Blog

Road traffic law

• Police Court Lawyer in AalstThe Aalst police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police) is a division of the East Flanders police court. If you are booked in Aalst, Ninove,…updated on 8 October 2026
• Hit-and-run in Belgium: penalties, driving bans and defenceHit-and-run (vluchtmisdrijf / délit de fuite) is one of the more severely punished road traffic offences in Belgium. Anyone who drives away after an accident…updated on 8 October 2026
• Traffic fine settlement in Belgium: pay or contest?Not every traffic offence ends up before the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police). For most offences, the law offers a way out without…updated on 8 October 2026
• Fatal road accident in Belgium: causing death in traffic, penalties and defenceA fatal road accident is a devastating event for everyone involved: first and foremost for the bereaved family, but also for the driver, who has…updated on 8 October 2026
• New Criminal Code from 1 September 2026: what changes for traffic offences?Since 1 September 2026, a new Criminal Code has applied in Belgium to traffic offences and to all other criminal matters. For traffic offences, it…updated on 4 October 2026
• Road accident victim in Belgium: your right to compensationIf you are injured as the victim of a road accident, insurance forms are the last thing on your mind in the first few weeks.…updated on 4 October 2026
• Drink driving in Belgium: penalties, driving ban and defenceDrink driving in Belgium is one of the most common offences dealt with by the police courts (politierechtbank / tribunal de police). The consequences go…updated on 4 October 2026
• Your rights at a police traffic stop in BelgiumA police traffic stop rarely lasts long, but what you say and do during it often shapes the rest of the case. Knowing your rights…updated on 4 October 2026
• Drink driving limit in Belgium: which limit applies to you?The question sounds simple — how much can you drink and still drive? — but the answer depends on who you are and what you…updated on 4 October 2026
• The police court in Belgium: jurisdiction, hearings and who does whatAlmost everyone in Belgium deals with the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police) at some point, yet hardly anyone knows in advance how it…updated on 4 October 2026
• How much does a lawyer cost at the police court in Belgium, and who pays?How much does a lawyer cost before the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police)? It is often the first question clients ask, even before…updated on 4 October 2026
• Immediate driving licence withdrawal in Belgium: how to get your licence backIn Belgium, an immediate driving licence withdrawal (onmiddellijke intrekking / retrait immédiat) is not a penalty. It is a provisional measure, usually ordered by the…updated on 4 October 2026
• Driving without insurance in Belgium: penalties, Guarantee Fund recovery and defenceDriving without insurance in Belgium is not an administrative oversight but a criminal offence, and the criminal penalty is rarely the biggest problem. Anyone who…updated on 4 October 2026
• Opposition or appeal against a police court judgment in BelgiumA judgment of the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police) is not always the end of the road. If you disagree with the decision,…updated on 4 October 2026
• Police court summons in Belgium: what should you do now?A police court summons in Belgium (dagvaarding / citation before the politierechtbank / tribunal de police) rarely arrives at a convenient moment. Yet in one…updated on 4 October 2026
• Living abroad and summoned to court in Belgium: what now?You live in the Netherlands, France, Morocco or elsewhere, and you receive a letter from a Belgian public prosecutor's office, or you are summoned to…updated on 4 October 2026
• Change of language before the police court: your case in your own languageIf you have been summoned in a language you do not master well, you can ask for a change of language before the police court…updated on 4 October 2026
• Do you have to appear in person at the police court?Do you have to appear in person at the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police)? The short answer: usually not. In traffic cases you…updated on 4 October 2026
• Running a red light in Belgium: fine, driving ban and defenceRunning a red light in Belgium is one of the classic cases before the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police). Often it comes down…updated on 3 October 2026
• Driving ban in Belgium: what it is and how to get your licence back“Driving prohibition”, “withdrawal”, “driving ban”: in everyday conversation these words are used interchangeably, yet in Belgian law they mean three different things, each with its…updated on 3 October 2026
• Suspended sentence, suspension, community service or a course: lighter penalties at the police courtOnce the facts are established, the entire debate before the police court (politierechtbank / tribunal de police) shifts to the sentence. A suspended sentence, a…updated on 3 October 2026
• Driving without a licence or while banned in Belgium: penalties and defenceIn Belgium, “driving without a licence” covers four different situations in practice, with very different penalties: never having obtained a licence, driving outside the category…updated on 3 October 2026
• Alcohol interlock in Belgium: when it is mandatory, what it costs and how to defend yourselfIn Belgium, the alcohol interlock has become a standard tool of the police courts (politierechtbank / tribunal de police), including in Brussels, Halle, Vilvoorde, Leuven…updated on 3 October 2026
• Mobile phone while driving in Belgium: fine, driving ban and defenceReading a message at a red light or quickly dialling a number in a traffic jam: in the eyes of the law, that is using…updated on 3 October 2026

