Our expertise,
your trust

Piet

Clear agreements in advance

The fees charged vary from €140/hour to €180/hour. The fee will be agreed with you in advance according to the nature, importance and urgency of the case. The fees include services such as study of the case file, consultations and opinions, drafting of procedural documents, contracts or decisions, useful movements in a case file, legal research, pleadings, exchange of correspondence, etc.

The fees compensate the lawyer for his/her work, independently of the costs resulting from his/her activities.

Fee agreement

When starting a case, the financial arrangements are laid down in a fee agreement.

At the start of a case, advances may be requested. Interim invoices shall also be drawn up in case of large case files. When closing a case file, a final invoice of costs and fees is submitted to the client. Both companies and private individuals have to pay 21% VAT on the fees.  Companies can recover the VAT afterwards, but individuals cannot. The VAT is levied on the fees, not on the legal costs such as, for example, court fees, bailiff costs, expert assessments and translation costs, etc.

Fully comprehensive policies

We also offer a subscription formula. Such a subscription formula is a “fully comprehensive policy” whereby a monthly amount is invoiced and for which an extensive service package is offered. In fact, we act as your in-house lawyer.

Office expenses

The office expenses to be charged include the following items:

  • Opening of case file
  • Typing charges
  • Printing and copying costs
  • Postage costs
  • Telephone costs
  • Travel expenses

These costs are estimated at 25% of the total fee excluding VAT.

If, due to agreements already made, these costs cannot be estimated as a fixed sum, Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars will make the calculation according to the following rates:

  • Opening of case file: €50
  • Typing charges per page: €11
  • Costs of mail: €6
  • Photocopy per page: €0.30
  • Travel per km: €0.50

Legal costs

Costs advanced by Adlex Advocaten to third parties, such as court costs, mortgage offices, registration offices, third party lawyers, bailiffs, notaries, translators, accountants, auditors and experts shall be compiled under the item “Other costs” and/or “Legal costs” and are charged separately on the basis of the amounts actually paid.

Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars is a registered service provider for the SME portfolio (service provider accreditation number A217122)

The SME portfolio is a measure that provides you – as an entrepreneur – with financial support for the purchase of services that improve the quality of your business.

Certain services offered by Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars to small and medium-sized enterprises can be partially reimbursed by the Flemish government. This is on condition that your enterprise is eligible for the same.

IS MY ENTERPRISE ELIGIBLE?

With this checklist you can find out whether you can avail of the SME portfolio:

  • Your enterprise is an SME (according to the European SME definition) or you practise a liberal profession.
  • Your enterprise has an acceptable legal form. Non-profit organisations are not eligible and cannot avail of the SME portfolio.
  • Your enterprise is located in the Flemish Region. The ‘people working in your enterprise’ are also working there.
  • You are active in the private sector. The participation of an administrative authority is less than 25 percent.
  • Your enterprise has an acceptable main activity.

Read the latest information concerning the terms and conditions here (link https://www.vlaio.be/nl/subsidies-financiering/kmo-portefeuille )

HOW MUCH AID CAN WE RECEIVE?

The amount of aid you receive depends on the size of your enterprise.

  • A small enterprise investing in training and advice can receive 40 per cent support through the SME portfolio. You will receive up to €10,000 in support per year.
  • A medium-sized enterprise that invests in training and advice can receive 30 per cent support through the SME portfolio. You will receive a maximum of €15,000 per year.

You can apply for support until your personal maximum is reached or the budget of the portfolio is exhausted.

AM I A SMALL OR A MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISE?

Are you not absolutely certain as to whether or not you are a small or a medium-sized enterprise? The official size of your SME depends on the number of employees, the turnover and the balance sheet total.

An overview:

small enterprises

  • number of employees is < 50 FTE*.
  • turnover is < or = €10,000,000 OR balance sheet total is < or = €10,000,000.

medium-sized enterprises

  • number of employees is < 250 FTE*.
  • turnover is < or = €50,000,000 OR balance sheet total is < or = €43,000,000.

*FTE = full-time equivalent. One FTE is one full time employee, two half time employees, etc.

Your enterprise size is determined on the basis of the above criteria. If your enterprise is a legal entity, SME portfolio will retrieve your data from the National Bank of Belgium. The SME portfolio bases itself on the size determination of your first subsidy application. This shall be valid for the rest of the calendar year.

Is your enterprise part of a group? Take this into account when applying for a subsidy. The group structure helps determine the size of your enterprise.

 

WHICH SERVICES OF ADLEX ADVOCATEN & BEMIDDELAARS QUALIFY?

  • Advice on mergers and acquisitions

What are the risks and what is the best way to proceed?

  • Legal advice on the legal options of purchase and sale contracts → legal research

Integral analysis + advice regarding risks that an organisation faces with regard to purchasing + sales

  • New establishment abroad → different legislation and regulations

Risk analysis inventory

  • Labour law

Risk surveys

  • Legal scan → general business risks

Legal weaknesses of SMEs

General and special conditions of sale

Articles of Association

Insurance policies

 Vlaio

Also examine the subsidy database of the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Enterprise (VLAIO). (link: https://www.vlaio.be/nl/subsidies-financiering/subsidiedatabank)

Procedure

Before you can apply for a subsidy, you are required to register on the Vlaio website as an enterprise representative using your federal token or your e-id (electronic identity card). Before you submit your application, you must already have concluded an agreement with a registered service provider. You should then apply for the subsidy as soon as possible. This must be done within 14 calendar days after the start of the services.

For further information, please contact Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars (Ludwina Doomen)

  • tel. +32 89 32 23 00
  • mail: kmoportefeuille@adlex.be

 

Often, without knowing it, you are entitled to free intervention by a counsel of your choice under a legal expenses policy (linked to your family insurance or motor insurance, for example). We examine for you whether your legal expenses insurer provides free intervention by counsel. If this is the case, our costs and fees will normally be borne in full by the legal aid insurer.

You entrust your case file to one of the lawyers in our firm. Our firm, Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars, is a civil company in the form of a cooperative company with limited liability, having its registered office at 3600 Genk, Grotestraat 122, VAT BE 0859 633 695, Register of Legal Entities Limburg. Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars is also an association within the meaning of the Rules of the Order of Flemish Bars of 8 November 2006 on cooperative associations of lawyers and one-man law firms.

The professional liability of our lawyers is insured by Vanbreda Risk & Benefits, with registered office at Plantin en Moretuslei 297, 2140 Antwerp, under a group policy taken out by the Order of Flemish Bars with Amlin Europe. A copy of the aforementioned policy can be requested and obtained from our office on simple request.

Our lawyers are registered at the Limburg Bar and are subject to the regulations of the Order of Flemish Bars, which can be consulted at www.advocaat.be, and to the regulations of their Bar, which can be consulted at www.balielimburg.be.

Adlex advocaten & bemiddelaars is not part of multidisciplinary activities and/or multidisciplinary partnerships.

The actions of our lawyers are subject to extra-judicial dispute resolution as regulated by the code of conduct or rules of the Limburg Bar. You may obtain more information concerning the characteristics and application conditions of this regulation at the website www.balielimburg.be .