Arabic-speaking lawyer in Brussels: legal assistance in your language

A legal problem is complicated enough without a language barrier. If you are looking for an Arabic-speaking lawyer in Brussels, Novex Advocaten provides legal assistance in Arabic. Mr Mohamed Asfour, lawyer, speaks fluent Arabic and assists clients in Brussels and the surrounding area, alongside Dutch, French and English. You explain your situation in your own language; we conduct the proceedings in Dutch or French and keep you informed at every step.

This article explains your rights if you do not master the language of the proceedings, and the matters in which we assist you: family cases with an international element, traffic and criminal cases, tenancy, debt and businesses.

Why choose an Arabic-speaking lawyer in Brussels?

Court proceedings in Belgium are conducted in Dutch or French, and sometimes in German. If you do not have a good command of these languages, you may not fully understand a summons (dagvaarding / citation), a judgment or a letter from the other party, and you risk missing a deadline. A lawyer who speaks your language can record your account accurately, grasp the nuances and explain precisely what is happening.

This avoids misunderstandings in the first meetings and allows you to make informed decisions yourself. That matters most when you have to act quickly, for example in response to a summons, a default judgment (verstekvonnis / jugement par défaut) or a formal notice (ingebrekestelling / mise en demeure). We can also read and assess the foreign documents in your file straight away, such as certificates or judgments in Arabic; for use in the proceedings, however, a sworn translation is often still required.

Your rights if you do not understand the language of the proceedings

• During a police interview: if you do not understand or speak the language of the interview, you are entitled to the assistance of a sworn interpreter, free of charge. You may also express yourself in your own language. If you are questioned as a suspect, in most cases you also have the right to a confidential consultation with a lawyer before the interview and to the lawyer’s assistance during it, particularly if you have been deprived of your liberty. Read more about your rights during a police interview.
• Before the criminal courts: a defendant who does not understand the language of the proceedings is assisted by an interpreter before the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police) or the criminal court (correctionele rechtbank / tribunal correctionnel), at the State’s expense. Under certain conditions, you are also entitled to a translation of essential documents, such as an arrest warrant or the judgment. For some documents, you must request this translation expressly by written application, as a rule no later than eight days after service of the summons (Article 22 of the Act of 15 June 1935 on the use of languages in judicial matters); we make sure this is done.
• A change of language: in certain cases, you can ask for your case to be heard in French instead of Dutch, or vice versa. This request must be made in good time. Read more about changing the language of proceedings before the police court.
• In civil cases: for a divorce, a tenancy dispute or debt recovery, different rules apply than in criminal cases. We discuss with you how communication will work and whether an interpreter or a sworn translation is needed.

Family cases with an international element

Many Arabic-speaking clients have family, a marriage or assets abroad. This raises specific questions. In a divorce with an international element, European regulations and the Belgian Code of Private International Law (Wetboek van internationaal privaatrecht / Code de droit international privé) determine which court has jurisdiction and which law applies. This depends, among other things, on the habitual residence and nationality of the spouses, and on any choice of law they have made.

Foreign decisions, such as a divorce judgment given abroad, are as a rule recognised in Belgium without separate proceedings, provided the legal conditions are met. The registrar of civil status (ambtenaar van de burgerlijke stand / officier de l’état civil) or another authority checks those conditions. If recognition is refused, the matter can be brought before the court of first instance or, for matters within the jurisdiction of the family court, before the family court (Article 23 of the Code of Private International Law).

A unilateral repudiation (verstoting / répudiation) registered abroad is in principle not recognised in Belgium (Article 57 of the Code of Private International Law). An exception is only possible under strict, cumulative conditions. For instance, the act must have been approved (homologated) by a court of the State where it was drawn up, and the wife must have accepted the dissolution of the marriage unequivocally and without duress. In addition, at the time of that approval, neither spouse may have had the nationality of, or habitual residence in, a State whose law does not recognise this form of dissolution, such as Belgium.

Foreign certificates, such as a marriage certificate or a birth certificate, often also need to be legalised or bear an apostille, and be translated by a sworn translator before they can be used in Belgium. Which formality applies depends on the country that issued the document. We help you gather the right documents in good time.

