Do you have a legal question? You are not alone.
A conflict with your landlord? A letter from the police? Problems at work? Legal questions often come unexpectedly. What are your rights? What are your options? And do you need a lawyer? In such moments, you need clear and independent advice.
Free Legal Advice
In Belgium, you are entitled to free legal advice from a lawyer. This is regulated by law and is called Free Legal Advice. Through this system, you get a short, professional conversation with a lawyer. Without costs, without obligations, and without you ending up in a procedure straight away.
A lawyer listens to your story, answers your questions and helps you take the right first step - without incurring any costs or starting proceedings right away.
This advice is:
- Brief and professional
- Neutral and independent
- Without obligations
What can you expect?
The lawyer will explain your rights, provide practical tips and advice on possible next steps. This way, you can make your own informed decision on whether further steps are necessary. And if so? Then you will get help in finding the right lawyer - including information on entitlement to a free lawyer.
And important: this advice is 100% independent. The lawyer should not try to convince you to become a client. So you can be sure of honest, objective advice.
What about apps?
Some commercial apps also offer legal services. This seems convenient, but these fall outside the official system of Free Legal Advice. They are not bound by the strict rules that protect your interests.
The Free Lawyers Advice is not about recruiting clients for the lawyer here, but about informing you correctly as a citizen. For example, a lawyer within the official system is not allowed to pressure you into starting a case. This is an important guarantee of your independence - you must be able to count on objective, non-committal advice - especially when you are at a loss.
Legal aid available at all times and levels
In addition to this Free Lawyers Advice, where anyone can receive free advice without obligation, there is also a system of second-line legal assistance, or free lawyers. This means that in certain cases - such as when a person has insufficient means - a lawyer is assigned completely or partially free of charge to follow up a case further or provide assistance in a case. Immediate help is also available in urgent situations. Through organised on-call services and through Salduz permanence - where a lawyer intervenes as soon as someone is detained for questioning - lawyers are on permanent standby.
Summary
- Do you have a legal question? Then there is free, independent help through Free Lawyers Advice.
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You get advice on your rights, and on what to do best.
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Be careful with commercial apps: they fall outside the official, independent system.
There are sitting days and contact points all over Belgium where you can get free legal advice. Want to know where to go for first-line advice in your area?
