Good legal assistance.
Even if money is a concern.
A criminal case does not wait until it is financially more convenient. With subsidized legal aid, the government can contribute to the costs of your lawyer. Here you can read what an addition means, what you may have to pay yourself and how to find a lawyer who works with it.
The government contributes to legal costs.
Pro deo does not always mean completely free.
Assigned assistance may be funded differently.
Pro deo is about financing, not about less good defense.
' Pro deo ' is the well-known name for a lawyer who works with subsidized legal aid. The formal term is an addition. The Legal Aid Board will assess whether you are eligible for this; the lawyer submits the application.
In a regular application, your income, assets, household situation and the content of the case play a role. The rules are not the same for every criminal case. It is therefore unwise to decide solely on the basis of one income amount that help is or is not possible for you.
The Council generally uses tax data from two years earlier for regular applications. If your financial situation has now deteriorated, discuss whether a change in the reference year is possible. For current limits and exceptions, always check the official terms and conditions of the Council.
What is the difference between pro deo and pro bono?
On this site, pro deo means a lawyer who works on the basis of subsidized legal aid. The Council assesses the addition and a personal contribution may remain. Pro bono means that the lawyer chooses to handle the case free of charge; the NOvA distinguishes this voluntary free assistance from other price agreements.
A request for an addition is therefore not a request to update pro bono. You cannot derive any automatic right from a pro-bono offer. Ask what work is meant by both terms and whether any expenses to third parties are included.
Which question belongs to which route?
The following topics belong together, but each requires its own assessment. Choose the subject that fits the letter or invoice you currently have. A general income check does not replace an assessment of a criminal law scheme.
| Your situation | Where do you start? |
|---|---|
| You are looking for help in a criminal case | Conditions for an addition |
| You have been arrested | Picket assistance and the first conversations |
| You have received an invoice | Check the personal contribution |
| You want a different lawyer | Transfer, addition and new charges |
| The case ended without punishment | Possible reimbursement of attorney's fees |
Ask for a lawyer. Don't postpone that question because of money concerns.
Special arrangements exist for arrested suspects. The police can arrange legal assistance. The assistance allocated in the first phase and the financing of the remainder of the criminal case are not automatically the same.
Please indicate if you want your own lawyer and let us explain which arrangement applies in your situation. Also read about your rights in the event of arrest and assistance during the police interrogation.
Invited for questioning, not arrested?
Your process position is also important. Ask whether you will be heard as a witness or as a suspect and discuss the invitation with a lawyer before the appointment. Do not assume that every invitation falls under the same funding as post-arrest assistance.
Ask specifically whether consultation and interrogation assistance can be provided under an appropriate arrangement, which application is required and what costs otherwise apply. An application does not automatically postpone the hearing date. The explanation about witness or suspect helps to organize your first questions.
Finding a pro deo lawyer in three steps.
Find a lawyer who works with additions
Select the Criminal Law jurisdiction and possibly your city or zip code in the official NOvA finder. Select Funded legal assistance (addition) from the additional search options. Ask the lawyer if he or she can take on your type of criminal case.
Discuss your case and the possible costs
Keep your ID and letters about your case at hand, such as an invitation or summons. Discuss your financial situation and ask what assistance is possible, whether an addition can be requested and what costs you have to pay yourself.
The lawyer requests the addition
The lawyer submits the application to the Legal Aid Board. The Council assesses the application and makes a decision. If your income or assets have now decreased, discuss whether a change in the reference year is possible.
Find a lawyer who works with additions.
The Criminal Law area of law has already been selected in the official register of the Dutch Bar Association.
- Choose your city or zip code and the desired distance.
- Open 'Additional search options' and choose 'Funded legal aid (addition)'.
- View the profile and ask if the lawyer can take on your type of case.
- Discuss the addition, any personal contribution and availability before you place an order.
You are looking at the NOvA. An entry in the register does not mean that a lawyer has room for your case.
Ask what you ultimately have to pay yourself.
With a regular addition, you usually pay a personal contribution. No personal contribution applies to certain forms of assigned legal assistance. It is also important which activities are covered by the addition and whether there may be other costs.
Discuss in advance what happens if the addition is rejected or circumstances change. A lawyer can explain which agreements apply. In our explanation of lawyer costs in a criminal case you can read what financial questions you can ask.
Prepare a conversation, not a perfect file.
