If you have an employment dispute and a low income, you can get a lawyer through legal aid (a toevoeging): the Legal Aid Board then pays most of the costs and you pay a personal contribution. We also handle employment cases on a legal aid basis and apply for the legal aid certificate on your behalf. Amounts on this page apply to 2026.
When do you get legal aid?
The Legal Aid Board decides on legal aid. The conditions are that your income and your assets (for example savings) are not too high. The Board looks at your income and assets from two years ago: for an application in 2026 that is 2024. The current limits are in the tables of the Juridisch Loket (Legal Services Counter).
If you are in statutory debt restructuring (Wsnp), an amicable debt relief arrangement, or your income is subject to an attachment, you will often still get legal aid, even if your income is above the limit.
What do you pay yourself?
You pay a personal contribution. The higher your income from two years ago, the higher the contribution. The discount on the personal contribution that used to apply only after a visit to the Juridisch Loket is now given automatically. If the case is small (less than three hours’ work), the lawyer applies for light advice legal aid, with a lower personal contribution. If you cannot pay the personal contribution, the municipality can sometimes cover it through special assistance (bijzondere bijstand).
Your income has fallen since the dismissal
Precisely after a dismissal your income is often lower than two years ago. You can then apply for a change of reference year (peiljaarverlegging), so that the Board calculates with your current income. This must be done within six weeks of the decision on legal aid, or straight away with the application. If you are already entitled to legal aid, a drop in income of at least 15% can still result in a lower personal contribution.
Note: if the case brings in a lot of money, the legal aid can lapse
Afterwards the Board looks at what the case has brought you (the outcome assessment). If in 2026 you receive more than € 19.239,50 as a single person or single parent, or more than € 38.479 with a partner, the Board can withdraw the legal aid. You then pay the lawyer’s fees yourself after all. In employment cases, which often involve a severance payment, that is a realistic scenario. We therefore make a written fee agreement with you in advance, so that you know what you will pay in that case.
Other ways to cover the costs
- Settlement agreement: the employer often includes a contribution towards legal assistance in the agreement. That is a point for negotiation, not a statutory right. See settlement agreement.
- Legal expenses insurance: in legal proceedings or in a conflict of interest you may choose your own lawyer (article 4:67 of the Financial Supervision Act (Wft)).
An overview of all the ways to cover the costs is on our page on employment law. The first consultation is free of charge: tell us about your situation and bring your most recent income tax assessment if you have one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an employment lawyer through legal aid?
Yes, if your income and assets are below the limits of the Legal Aid Board. Your lawyer applies for the legal aid. You then pay a personal contribution that depends on your income from two years ago.
What happens to my legal aid if I receive a severance payment?
After the case the Legal Aid Board assesses what it has brought you. If in 2026 you receive more than € 19.239,50 (single) or € 38.479 (with a partner), the legal aid can be withdrawn and you pay the lawyer’s fees yourself after all. So make a fee agreement in advance.
My income has fallen since my dismissal. Does that count?
By default the Board looks at your income from two years ago. If your income is lower now, you can apply for a change of reference year (peiljaarverlegging), within six weeks of the decision on your legal aid or straight away with the application.
Written by Onur Arslan, employment lawyer at Arslan Advocaten. Amounts according to the Juridisch Loket and the Legal Aid Board, reference date 23 September 2026; they are adjusted annually.