# Law & More

> Law & More is a Dutch law firm with an office in Eindhoven and a visiting location in Amsterdam. This site publishes guides in English on Dutch law, written for people and businesses who are subject to it without having grown up in it: expats and internationals living or working in the Netherlands, foreign companies operating under Dutch contract, employment or corporate law, international families in Dutch divorce or custody proceedings, and non-Dutch speakers involved in Dutch criminal, civil or administrative cases. Among its staff the firm has speakers of Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Arabic and Turkish, so a first enquiry can be made and explained in the client's own language. Legal advice is given by the lawyer handling the case, in Dutch or English.

The guides explain how a rule works in practice, not only what it says: which authority decides, what the procedure looks like, and which deadline applies. Dutch statutes are cited at article level in the guides themselves. Where immigration law departs from general administrative procedure the difference is stated explicitly, because immigration deadlines are often shorter than the ordinary administrative term.

This site contains general information about Dutch law. It is not legal advice for an individual case, and reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship.

## How to use this file

Each practice area below has three things: the service page, an index page listing every guide in that field grouped by topic, and the guides that answer the questions people most often arrive with. The index pages are the fastest route to the full body of material.

## Immigration law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/immigration-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/immigration-law-guides/

- [Spouse visa in the Netherlands](https://lawandmore.eu/spouse-visa-netherlands/): who qualifies for family reunification with a partner, the documents the IND asks for, and how long a decision takes.
- [Dutch residence permits explained](https://lawandmore.eu/dutch-residence-permits-explained-temporary-permanent-and-eu-long-term-status/): the difference between a temporary permit, a permanent permit and EU long-term resident status, with the conditions for each.
- [The highly skilled migrant permit](https://lawandmore.eu/highly-skilled-migrant-netherlands/): the salary threshold, the recognised sponsor requirement, and what the employer is responsible for.
- [Partner of a highly skilled migrant](https://lawandmore.eu/partner-permit-how-does-the-partner-of-a-highly-skilled-migrant-get-a-work-permit/): the partner permit gives free access to the labour market — no work permit, any employer, no salary threshold.
- [Family reunification](https://lawandmore.eu/family-reunification-netherlands/): bringing a partner, children or other family members to the Netherlands.
- [The MVV and the TEV procedure](https://lawandmore.eu/mvv-tev-procedure-netherlands/): when an entry visa is required and how the application is combined with the residence permit.
- [Building a strong case at the IND](https://lawandmore.eu/ind-procedures-how-to-build-a-strong-immigration-case-in-the-netherlands/): how the IND assesses an application and what makes a file convincing.
- [Common mistakes in a Dutch visa application](https://lawandmore.eu/common-mistakes-when-applying-for-a-dutch-visa/): the errors that cause refusals and delays.
- [The EU Blue Card](https://lawandmore.eu/what-rights-do-you-have-with-an-eu-blue-card-in-the-netherlands/): rights and conditions compared with the national highly skilled migrant route.
- [Becoming a Dutch citizen](https://lawandmore.eu/dutch-citizenship-process/): the two routes — naturalisation, normally after five years of continuous lawful residence, and the shorter option procedure — with the integration condition and what happens to an existing nationality.

## Employment law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/employment-lawyer/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/employment-law-guides/

- [Not renewing a fixed-term contract](https://lawandmore.eu/not-renewing-a-contract-complete-guide-for-employees-and-employers/): the aanzegplicht on any fixed-term contract of six months or longer, the one-month written notice, and what an employee is owed when notice comes late or not at all.
- [Can your employer read your WhatsApp messages?](https://lawandmore.eu/can-your-employer-read-your-whatsapp-messages/): monitoring is lawful only where there is a legitimate interest, no less intrusive alternative exists, and staff have been told in advance.
- [Statutory notice periods](https://lawandmore.eu/statutory-notice-period-netherlands/): the minimum terms for employer and employee, and when a contract may deviate.
- [The transition payment in 2026](https://lawandmore.eu/transition-payment-2026-why-e102000-isnt-the-maximum-payout/): the cap is €102,000 or one gross annual salary, whichever is higher — and where the employer acted with serious culpability a court can add fair compensation on top, which has no statutory limit.
- [Summary dismissal (ontslag op staande voet)](https://lawandmore.eu/summary-dismissal-in-the-netherlands-key-employer-pitfalls-ontslag-op-staande-voet/): what counts as an urgent reason, the procedural traps for employers, and how an employee can challenge it.
- [Sick leave that is disputed](https://lawandmore.eu/employee-sick-but-not-really-a-legal-guide-for-employers/): what an employer may and may not do when a sick report looks doubtful — and why acting on suspicion alone is the expensive route.
- [The non-competition clause](https://lawandmore.eu/non-compete-clauses-under-dutch-employment-law-what-is-still-reasonable-in-2026/): when the clause is enforceable and what makes it fail in court.

