Lawyer (Advocaat)

Information on this skill...

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‎A lawyer is a confidential adviser protected by law, who represents the interests of individuals, companies and governments in legal matters. A lawyer can be seen as an advocate, who will do everything in his power to help clients as well as possible in legal matters. It is not the case that lawyers only litigate in conflicts, because the work of a lawyer must be seen more broadly. Think, for example, of advising clients, mediating between parties and negotiating to reach a solution. In order to assist clients, a lawyer must complete the study of law, do an internship and be sworn in as a lawyer. A lawyer can therefore be regarded as a legal scholar who defends the interests of individuals, governments or companies in legal matters. Lawyers have to deal with strict rules of conduct and professional conduct that they must adhere to. An example of this is that lawyers are obliged to follow annual training. Another example is that lawyers are required to report unusual transactions to prevent money laundering. As described earlier, it is not the case that lawyers only litigate to defend the interests of clients. Think also of informing clients about their rights and obligations. In order to achieve the maximum result in legal matters, it is usually advisable to use a lawyer. The profession of lawyer should also be seen as fairly general, because a lawyer specializes in different areas of law, which determine the substantive activities. For example, defending clients suspected of property crimes involves activities other than assisting clients who have committed a serious traffic offence.‎

‎A lawyer is therefore a confidential adviser protected by law, who works within different areas of law. Another term for lawyer is ‎‎legal representative‎‎, but a legal representative does not have to be a lawyer. Even a ‎‎lawyer‎‎ cannot simply be regarded as a lawyer, despite the fact that a lawyer can have access to study law. A lawyer must be sworn in order to use the protective title of lawyer. By using the title of lawyer, it is clear to everyone that it is a competent and sworn lawyer. Some specializations as a lawyer are employment ‎‎law, criminal law‎‎, ‎‎personal injury law‎‎, ‎‎tax law‎‎, ‎‎IT law‎‎ and ‎‎Constitutional and Administrative Law‎‎. These different specializations will largely determine the substantive activities of a lawyer. Lawyers are important because lawyers are allowed to conduct proceedings on behalf of clients in court. In addition, lawyers can assist clients without the need for litigation. Most lawyers first try to reach a solution without immediately litigating in court. The fact that clients use a lawyer is because most people do not have the right legal knowledge and procedures. It is not the case that it is mandatory to use a lawyer in all cases. For example, people who have to deal with the subdistrict court do not have to use a lawyer. A subdistrict court judge handles, among other things, ‎‎employment cases‎‎, ‎‎rental cases‎‎ and minor criminal cases, such as ‎‎traffic violations‎‎. If people have to deal with a civil judge, it is mandatory to use a lawyer. Think of people who have ‎‎debts‎‎, ‎‎supervision orders‎‎, ‎‎divorces‎‎ and ‎‎bankruptcies‎‎.‎

‎THE LEGAL SYSTEM‎

‎The legal system is a complex system, in which many specialists work, who can handle different roles. For example, it is the ‎‎public prosecutor‎‎ who will prosecute people on behalf of the Public Prosecution Service if they are suspected of criminal offences. A public prosecutor can be seen as the lawyer of the government, who will prosecute people or organizations if there are criminal offenses. It is the independent ‎‎judge‎‎ who will look after the interests of all parties involved. A public prosecutor or lawyer of the opposing party cannot make unreasonable legal demands, because a judge will not go along with this. A judge should be seen as an independent supervisor, who will look after the interests of all parties involved. In complex cases, it is wise to use a lawyer, because lawyers know exactly which points are important. Achieving the best result is generally only possible through the use of a lawyer. In addition, it is true that not all people want to speak and / or dare to speak during court hearings. In that case, it is advisable to use a lawyer. A lawyer for subsidized mediation and legal aid is also called a ‎‎pro bono lawyer‎‎.‎

‎IS LAWYER A FUN PROFESSION?‎

‎Lawyer is a profession that should suit you. You should only start in this profession if you are interested in the law. Another important aspect is that your specialization should be your passion. Dealing with people and their behavior can be very stressful. If you don't have patience with people, avoid becoming a lawyer. Decisiveness is another important aspect of being a good lawyer. It is certainly not the case that lawyers only have to deal with legal proceedings. An experienced lawyer may also be able to bring it to a successful conclusion without any proceedings. In addition, you may also have to deal with the screening of legal documents.‎

