Civil law

Appeal Lawyer

From contract disputes to damages — we protect your civil law interests

As an appeal lawyer in the Netherlands, we assess whether a civil judgment is worth challenging. If it is, we lodge the appeal at the court of appeal (gerechtshof) on time. We act for individuals and businesses, Dutch and international, as appellant or as respondent. The first step is to send us the judgment: the three-month appeal term usually starts on the day it was given.

Clients rate Law & More 9.6 out of 10 on Klantenvertellen, the Dutch review platform (81 reviews, as of October 2026).

What can we help you with?

assessing the chances of an appeal against a judgment of a district court or subdistrict court;
lodging an appeal within the statutory term and drafting the statement of appeal;
defending a judgment in your favour when the other party appeals;
a cross-appeal when you are only partly satisfied with the judgment;
an appeal against a judgment in summary proceedings (kort geding), with a shorter term;
suspending or preventing enforcement of a judgment while the appeal is pending;
a first assessment of cassation at the Supreme Court (Hoge Raad).

When can you appeal a civil judgment in the Netherlands?

You can generally appeal a final judgment of a district court or subdistrict court to the court of appeal. The term is three months from the date of the judgment, and it is a strict deadline.

The appeal term for ordinary judgments follows from Article 339 of the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure. For judgments in summary proceedings, the term is four weeks. Decisions in application proceedings, such as many family and employment matters, also have a three-month term under Article 358. A missed term is in principle fatal: the court of appeal will declare the appeal inadmissible.

Not every decision can be appealed straight away. Interim judgments, such as an order to provide evidence, can often only be appealed together with the final judgment. The exception is when the court has allowed an interim appeal. Claims of very low value cannot be appealed at all. We check these points first, before any costs are incurred. For the first-instance stage, see our page on civil law.

Type of decision	Appeal term	Where
Judgment in ordinary proceedings (summons)	3 months after the judgment	Court of appeal
Judgment in summary proceedings (kort geding)	4 weeks after the judgment	Court of appeal
Decision in application proceedings (beschikking)	3 months, in most cases	Court of appeal
Judgment of the court of appeal	3 months (cassation)	Supreme Court

How do appeal proceedings at the court of appeal work?

The appeal starts with a summons on appeal, served by a bailiff, followed by a written statement of appeal with your grounds. The other party responds in writing, after which the court of appeal usually holds an oral hearing and gives judgment.

There are four courts of appeal: Amsterdam, The Hague, Arnhem-Leeuwarden and 's-Hertogenbosch. Appeals from the Eindhoven area go to 's-Hertogenbosch, appeals from Amsterdam to the court of appeal in Amsterdam. Representation by a lawyer is mandatory at every court of appeal, also when the case started at the subdistrict court.

Your objections to the judgment are set out as grounds of appeal (grieven) in the statement of appeal (memorie van grieven). The court of appeal reviews the case again, both facts and law, but only within the limits of those grounds. New grounds can in principle not be raised later. That makes the statement of appeal the decisive document of the entire appeal. Our overview of the steps in a civil case explains how this fits into the wider procedure.

The respondent replies in a statement of defence on appeal (memorie van antwoord) and can lodge a cross-appeal in the same document. Appeal proceedings commonly take one to two years, depending on the court and the complexity. Practical information on the courts and court fees is available on rechtspraak.nl.

Does an appeal stop the other party from enforcing the judgment?

An appeal normally suspends enforcement, but most judgments are declared provisionally enforceable (uitvoerbaar bij voorraad). In that case the other party can enforce the judgment despite your appeal.

You can ask the court of appeal to suspend provisional enforcement under Article 351 of the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure. The bar is high: you generally need to show a clear error in the judgment or new circumstances. Alternatively, you can start summary proceedings against enforcement; see our article on remedies against enforcement of a judgment. We weigh these routes against the risk of paying now and having to reclaim the money later.

Is cassation at the Supreme Court an option?