## Family law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/family-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/family-law-guides/

- [Divorce in the Netherlands](https://lawandmore.eu/divorce-in-the-netherlands/): the joint and unilateral petition, the compulsory parenting plan, and how long the procedure takes.
- [International divorce](https://lawandmore.eu/international-divorce-netherlands/): which court has jurisdiction, which country's law applies, and how a foreign divorce is recognised here.
- [Alimony: child and spousal support](https://lawandmore.eu/alimony-in-the-netherlands-complete-guide-to-child-and-spousal-support/): how Dutch courts calculate need and capacity to pay, and how long the obligation lasts.
- [When a custody arrangement is not being followed](https://lawandmore.eu/what-if-the-custody-arrangement-isnt-being-followed/): the enforcement routes, from mediation to the court.
- [Recognition of parenthood for same-sex couples](https://lawandmore.eu/recognition-of-parenthood-for-same-sex-couples/): how legal parenthood is established and what recognition does and does not cover.
- [Adoption in the Netherlands](https://lawandmore.eu/child-adoption-laws-netherlands/): the domestic route, the eligibility conditions, and the ban on new international adoptions that the government put in place in 2025.

## Corporate law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/corporate-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/corporate-law-guides/

- [Setting up a Dutch BV with foreign shareholders](https://lawandmore.eu/setting-up-a-dutch-bv-with-foreign-shareholders-a-step-by-step-guide/): you do not need to live in the Netherlands — the incorporation can be handled remotely through a civil-law notary — and what changes when the shareholders are abroad.
- [Director liability](https://lawandmore.eu/understanding-directors-liability/): when a director is liable towards the company and when towards third parties.
- [Shareholder disputes and the Enterprise Chamber](https://lawandmore.eu/shareholder-disputes-in-the-netherlands-a-practical-roadmap-from-warning-to-enterprise-chamber/): the route from a first warning letter to inquiry proceedings.
- [Mergers and acquisitions](https://lawandmore.eu/mergers-and-acquisitions-a-dutch-legal-checklist-and-common-pitfalls/): due diligence, warranties and indemnities, and the pitfalls that surface after closing.
- [The WHOA restructuring scheme](https://lawandmore.eu/the-whoa-scheme-explained-dutch-restructuring/): the Dutch pre-insolvency procedure for imposing a composition on creditors.
- [Types of legal compliance](https://lawandmore.eu/types-of-legal-compliance/): what a Dutch business must comply with, which regulator enforces which rule, and a documentation checklist.
- [Tripartite agreements](https://lawandmore.eu/understanding-tripartite-agreements/): what a three-party agreement is, when it arises, and each party's obligations.

## Criminal law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/criminal-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/criminal-law-guides/

- [Arrest and interrogation](https://lawandmore.eu/arrest-or-interrogation-what-you-should-and-should-not-say-your-rights-and-pitfalls/): the right to silence, the right to a lawyer, and the mistakes people make in the first hours.
- [Filing a police report](https://lawandmore.eu/how-to-file-a-police-report-netherlands-guide/): the three ways to report a crime, when to call 112 rather than the national line, and what happens after the report.
- [A criminal record and the VOG](https://lawandmore.eu/criminal-record-and-employment-vog/): who needs a certificate of good conduct, which offences weigh, and how to object to a refusal.
- [Drugs legislation](https://lawandmore.eu/drugs-legislation-netherlands/): the three statutes that together govern drugs in the Netherlands — the Opium Act, the Medicines Act and the Abuse of Chemicals Prevention Act — plus tolerated conduct and the quantities that trigger prosecution.
- [Gun ownership and criminal law](https://lawandmore.eu/gun-ownership-and-criminal-law-where-legal-ends-and-illegal-begins/): Dutch law starts from the premise that owning a firearm is illegal, and works back from there through a narrow set of exemptions.
- [Speeding and traffic offences](https://lawandmore.eu/speeding-in-the-netherlands-when-does-a-traffic-violation-become-a-criminal-offence/): when an administrative fine turns into a criminal prosecution.