‎ARE THERE MANY LAWYERS?‎

‎There are approximately 18,000 lawyers working in the Netherlands. There is therefore quite a lot of competition in this profession. Lawyers who do their job well are in high demand. This profession continues to grow and there will always be a demand for good lawyers.‎

‎IS IT DIFFICULT TO BE A LAWYER?‎

‎Being a lawyer can be difficult because there is no "How To" manual. Often you only discover during the practical training what kind of personality type you are. During your studies, you have to come to the conclusion whether law suits you or not. It will be difficult if you decide to become a lawyer too late in life.‎

‎WHAT DOES A LAWYER DO:‎

  • ‎Legal advice to clients (possibilities)‎
  • ‎Consulting with clients (best approach and defense)‎
  • ‎Defending client interests during court hearings‎
  • ‎The legal sorting out of important points (articles of law)‎
  • ‎Collecting the burden of proof (documents, witness statements)‎
  • ‎Taking care of the written correspondence‎
  • ‎Starting legal proceedings‎
  • ‎Possibly assisting clients after the judgment (engaging a bailiff)‎

‎WHAT DOES A LAWYER DO:‎

‎TRAINING TO BECOME A LAWYER‎

‎Becoming a lawyer is only possible by following the university study ‎‎Law‎‎. This study will generally take at least five years to complete. After studying Law, a lawyer must first go through a compulsory vocational training that can be seen as an internship period. During this internship period, a lawyer is not a lawyer but a lawyer, because he or she has not yet been sworn in. Depending on the type of study, for example, a lawyer can first work for companies as a company lawyer. The professional training lawyer must be completed at a law firm. Another name for lawyers who participate in vocational training is also called trainee lawyer. In addition, there are also plenty ‎‎of external training institutes‎‎ where you can follow a course. Accounting is ‎‎also‎‎ important as an entrepreneur.‎

‎COMPANIES WHERE A LAWYER CAN WORK‎

‎A lawyer generally works for a law firm or works as an ‎‎entrepreneur‎‎ within his own law firm. In addition, a lawyer can work for large ‎‎companies‎‎, ‎‎insurance companies‎‎, ‎‎banks‎‎ or institutions of the Ministry of Justice. Lawyers generally have a lot to do with ‎‎legal assistants‎‎, ‎‎clerks‎‎, ‎‎trainee lawyers‎‎, ‎‎court officials‎‎, ‎‎notaries‎‎ and ‎‎company lawyers‎‎.‎

‎COMPETENCES LAWYER‎

‎The most important competence of a lawyer is partiality, because a lawyer must be regarded as ‎‎a confidential advisor‎‎ of clients. In addition, it is important that as a lawyer you have sufficient professional knowledge within your specialization (s) and that you stay informed by following further training, because you have to deal with ‎‎laws and regulations‎‎. Of course, a lawyer must also have good ‎‎communication‎‎ skills. A lawyer must also have analytical skills, so that you can distinguish the side issues from the main cases. Generally important words are mediating, arguing, ‎‎negotiating‎‎, ‎‎motivation‎‎, professional secrecy, consultation, cooperation, listening, ‎‎planning‎‎, organizing and ‎‎stress resistance‎‎.‎

‎LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A LAWYER‎

‎The labour market perspective of a lawyer is generally good, but this can differ per specialisation. The demand for lawyers is fairly high, partly because lawyers can work for different companies and governments. In addition, not everyone can just become a lawyer, which makes the labour market perspective of a lawyer good. The career opportunities of a lawyer can be seen in becoming a partner or in starting your own law firm. Of course, a lawyer can also follow a training to become a judge or, for example, ‎‎obtain a PhD‎‎ as a scientist.‎

‎TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY OF LAWYER‎

‎There are no specific employment conditions for a lawyer, because you can work for different companies and governments with their own employment conditions. However, on the website of the ‎‎Dutch Bar Association‎‎ you can find more information about the employment conditions as an aspiring lawyer. A prospective lawyer earns an average of 2,200 euros gross per month in the first year, 2,560 euros gross per month in the second year and 2,900 euros gross per month in the third year. What exactly an experienced lawyer will earn is difficult to indicate, because there are major differences within the legal profession. But in general, a lawyer will ‎‎earn‎‎ between 2,500 and 9,000 euros gross per month, depending on his age and responsibilities within the organization. There are also specialist lawyers to be found, who earn a multiple of the mentioned salary.‎

The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.

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