Criminal law

• Clearing your criminal record in Belgium: erasure and rehabilitationAn old conviction can still close doors years later: a job in private security, a public-sector post, a licence, a role working with children or…updated on 8 October 2026
• Criminal settlement in Belgium: when is paying the right choice?“Extinction of the prosecution against payment of a sum of money”: a criminal settlement in Belgium (minnelijke schikking / transaction pénale) sounds technical, but in…updated on 8 October 2026
• Summoned to the criminal court in Belgium: what now?You have received a criminal court summons, served by a bailiff (gerechtsdeurwaarder / huissier de justice), requiring you to appear before the criminal court (correctionele…updated on 8 October 2026
• Pre-trial detention in Belgium: from arrest to the council chamberWhen someone is arrested and brought before the investigating judge (onderzoeksrechter / juge d'instruction), every decision counts twice over. In law, pre-trial detention is an…updated on 5 October 2026
• Defamation in Belgium: what does the new Criminal Code say?A false accusation in a Facebook group, a string of scathing Google reviews, a forwarded message that damages your honour: today, reputational harm happens in…updated on 4 October 2026
• Drug possession and dealing in Belgium: penalties and defenceFew criminal cases cover as wide a spectrum as drug cases. With drug possession in Belgium and drug dealing, outcomes range from a simple police…updated on 4 October 2026
• Invited to a police interview in Belgium: your rights and how to prepareAn invitation to a police interview looks harmless: “just drop by to make a statement”. Yet whatever you say that day stays in your file…updated on 4 October 2026
• Theft and shoplifting in Belgium: penalties and ways outA moment of thoughtlessness in a department store, an accusation of theft at work or suspicion after a burglary: a theft or shoplifting case often…updated on 4 October 2026
• Assault charges in Belgium: penalties and defenceAn argument that gets out of hand, a shove in a bar, a family conflict or an incident at work: assault charges in Belgium are…updated on 4 October 2026
• House search in Belgium: when can the police enter and what are your rights?It is six in the morning and the police are at your door, telling you that your home is going to be searched. A house…updated on 4 October 2026

Family law

• Spousal maintenance after divorce in Belgium: conditions, amount and durationBesides child maintenance, a divorce gives rise to a second, frequently misunderstood flow of money: spousal maintenance after divorce, paid by one former spouse to…updated on 11 October 2026
• Child Custody in Belgium: How Does the Family Court Decide on Residence?Where will the children live after the separation? No question weighs more heavily emotionally, and none is weighed more carefully by the family court (familierechtbank…updated on 10 October 2026
• Child Maintenance in Belgium: Calculation, Extraordinary Expenses and ReviewFew issues after a separation are as sensitive as child maintenance (onderhoudsbijdrage / contribution alimentaire), often called “child support” in everyday language. How much does…updated on 4 October 2026
• Inheritance dispute in Belgium: contesting a will, reduction and court-ordered divisionA death brings not only grief but sometimes conflict as well. Siblings who cannot agree on the family home, a will that comes as a…updated on 4 October 2026
• Urgent and interim measures before the family court in BelgiumA partner who suddenly empties the bank accounts, a family home where the tension becomes unbearable, children caught between their parents: a relationship crisis does…updated on 4 October 2026
• Divorce by mutual consent in Belgium: the fastest and calmest routeWhen both spouses agree on the divorce and on all of its consequences, divorce by mutual consent (echtscheiding door onderlinge toestemming / divorce par consentement…updated on 4 October 2026
• Child Custody in Belgium after Separation: Parental Authority, Residence and Child MaintenanceWhen parents separate, three decisions arise at the same time and are often confused: who decides (parental authority), where the children live (the residence arrangements)…updated on 4 October 2026
• Inheritance law in Belgium: intestate succession, wills and inheritance taxWho inherits when you die, what can you arrange yourself and how much inheritance tax is payable? Inheritance law in Belgium was thoroughly reformed in…updated on 4 October 2026
• Divorce in Belgium: procedure, costs and stepsA divorce in Belgium follows one of two routes: divorce by mutual consent (echtscheiding door onderlinge toestemming / divorce par consentement mutuel) or divorce on…updated on 4 October 2026

