legal assistance is a fundamental right. It is therefore laid down in Article 18 of the Constitution (Grondwet). These rules are then worked out further in the Wrb, the Legal Aid Act. To guarantee that people with less financial means are also eligible for good legal assistance, the board of the Legal Aid Board (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand) has been given an important task. Among other things, it makes subsidised legal aid and subsidised mediation possible. The Board pays fees to mediators and legal assistance providers. The Board also has other tasks, such as monitoring the work of these legal professionals. The Board has also set up a Rechtwijzer. This allows citizens to look up information about their legal problems themselves.
Conditions for subsidised legal aid
To be able to get subsidised legal aid, you must meet a number of conditions. The main point is that you cannot afford a lawyer or mediator. That is why a number of income limits apply. The Board decides whether or not you are eligible for subsidised legal aid. In doing so, it takes into account the content of the problem, the level of your income and your assets.
Content of the problem
Based on the content of the problem, the Board checks, among other things, whether you actually need a mediator or a lawyer. There are very clear work instructions that are taken into account in the assessment. The exact instructions depend on the type of problem. In a dispute about the termination of a tenancy agreement, for example, there must be an existing rental dispute, for example an imminent eviction. If this is due to an illegal activity, for example the termination of the tenancy agreement because the tenant had an illegal cannabis farm, no subsidised legal aid is granted.
Income for subsidised legal aid
Subsidised legal aid is a solution for those who cannot pay for a lawyer or mediator themselves. At the time of the application, the Board looks at your income from two years earlier, as passed on to the Board by the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst). If at the time of the application you are married, living together or in a registered partnership, your partner's income is also taken into account. Tables are used that contain income limits and the personal contributions. Separate personal contributions apply in personal and family law. Sometimes it is possible to get a discount on the personal contribution. If your income this year is lower than two years earlier, you can also apply for a reference year adjustment (peiljaarverlegging).
Assets for subsidised legal aid
To be eligible for subsidised legal aid, you must not have too many assets. Here too, the Board looks at two years earlier. This is the reference year (peiljaar). Your partner's assets may also be taken into account. For applications in 2026, 2024 is the reference year, and your assets in box 3 in that year may not exceed €36,952 per person (source: Legal Aid Board, rechtsbijstand.nl). If your assets this year are lower than two years earlier, you can apply for a reference year adjustment.
Personal contribution for subsidised legal aid
Subsidised legal aid or subsidised mediation means that part of the legal costs is paid for. However, there is still a personal contribution. If you have been granted a legal aid certificate (toevoeging) for a lawyer and would rather present the case to a second lawyer, you pay a second personal contribution. Anyone in statutory debt rescheduling or who is bankrupt pays the lowest personal contribution. The amounts apply for 2026 (Regulation of 14 November 2025, Government Gazette (Staatscourant) 2025, 39858; also published by the Legal Aid Board on rechtsbijstand.nl).
| Single | Standards 2026 | Married, cohabiting or single-parent family |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable annual income in the reference year | Personal contribution | Taxable annual income in the reference year |
| ≤ €25,200 | €257 | ≤ €35,000 |
| €25,201 - €25,900 | €475 | €35,001 - €36,200 |
| €25,901 - €27,500 | €678 | €36,201 - €37,900 |
| €27,501 - €29,800 | €882 | €37,901 - €42,400 |
| €29,801 - €35,400 | €1,084 | €42,401 - €50,000 |
| > €35,400 | No legal aid certificate | > €50,000 |
Personal contribution in personal and family law
Separate personal contributions apply in a legal dispute about a divorce, the end of cohabitation, a division of property, a contact arrangement, maintenance and the like. Here too, a distinction must be made between single people and people who are married, cohabiting or have a single-parent family. The amounts apply for 2026 (Regulation of 14 November 2025, Government Gazette (Staatscourant) 2025, 39858; also published by the Legal Aid Board on rechtsbijstand.nl).
| Single | Standards 2026 | Married, cohabiting or single-parent family |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable annual income in the reference year | Personal contribution | Taxable annual income in the reference year |
| ≤ €25,200 | €448 | ≤ €35,000 |
| €25,201 - €25,900 | €543 | €35,001 - €36,200 |
| €25,901 - €27,500 | €747 | €36,201 - €37,900 |
| €27,501 - €29,800 | €950 | €37,901 - €42,400 |
| €29,801 - €35,400 | €1,120 | €42,401 - €50,000 |
| > €35,400 | No legal aid certificate | > €50,000 |
Personal contribution for subsidised mediation
The amounts above apply to subsidised legal aid. If, on the other hand, it concerns subsidised mediation, other personal contributions apply. Fewer income brackets also apply, but the lower and upper limits are the same. The amounts apply for 2026 (Regulation of 14 November 2025, Government Gazette (Staatscourant) 2025, 39858; also published by the Legal Aid Board on rechtsbijstand.nl).
| Single | Standards 2026 | Married, cohabiting or single-parent family |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable annual income in the reference year | Personal contribution | Taxable annual income in the reference year |
| ≤ €25,200 | €69 | ≤ €35,000 |
| €25,201 - €35,400 | €138 | €35,001 - €50,000 |
| > €35,400 | No legal aid certificate | > €50,000 |
Personal contribution for LAT personal and family law
Different income standards and personal contributions apply in the category LAT (Lichte Advies Toevoeging, a light advice certificate) Personal and Family Law. A distinction is made between single people on the one hand and married people, cohabiting people and single-parent families on the other. The amounts below apply from 1 January 2026 (Regulation of 14 November 2025, Government Gazette (Staatscourant) 2025, 39858; also published by the Legal Aid Board on rechtsbijstand.nl).
| Single | Standards 2026 | Married, cohabiting or single-parent family |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable annual income in the reference year | Personal contribution | Taxable annual income in the reference year |
| ≤ €25,900 | €141 | ≤ €36,200 |
| €25,901 - €35,400 | €187 | €36,201 - €50,000 |
| > €35,400 | No legal aid certificate | > €50,000 |
Applying for subsidised legal aid
If you find that you cannot afford to pay for legal assistance, you may be eligible for subsidised legal aid. You then pay only a personal contribution, which depends on your income, assets and living situation (single or living together). The lawyer or mediator will arrange the application.
