Pro bono
Although in 'pro bono' people think that someone works for nothing, of course our lawyers don't work for free. Pro bono in the Netherlands therefore means that the State reimburses the costs of the lawyer. For you, however, the lawyer is (almost) completely free of charge. He or she will then assist you on the basis of a so-called addition. You may qualify for an addition if your income is very low. On the website of the Legal Aid Board you can see whether you are entitled to an addition. Even if the judge has ordered your remand in custody, you are entitled to an additional lawyer. In that case your income will not be taken into account.
Your lawyer will inform you about the various possibilities and arrange the request for an addition. Unless your remand in custody has been ordered, you will always owe a contribution of your own. We will charge you for the personal contribution.
An addition is not issued for every case and our office does not do all cases on the basis of an addition. We will inform you about this. If your lawyer does not assist you on the basis of an addition, you will receive an invoice depending on the agreed hourly rate or case rate.