Tenancy and property law

• Hidden defects after buying a house in Belgium: what can you claim from the seller?A few months after the purchase, they appear: rising damp behind new plasterwork, a damaged load-bearing beam, electrical wiring that is not up to standard.…updated on 10 October 2026
• Contractor dispute in Belgium: formal notice, acceptance and liabilityPoor workmanship, endless delays, unexpected charges for extra work or a contractor who simply stops turning up: a contractor dispute is one of the most…updated on 8 October 2026
• Your tenant is not paying rent: a step-by-step plan for landlords in BelgiumIs your tenant not paying rent? A tenant who is one month behind is an incident; a tenant who is three months behind is a…updated on 4 October 2026
• Neighbour disputes in Belgium: nuisance, trees and servitudesNoise at night, a heat pump humming day and night, a hedge that blocks out all the light, cracks caused by building work next door…updated on 4 October 2026
• Rental inventory and tenant damage in Belgium: the evidence that makes the differenceAt the end of almost every tenancy in Belgium, the same question arises: which damage is tenant damage and what is normal wear and tear?…updated on 4 October 2026
• Landlord terminating a lease in Belgium: grounds, notice periods and compensationA landlord terminating a lease in Belgium must follow strict rules. As a landlord, you cannot simply end a nine-year residential lease: the law lists…updated on 3 October 2026
• Commercial lease in Belgium: renewal, termination and eviction indemnityIn commercial leases, deadlines decide cases. A tenant who sends the request to renew a commercial lease one day too late loses that right —…updated on 3 October 2026
• Tenant eviction: how does the procedure work in Brussels and Flanders?Eviction is a drastic step for both parties. For the tenant, their home is at stake; for the landlord, their income and their property. The…updated on 3 October 2026
• Co-ownership disputes in Belgium: general meeting, syndic and owners' associationIf you own a flat, you are a member of the association of co-owners (vereniging van mede-eigenaars – VME / association des copropriétaires – ACP)…updated on 3 October 2026
• Damp, mould and other defects: your rights as a tenant in BelgiumMould in the bedroom, rainwater seeping through the roof, a boiler that breaks down in the middle of January: damp and mould in a rented…updated on 3 October 2026
• Rental dispute before the justice of the peace: procedure, costs and strategyIn Belgium, a rental dispute goes before the justice of the peace (vrederechter / juge de paix) for the place where the rented property is…updated on 3 October 2026
• Rent indexation in Belgium: rules, calculation and energy performanceEvery year, rent indexation in Belgium raises the same questions: is it due, how is it calculated and can it be claimed retroactively? Since the…updated on 3 October 2026
• Rental deposit in Brussels and Flanders: maximum, forms and returnFew tenancy issues cause as much friction as the rental deposit (huurwaarborg / garantie locative): too much is asked, it is not lodged correctly, or…updated on 3 October 2026
• Terminating a lease in Belgium as a tenant: notice periods, compensation and formalitiesTerminating a lease in Belgium as a tenant is relatively straightforward, but if you overlook the notice periods or the formal requirements, you can easily…updated on 3 October 2026
• Drafting a rental agreement in Belgium: mandatory particulars and pitfallsDrafting a rental agreement in Belgium takes more than filling in a template: a well-drafted residential lease prevents most landlord-tenant disputes. In Brussels and in…updated on 3 October 2026

