Independence
A lawyer is independent. When handling a case, a lawyer is your advisor. He is guided by the interests of his client. The lawyer operates independently of the government (including the police and the judiciary), which allows the lawyer to advise his client in all honesty and openness.
Partiality
A lawyer is partial. In legal disputes, the lawyer supports his client through thick and thin. He is the advisor for the client in question and only represents this client. It is therefore not possible for the lawyer to also represent the other party.
Expertise
A lawyer is an expert. A lawyer must of course have knowledge of the law, so the law and judicial decisions. He is trained for this. In addition, a lawyer must attend annual refresher courses. This allows a lawyer to keep his knowledge and skills up to date.
Integrity
A lawyer is honest. A lawyer must behave properly and ethically. For lawyers, there are rules of conduct in the Dutch Lawyers Act. This includes that he must provide a realistic picture of the legal procedure, the chances of success of the case and the expected costs.
Confidentiality
A lawyer will treat your case confidentially. A lawyer will not speak to anyone else about the case. Everything that is discussed remains between the lawyer and the client in question. This allows the client to speak confidentially about the case together with his legal advisor, which benefits the representation of interests. The lawyer is bound by professional secrecy and can invoke the right to refuse to testify.
You can find the precise rules for lawyers on the website of the Dutch Bar Association via this link. Here you will find, among other things, the Dutch Bar Association Act, the Dutch Bar Association Regulations and the 1992 Code of Conduct.*
*Source: https://www.advocatenorde.nl/de-advocaat/kernwaarden-1, consulted on 1 January 2024