Administrative Law Attorney
Administrative Law Attorney in the Netherlands
Received a decision, a permit refusal or an enforcement order from a Dutch authority? We file the objection, argue the appeal and represent you in court.
How We Work
Most administrative matters begin with a decision you did not expect: a permit refused, an enforcement order, an administrative fine, or a subsidy withdrawn. The first thing we do is read the decision and check the date it was sent, because the objection period under the General Administrative Law Act is usually six weeks and an objection filed late is in principle declared inadmissible.
From there the route is clear. We file the notice of objection, add the grounds once we have seen the file, and represent you at the hearing before the authority. If the decision stands, we lodge an appeal with the district court, and where the matter cannot wait we ask the court for a preliminary relief order so the decision is suspended in the meantime. Where a further appeal is open, we take the case to the Council of State or the other higher administrative court.
You deal with one lawyer throughout, in Dutch or in English, and we tell you at the outset what we think the case is worth pursuing and what we need from you. For the legal background, see our guide to administrative law in the Netherlands.
What We Do
Objection and appeal procedures (Awb)
Environmental law and the Environment Act (Omgevingswet)
Permit applications and refusals
Enforcement, penalty payments and administrative coercion
Administrative fines
Subsidies: applications, withdrawal and recovery
Freedom of Information requests (Woo)
Compensation for damage caused by lawful government action (nadeelcompensatie)
Preliminary relief proceedings (voorlopige voorziening)
Disputes with municipalities, provinces and the national government
Bibob procedures and permit revocation
Expropriation and government liability
Representation at hearings and before the administrative court
Why Choose Law & More
Experienced administrative law attorneys
Fast action within short statutory deadlines
In-depth knowledge of the General Administrative Law Act (Awb)
Practical and personal approach
Multilingual service
Netherlands-wide representation
Combined administrative and corporate law expertise
Transparent communication and fixed-fee options
Working With Us: Common Questions
Practical questions about instructing an administrative law attorney at Law & More.
The objection period is usually six weeks from the date the decision was sent, and it is not extended because you were away or did not open the post. Contact us as soon as you have the decision. If the deadline is close, we can file a pro forma objection first and submit the grounds afterwards.
The decision itself, proof of when it was sent, and your correspondence with the authority. Permit applications, inspection reports and any earlier warnings help us see the whole file rather than a fragment of it.
You are welcome but not obliged; in many cases we appear on your behalf. Where the facts are disputed — what was actually built, stored or done — it usually helps if you are there to answer questions directly.
An objection does not suspend a decision by itself. If enforcement is imminent, we ask the court for a preliminary relief order (voorlopige voorziening), which can suspend the decision until the objection has been decided.
We give you an estimate before we start, based on the file and the route the case is likely to take, and we tell you when further steps would change it. If you succeed, the court can order the authority to contribute to your legal costs, although such an award rarely covers the full fee.
Yes. Our offices are in Eindhoven and Amsterdam, and we appear before administrative courts across the country as well as at hearings held by municipalities, provinces and national authorities.
Ready to Challenge a Decision?
Send us the decision and we will tell you whether an objection is worth filing and what the next step would be.