- Check the conditions
First of all, check for yourself whether or not you are eligible for subsidised legal aid or subsidised mediation. A number of conditions apply, for example regarding income or assets. First visit the Legal Services Counter (Juridisch Loket); this is free of charge. The Legal Services Counter will draw up a document and give advice about the problem. You can also ask questions about subsidised legal aid.
- Engage a lawyer or mediator
The lawyer or mediator will start the application for subsidised legal aid together with you. This legal professional will then submit the application to the Legal Aid Board, which assesses the application. The Board will decide whether you are eligible for a contribution. For this, the Board receives the financial details from the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration.
- Pay the personal contribution
If you are eligible for subsidised legal aid or subsidised mediation, you have to pay a personal contribution yourself. The amount depends on your income and your assets. If you first asked the Legal Services Counter for advice, you will receive a discount on the personal contribution.
Reduction of court fees
Subsidised legal aid only covers the cost of a lawyer or mediator. When going to court, there are also other costs, such as court fees (griffierecht) and legal costs. Legal costs include the costs of witnesses and bailiffs. You always have to pay the legal costs in full yourself, but if the court rules in your favour, the other party may have to pay the costs. If the court does not rule in your favour, you have to pay the legal costs yourself. It is the court that decides on this. As for the court fees, you can ask for a reduction. Your lawyer or mediator will provide you with the application forms for this.
Read also: Administrative proceedings.
Objecting to a decision on subsidised legal aid
You may disagree with a decision of the Board, for example because the application for subsidised legal aid has been rejected. You can then lodge an objection. This must be done within six weeks of the date on which the decision was sent. In the notice of objection, you include your personal details, as well as the reference of the decision, your arguments, the date of the notice of objection and your signature. It is also possible, for example, to authorise your lawyer to lodge an objection to a decision on subsidised legal aid.
Course of the objection procedure
After the Board has received the notice of objection, an acknowledgement of receipt is sent immediately. First of all, an informal conversation may take place. If it is not possible to reach a solution informally, the formal objection procedure is followed. The notice of objection is then submitted to the Objections Committee (Commissie voor Bezwaar), which will organise a hearing. You will be invited to this hearing and can then explain your objection orally.
The Objections Committee will then give advice to the Legal Aid Board. The Legal Aid Board will take a decision based on the advice. It may deviate from the advice. In that case, it explains why. In any event, the Board must take a decision within six weeks after the objection period has expired, or after twelve weeks if the notice of objection is submitted to the Objections Committee.
Disagreeing with the outcome of the objection procedure
Anyone who disagrees with the Board's new decision can always appeal to the district court (rechtbank). After the decision has been sent, you then have to submit a notice of appeal. It is possible to lodge an appeal with the district court digitally. Bear in mind that a court fee is payable if you appeal against the Board's decision. If you also disagree with the district court's ruling, you can still lodge a further appeal with the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State (Afdeling Bestuursrechtspraak van de Raad van State).
Frequently asked questions about subsidised legal aid and subsidised mediation
Subsidised legal aid and mediation can be complex subjects. This FAQ has been put together to give you a better understanding of these subjects. Here you will find concise answers to the most frequently asked questions about subsidised legal aid and mediation, so that you know exactly what you are and are not entitled to.
Which income or assets are taken into account for minors?
For minors, the income and assets of the parents or guardian(s) are in principle assessed for subsidised legal aid. This is not the case if the minor is already sixteen or older and lives away from home. Or if this minor lives at home and the parents or guardian do not receive child benefit (kinderbijslag). In that case, the minor's own income and own assets are taken into account.
What is the difference between first-line and second-line legal assistance?
First-line legal assistance is legal help through the Legal Services Counter. This involves simple advice, without the person seeking justice being represented. Second-line legal assistance concerns legal assistance by a lawyer or mediation by a mediator. Sometimes people also speak of zero-line legal assistance. This is the information made accessible on the Rechtwijzer.
Where and how can I report misuse of subsidised legal aid?
This can be reported to the Board's complaints officer. You can do so by emailing meldmisbruik@rvr.org. If the report is substantiated in writing and the complainant agrees that their name may be disclosed to the person complained about, the complaints officer will deal with the report. The complainant then receives an acknowledgement of receipt. The person complained about is given the opportunity to respond in writing. An investigation is carried out and its outcome may have consequences for the right to subsidised legal aid or subsidised mediation. The complainant is not informed about the investigation or its outcome.
What is the difference between subsidised legal aid and subsidised mediation?
Subsidised legal aid and subsidised mediation are both forms of legal help that the government supports financially. This support is there for people who cannot afford professional help. The main difference lies in the approach. With subsidised legal aid, a lawyer will assist you in a legal dispute. Subsidised mediation, on the other hand, is aimed at facilitating a dialogue between the parties involved. Under the guidance of a neutral third party, the mediator, a joint solution is sought that is acceptable to all parties. Unlike a mediator, a lawyer is not neutral and independent, but takes the side of their client.
Am I entitled to subsidised mediation in a divorce?
Yes, that is certainly possible. Subsidised mediation, also known as the legal aid certificate for mediation (toevoeging voor mediation), is available to people who are getting divorced and do not have enough income or assets to bear the full cost of a mediator. So you have to meet certain income and asset conditions to be eligible.