Cassation is possible against judgments of a court of appeal, again within three months. The Supreme Court only reviews points of law and whether the judgment is properly reasoned; it does not reassess the facts.

A cassation appeal must be lodged by a lawyer registered to practise before the Supreme Court. We can assess whether a judgment contains a legal error worth raising and help you decide on the next step. Read more about this final step in our guide to cassation in the Netherlands.

How does working with Law & More work?

Introductory meeting: you send us the judgment and the case file, and we check the deadline and your goals.
Advice and cost estimate: we assess the grounds of appeal, the chances, the costs and the risk of a costs order.
Approach and negotiation: we lodge the appeal on time and, where sensible, explore a settlement with the other party.
Proceedings or completion: we draft the statement of appeal, attend the hearing and explain the judgment of the court of appeal to you.

What does an appeal lawyer cost?

Our hourly rate is 250 to 350 euros excluding VAT for a lawyer and 300 to 400 euros excluding VAT for a partner. We agree the rate with you in advance and give a cost estimate for the appeal.

The introductory meeting is free of charge. A one-off advice meeting without further assistance costs 300 euros including VAT. Court fees (griffierecht) and bailiff's costs are charged separately; court fees on appeal are higher than at first instance. If you lose, the court usually orders you to pay a fixed contribution to the other party's legal costs. Legal aid via the Legal Aid Board (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand) exists, but we do not work on that basis.

Who handles your case?

Your appeal is handled by one of our lawyers; in the introductory meeting you will hear who. Where the case concerns a specific area of law, such as corporate or employment law, the lawyer who practises that area is involved. You can meet the lawyers on our team page.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to appeal a civil judgment?

For a judgment in ordinary civil proceedings, the appeal term is three months from the date of the judgment. For a judgment in summary proceedings it is four weeks. The term is strict: if it is missed, the court of appeal will in principle declare the appeal inadmissible. Contact an appeal lawyer as soon as you receive the judgment, so there is time to assess the case.

Can I bring new evidence or arguments on appeal?

Yes, the court of appeal reviews the case again, so you can in principle submit new facts, evidence and claims. They must be raised in the statement of appeal or the statement of defence on appeal. After that first written round, new grounds are generally no longer allowed. This is why careful preparation of that one document matters so much.

Do I need an appeal lawyer, or can I appeal myself?

Representation by a lawyer is mandatory at the court of appeal. This applies even if you conducted the first-instance case yourself at the subdistrict court. Your lawyer lodges the summons on appeal, submits the documents and speaks for you at the hearing. You remain closely involved in the facts and the strategy.

What happens if the other party appeals against my judgment?

You become the respondent and receive a summons on appeal. You then need a lawyer to appear before the court of appeal and to respond to the grounds of appeal. If you are only partly satisfied with the judgment yourself, you can lodge a cross-appeal in your statement of defence on appeal. If you do not appear, the court can decide without hearing your side.

How long does an appeal take in the Netherlands?

Appeal proceedings commonly take one to two years from the summons to the final judgment. The duration depends on the court of appeal, the number of written rounds and whether witnesses or experts are heard. An appeal against a judgment in summary proceedings is usually handled faster. A settlement during the proceedings can end the case earlier.

Is an appeal worth the costs?

That depends on the value of the case, the grounds for appeal and the costs risk. On appeal you pay court fees again and your own legal costs, and if you lose you usually contribute to the other party's costs. We give you a reasoned view on the chances and an estimate of the costs before you decide.

In doubt about your position? Tell us about your situation. We will let you know within one working day what your options are. Use our contact form, call +31 40 369 06 80 or e-mail info@lawandmore.nl.

Law & More, Marconilaan 13, 5612 HM Eindhoven (+31 40 369 06 80) and visiting location Pietersbergweg 291, 1105 BM Amsterdam (+31 20 369 71 21). Available Monday to Friday 08:00-22:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00-17:00.

This page provides general information and does not replace advice on your specific situation.