Business law and debt recovery

• Starting over after bankruptcy in Belgium: building your second chanceStarting over after bankruptcy is expressly possible in Belgium. A bankruptcy feels like the end of the road, but Belgian insolvency law (Book XX of…updated on 11 October 2026
• Debt discharge after bankruptcy in Belgium: how to get a clean slateThe most important right of a bankrupt individual is also the least known: the discharge of residual debts (kwijtschelding / effacement). Debt discharge after bankruptcy…updated on 11 October 2026
• Your debtor is bankrupt: filing a bankruptcy claim in Belgium as a creditorA customer, tenant or contractual partner goes bankrupt and your invoice remains unpaid. Many creditors resign themselves to this straight away, often wrongly. Filing a…updated on 10 October 2026
• VAT debts in Belgium: payment plans, disputes and directors' liabilityVAT debts are among the most common causes of financial difficulty for self-employed people and companies in Belgium. The VAT you receive from your customers…updated on 10 October 2026
• Late payment interest and penalty clauses in Belgium: what can you claim?A customer who pays late costs you money. Between businesses, the Belgian Act of 2 August 2002 on combating late payment in commercial transactions (wet…updated on 8 October 2026
• Drafting terms and conditions in Belgium: what to include and when they applyMany disputes between businesses, such as late payments, liability claims or cancellations, are won or lost on a single document that was often copied from…updated on 4 October 2026
• Consumer debt collection in Belgium: the rules of Book XIXAnyone engaged in consumer debt collection in Belgium must play by strict rules. Book XIX "Consumer debts" of the Code of Economic Law (Wetboek van…updated on 4 October 2026
• Bankruptcy summons in Belgium from the NSSO, the tax authorities or a creditor: your optionsIn Belgium, a bankruptcy summons is, for many business owners, the moment when the seriousness of the situation is set out in black and white.…updated on 4 October 2026
• Director liability in bankruptcy in Belgium: when does it become personal?The company is bankrupt, but does that protect its director? Not always. Trustees in bankruptcy (curator / curateur) systematically investigate whether management errors contributed to…updated on 4 October 2026
• Filing for bankruptcy in Belgium: how the declaration before the enterprise court worksIf your business can no longer pay its debts on a lasting basis and can no longer obtain credit, filing for bankruptcy in Belgium is…updated on 4 October 2026
• Conservatory Attachment in Belgium: Freezing Your Debtor's Assets Before JudgmentObtaining a judgment takes months. In the meantime, your debtor can empty their bank accounts, sell their car or transfer their business. A conservatory attachment…updated on 4 October 2026
• Bailiff seizure in Belgium: enforcing a judgment or defending yourselfA judgment that is never enforced is a victory on paper only. A bailiff seizure in Belgium turns your title into money: the bailiff (gerechtsdeurwaarder…updated on 4 October 2026
• Judicial reorganisation in Belgium: breathing space for your business without bankruptcyNot every business in debt is lost. If you are facing temporary payment difficulties but your business is still viable, judicial reorganisation in Belgium can…updated on 4 October 2026
• Limitation periods for invoices and debts in Belgium: which deadline applies?An unpaid invoice does not disappear on its own, but your right to enforce it in court can. The limitation period for an invoice means…updated on 4 October 2026
• Breach of contract in Belgium: your remedies under the new law of obligationsA supplier who fails to deliver, a service provider whose work falls short, a partner who ends the contract unilaterally: a breach of contract in…updated on 4 October 2026
• Sole trader vs company bankruptcy in Belgium: what changes for you?In Belgium, whether you run your business as a sole trader or through a company largely determines what bankruptcy means for you personally. In a…updated on 4 October 2026
• Declared bankrupt in Belgium: your rights and obligations after the judgmentJudgment has been delivered: you or your business have been declared bankrupt in Belgium. What follows is unfamiliar territory for most entrepreneurs: a trustee who…updated on 4 October 2026
• Summoned by the Chamber for Enterprises in Difficulty: what does it mean?A letter from the Chamber for Enterprises in Difficulty (Kamer voor ondernemingen in moeilijkheden / chambre des entreprises en difficulté) of the Belgian enterprise court…updated on 4 October 2026
• Uncontested debt recovery in Belgium: the IOS procedure between businessesFor uncontested invoices between businesses, Belgium offers a fast track that bypasses the courts entirely: uncontested debt recovery, formally the recovery of uncontested monetary debts…updated on 3 October 2026
• Recovering unpaid invoices in Belgium: the approach that worksAn unpaid invoice is rarely a legal problem. It is a timing problem. If you set out to recover unpaid invoices in Belgium and handle…updated on 3 October 2026
• Disputed invoice in Belgium: what if your client protests?You send a reminder and the reply is that the invoice is “disputed”. Or the other way round: you receive an invoice for work that…updated on 3 October 2026
• Formal notice letters in Belgium: why they matter and how to draft one correctlyIt looks like an ordinary letter, but legally a formal notice (ingebrekestelling / mise en demeure) is the hinge of your case. It makes clear…updated on 3 October 2026
• Cross-border debt recovery: the European order for payment and the alternativesYour customer is based in Rotterdam, Paris or Madrid and is not paying. Do you then have to litigate in their country, in their language…updated on 1 October 2026