You don't have to understand everything to contact us. Start with your ID, the letters about your case and the dates on which something needs to be done. A subpoena, invitation for hearing or ruling helps the lawyer determine which step is necessary first.
- Keep your ID and available legal documents at hand.
- Record the date of a hearing, hearing or ruling.
- Tell them that you want to discuss subsidized legal aid.
- Please indicate if your financial situation has changed.
- Ask for a clear explanation of the costs and the application.
Save the decision and check the follow-up.
Ask who submits the application, how you will receive the decision and what activities are included. Then check the addition number, your details and any personal contribution. In the case of a rejection, the reason makes a difference: missing information, capacity or the content of the request for help do not automatically require the same response.
If your income has decreased, discuss the reference year change in a timely manner. For the route in 2026, the Council mentions six weeks after the first decision. A question to the office does not automatically monitor that period. Record who is acting and at the same time monitor the ongoing criminal case; financing questions do not stop process agreements.
Frequently Asked Questions about pro deo.
What is a pro deo criminal lawyer?
A pro deo lawyer works with subsidized legal assistance, also called an addition. The government then pays part of the lawyer's costs. You usually pay a personal contribution yourself. The Legal Aid Board assesses whether you are eligible for an addition; Financial and substantive conditions apply.
Can I choose a pro deo lawyer myself?
You can choose your own lawyer. Not every lawyer works with additions. Therefore, ask in advance whether the lawyer can handle your criminal case on the basis of subsidized legal assistance. In the official NOvA finder you can filter by criminal law, location and legal aid. A listing does not guarantee that a lawyer can take your case.
How does legal assistance work if I am arrested?
Ask the police for assistance from a lawyer and indicate if you want your own lawyer. Special arrangements apply to arrested suspects. If an on-call lawyer is assigned for a serious criminal offense, there is no personal contribution for that on-call assistance. The financing of the remainder of the case may be different. Let the lawyer explain which scheme applies to your situation.
Is a pro deo criminal lawyer completely free?
That is not always the case. With a regular addition, you usually pay a personal contribution. In certain situations you do not have to pay a personal contribution, for example with designated picket assistance. Discuss in advance which activities are covered by the scheme, which costs remain for you and what happens if the addition is rejected.
Which income counts towards an addition?
For a regular addition, the Legal Aid Board usually looks at the tax income and assets from two years earlier. Your household situation can also count. There are exceptions, including certain forms of assigned legal assistance. If your income or assets have now decreased, a change in the reference year may be possible. View the current conditions at the Council.
How do I request an addition for my criminal case?
The lawyer will request the addition for you from the Legal Aid Board. So you do not make that application yourself. Bring your ID and available documents with you to the interview, such as an invitation for questioning or a summons. Also discuss your financial circumstances. The Council decides on the application; Contact with a lawyer does not entitle you to an addition.
Sources and supporting information
Here you can find the sources for this page. Open the original publication for the full explanation, conditions and exceptions.
- Legal Aid Council: income, assets and personal contributionOpens in a new tabrechtsbijstand.nlhttps://www.rechtsbijstand.nl/mediation-rechtsbijstand/hoeveel-betalen/eigen-bijdrage
- Legal Aid Board: when do you not pay a personal contribution?Opens in a new tabrechtsbijstand.nlhttps://www.rechtsbijstand.nl/mediation-rechtsbijstand/hoeveel-betalen/geen-eigen-bijdrage/
- Legal Aid Board: request an additionOpens in a new tabrechtsbijstand.nlhttps://www.rechtsbijstand.nl/mediation-rechtsbijstand/gesubsidieerde-mediation-rechtsbijstand/aanvragen/
- Central government: your rights if you are arrestedOpens in a new tabrijksoverheid.nlhttps://www.rijksoverheid.nl/themas/recht-veiligheid-en-defensie/politie/vraag-en-antwoord/rechtspraak-en-geschiloplossing/wat-gebeurt-er-als-ik-word-verdacht-van-een-strafbaar-feit
- The Legal Desk: conditions and costs of an additionOpens in a new tabjuridischloket.nlhttps://www.juridischloket.nl/hoe-we-werken/toevoeging-advocaat/
- Dutch Bar Association: official lawyer finderOpens in a new tabzoekeenadvocaat.advocatenorde.nlhttps://zoekeenadvocaat.advocatenorde.nl/
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