## IT and privacy law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/it-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/it-law-guides/

- [A photo of you online without permission](https://lawandmore.eu/a-photo-of-you-on-the-internet-without-permission-heres-how-to-deal-with-it/): portrait rights, removal requests and what to do when a platform refuses.
- [The EU AI Act](https://lawandmore.eu/eu-artificial-intelligence-act-ai-act/): the risk tiers, who carries which obligation, and the compliance timeline.
- [Liability for errors made by AI](https://lawandmore.eu/ai-in-practice-who-is-liable-for-errors-made-by-artificial-intelligence/): where responsibility sits between supplier, deployer and user.
- [GDPR risks when sharing data](https://lawandmore.eu/7-gdpr-risks-every-business-must-know-when-sharing-data/): the exposures that arise when personal data moves between organisations.
- [Cybersecurity and liability after a data breach](https://lawandmore.eu/cybersecurity-and-liability-in-the-netherlands-who-is-responsible-after-a-data-breach/): notification duties and who bears the damage.
- [Deepfakes and Dutch criminal law](https://lawandmore.eu/deepfakes-and-dutch-criminal-law-what-does-the-law-say-about-fake-videos/): which provisions apply to manipulated images and what a victim can do.

## Civil law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/civil-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/civil-law-guides/

- [Debt collection in the Netherlands](https://lawandmore.eu/debt-collection-guide-netherlands/): the demand letter, court proceedings, attachment and enforcement.
- [Can you be stopped at the airport over a debt?](https://lawandmore.eu/can-you-be-stopped-at-airport-for-debt/): the line Dutch law draws between civil debt collection and state border control.
- [Consumer protection in contracts](https://lawandmore.eu/dutch-law-on-consumer-protection-in-contracts/): what happens to a business's general terms and conditions when the other party is a consumer, and which clauses do not survive that test.
- [Product liability](https://lawandmore.eu/product-liability-in-the-netherlands-what-can-you-claim-and-what-should-you-expect/): what a person harmed by a defective product can claim, and from whom.
- [Limitation of liability](https://lawandmore.eu/limitation-of-liability/): when a contractual cap on liability holds and when a court sets it aside.
- [General terms and conditions](https://lawandmore.eu/drafting-general-terms-and-conditions-complete-guide-for-entrepreneurs/): drafting them, making them binding, and the clauses that are void or voidable under Dutch law.
- [Small claims](https://lawandmore.eu/small-claims-netherlands/): the two realistic routes when someone owes you a few thousand euros and has stopped replying, starting with the subdistrict court, where no lawyer is required.

## Administrative law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/administrative-law/

This is the field in which citizens and businesses contest decisions by a public authority: a permit refused, a fine imposed, an enforcement order issued. There is no separate index page for it yet.

- [Objection and appeal against a government decision](https://lawandmore.eu/administrative-objections-and-appeals-in-the-netherlands-a-step-by-step-guide/): the route from a notice of objection to the administrative court, step by step.
- [The General Administrative Law Act](https://lawandmore.eu/general-administrative-law-act-netherlands/): the Awb, the statute that governs how every Dutch authority must take and justify a decision.
- [The administrative fine](https://lawandmore.eu/administrative-fine-netherlands/): when an authority may impose one, and how to contest it.
- [Enforcement and the penalty payment order](https://lawandmore.eu/penalty-payment-order-administrative-enforcement-netherlands/): the last-resort instruments an authority uses to force compliance.
- [Government liability and nadeelcompensatie](https://lawandmore.eu/government-liability-nadeelcompensatie-netherlands/): two separate routes — damage caused by unlawful government action, and nadeelcompensatie for a disproportionate share of a public burden imposed lawfully.
- [The CBR procedure after an alcohol test](https://lawandmore.eu/the-cbr-administrative-procedure-after-an-alcohol-test-your-rights-and-legal-remedies/): the administrative track that runs alongside the criminal one, and the remedies against it.