The consequences of a separation in Belgium are governed by the ordinary rules: parental authority, the children’s residence arrangements and child maintenance are settled by the family court (familierechtbank / tribunal de la famille), always in the best interests of the child. If the children habitually reside in Belgium, the Belgian court will as a rule have jurisdiction. Read more about separation, parental authority and residence arrangements and about divorce proceedings.

Traffic and criminal cases

Have you been summoned to appear before the police court? We explain in Arabic what you are charged with, which penalties are possible and which defence makes sense. Read more about receiving a summons to the police court.

For offences committed on or after 1 September 2026, the penalty levels (strafniveaus / niveaux de peine) of the new Criminal Code apply. For a level 1 offence, such as a first alcohol intoxication offence or a hit-and-run (vluchtmisdrijf / délit de fuite) causing only material damage, no prison sentence is possible: the court chooses, among other options, between a fine, community service, a probation order or a conviction by declaration of guilt, possibly combined with a driving ban (verval van het recht tot sturen / déchéance du droit de conduire). For offences committed before that date, the old penalties continue to apply, unless the new law is more lenient. Read more about the new Criminal Code in traffic cases.

In most cases, we can represent you so that you do not have to appear in person; the court may, however, order you to appear personally. We also assist you during a police interview, a house search (huiszoeking / perquisition) or a summons to the criminal court. Read more about appearing in person before the police court.

Tenancy, debt and businesses

• Tenancy law: rental deposit, rent arrears, defects in the property and notice to terminate, for tenants and landlords alike. In Brussels, the Brussels Housing Code applies; in Flanders, the Flemish Residential Lease Decree: the rules differ from region to region. Read more about the rental deposit.
• Debt and debt recovery: from formal notice to attachment of assets, for creditors and debtors alike. If you can no longer pay your debts and you are not a business, a collective debt settlement (collectieve schuldenregeling / règlement collectif de dettes) may offer a way out. Read more about collective debt settlement.
• Businesses: entrepreneurs and self-employed persons with questions about contracts, commercial leases, unpaid invoices, debts owed to the National Social Security Office (RSZ / ONSS) or the tax authorities, judicial reorganisation and bankruptcy.

How do we work?

You contact us by telephone or e-mail, in Arabic, Dutch, French or English, and briefly explain your situation. We give you an initial assessment of the approach and the costs straight away, and make clear arrangements about our fees. A meeting can take place at our office on Avenue Louise, by telephone or by video call.

We check whether legal expenses insurance covers your costs; in judicial proceedings, you are as a rule free to choose your own lawyer. If your income is limited, we inform you about second-line legal aid (juridische tweedelijnsbijstand / aide juridique de deuxième ligne) through the Legal Aid Office (Bureau voor Juridische Bijstand / Bureau d’Aide Juridique). Read more about legal expenses insurance.

Frequently asked questions

Will my proceedings be conducted in Arabic?

No. Proceedings in Belgium are conducted in a national language, in practice Dutch or French. You can, however, communicate with us in Arabic, and we translate and explain the content of the documents for you.

Do I have to bring my own interpreter to a police interview?

No. If you do not understand the language of the interview, the police must call in a sworn interpreter, free of charge. Ask for one expressly if this does not happen.

Will my foreign divorce be recognised in Belgium?

As a rule, yes, provided the legal conditions are met, and without separate proceedings. Much stricter conditions apply to a unilateral repudiation. We review your documents and tell you in advance which steps are needed.

Can you also help if the other party lives abroad?

Yes. We examine which court has jurisdiction, how documents must be served and whether a Belgian decision can be enforced in the other country. For money claims within the European Union, simplified procedures also exist, such as the European order for payment.

Do I have to attend court myself?

Not always. In most criminal and traffic cases, your lawyer can represent you, unless the court orders you to appear in person. We discuss with you beforehand whether your attendance would be useful.

Contact

Novex Advocaten, Avenue Louise 379, 1050 Brussels. Call 0484 99 22 72 or e-mail asfour@novexadvocaten.be. You are also welcome to contact us in Arabic.