## Real estate law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/real-estate-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/real-estate-law-guides/

- [Buying a home with hidden defects](https://lawandmore.eu/buying-a-home-with-hidden-defects-in-the-netherlands-key-legal-pitfalls/): the duty to investigate, the duty to disclose, and who carries the risk.
- [Seller liability for hidden defects](https://lawandmore.eu/seller-liability-for-hidden-defects-what-you-need-to-know-in-the-netherlands/): what a seller must disclose and when a disclaimer does not hold.
- [The indefinite rental contract](https://lawandmore.eu/indefinite-rental-contract/): why a lease without an end date gives tenants strong protection, and how it can be ended.
- [Tenant rights](https://lawandmore.eu/tenant-rights-netherlands/): how much protection Dutch tenancy law gives a tenant, and which of those rules cannot be contracted away.
- [The environmental permit](https://lawandmore.eu/environmental-permit-netherlands/): the omgevingsvergunning for building, converting, changing the use of a site or running an installation, under the Environment and Planning Act that took effect on 1 January 2024.
- [Buying a holiday home in a park](https://lawandmore.eu/buying-a-holiday-home-in-a-dutch-park-avoid-these-legal-traps/): the restrictions on use and ownership that buyers discover too late.
- [Withdrawing from a property purchase](https://lawandmore.eu/withdrawing-from-a-dutch-property-purchase-when-is-it-still-legally-possible/): the statutory cooling-off period and the financing condition, and when it is too late to walk away.
- [The commercial lease and the ROZ model](https://lawandmore.eu/commercial-lease-netherlands-roz-model-lease/): what the standard model contains and where it favours the landlord.

## Energy law

Service page: https://lawandmore.eu/energy-law/
All guides by topic: https://lawandmore.eu/energy-law-guides/

- [Tariffs on a closed system under the Energy Act](https://lawandmore.eu/closed-system-tariffs-dutch-energy-act/): the operator of a closed system falls outside the ex-ante tariff regime — the ACM does not set its tariffs — and what does constrain them instead.
- [Closed distribution systems](https://lawandmore.eu/closed-distribution-system-energiewet/): when a private network qualifies, and the position of the parties connected to it.
- [Energy communities](https://lawandmore.eu/energy-communities-dutch-energy-act/): the legal framework for collective generation and energy sharing.
- [Becoming an energy supplier](https://lawandmore.eu/become-an-energy-supplier-netherlands/): the first question is legally decisive — whom you supply. Supplying electricity or gas to small-scale consumers triggers a different regime from supplying business customers.

## Languages

Among its staff Law & More has speakers of **Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Russian, Arabic and Turkish**.

What this covers is the first contact: explaining your situation, understanding what the firm needs from you, and having the practical steps set out in a language you are sure of, instead of having to switch to one you are not. That is often the point at which people give up on getting help at all.

It is not the same as conducting the case in that language. Legal advice is given by the lawyer who handles the matter, in Dutch or English. Proceedings before Dutch courts and authorities are conducted in Dutch and documents are filed in Dutch; where a hearing or an interview requires it, a sworn interpreter is engaged.

Written guidance on this site is published in English.

## About Law & More

- [Our firm](https://lawandmore.eu/our-firm/)
- [Our team](https://lawandmore.eu/our-team/)
- [Offices](https://lawandmore.eu/offices/)
- [Services](https://lawandmore.eu/our-services/)
- [Lawyer fees in the Netherlands](https://lawandmore.eu/lawyer-fees-netherlands/)
- [Contact](https://lawandmore.eu/contact/)

Eindhoven: Marconilaan 13, 5612 HM Eindhoven, +31 40 369 06 80
Amsterdam (visiting location): Pietersbergweg 291, 1105 BM Amsterdam, +31 20 369 71 21
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 08:00–22:00, Saturday 09:00–17:00
Correspondence with Dutch courts and authorities is in Dutch. Advice is given in Dutch or English; a first enquiry can be made in any of the languages listed above.

## Optional

- [Office complaints procedure](https://lawandmore.eu/office-complaints-procedure/)