Employment law

• Dismissal and notice period in Belgium: time limits, compensation and challengesHave you been dismissed, or do you want to resign? Then you will want to know how long the notice period in Belgium is (opzeggingstermijn…updated on 4 October 2026
• Workplace accidents and occupational diseases in Belgium: compensation, procedure and rightsA workplace accident or an occupational disease affects not only your health but also your income. As an employee in the private sector, you are…updated on 4 October 2026
• Workplace bullying in Belgium: procedures, protection and compensationWorkplace bullying in Belgium is prohibited by the Act of 4 August 1996 on the well-being of workers in the performance of their work, known…updated on 4 October 2026

Other articles

• Suspect in a criminal case in Belgium: your rights and the procedureAre you a suspect in a criminal case? An invitation to a police interview, a house search or a letter from the public prosecutor’s office…updated on 4 October 2026
• Lawyer in Ixelles, Uccle and Etterbeek: property, co-ownership and neighboursAre you looking for a lawyer in Ixelles, Uccle or Etterbeek? Novex Advocaten assists residents of these municipalities from our office on Avenue Louise (Louizalaan)…updated on 4 October 2026
• Legal expenses insurance in Belgium: what does it cover and how does it work?Many people hesitate to instruct a lawyer because of the cost. Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandsverzekering / assurance protection juridique) can cover all or part of…updated on 4 October 2026
• Speeding in Belgium: fines, driving bans and defenceIf you are caught speeding in Belgium, you rarely know in advance what fine to expect. It depends not only on how many kilometres per…updated on 4 October 2026
• Lawyer Dilbeek: competent courts, traffic and family casesAre you looking for a lawyer for Dilbeek or one of its districts, such as Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek or Schepdaal? Novex Advocaten assists clients from Dilbeek…updated on 4 October 2026
• Lawyer in Schaerbeek: divorce, children and criminal casesLooking for a lawyer in Schaerbeek for a separation, arrangements for your children or a criminal case? Novex Advocaten assists residents of Schaerbeek (Schaarbeek) and…updated on 4 October 2026
• Summary proceedings in Belgium: when and how do they work?When a situation is urgent and ordinary proceedings would take too long, summary proceedings (kort geding / référé) offer a fast solution. But when are…updated on 4 October 2026
• The procedural indemnity in Belgium: who pays the winner's lawyer?Anyone who loses a lawsuit pays more than just their own lawyer. As a rule, they must also contribute to the winning party's legal fees…updated on 4 October 2026
• Arabic-speaking lawyer in Brussels: legal assistance in your languageA 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…updated on 4 October 2026
• Collective debt settlement in Belgium: procedure, effects and repayment planWhen debts pile up and you can no longer repay them, the law in Belgium offers a protective mechanism: collective debt settlement (collectieve schuldenregeling /…updated on 4 October 2026
• Lawyer Saint-Gilles and Forest: rights of tenants and landlordsLooking for a lawyer for Saint-Gilles (Sint-Gillis) or Forest (Vorst)? Novex Advocaten assists residents of both municipalities from our office on Avenue Louise (Louizalaan) in…updated on 4 October 2026
• Setting up a BV in Belgium: steps, financial plan and key pointsDo you want to set up a BV in Belgium? Since the Belgian Companies and Associations Code of 2019 (Wetboek van vennootschappen en verenigingen, WVV…updated on 4 October 2026
• Lent money and not repaid in Belgium: proof, formal notice and court actionLent money and not repaid? It happens to many people who helped out a friend, a relative or an acquaintance in need. Often nothing was…updated on 4 October 2026
• Medical negligence in Belgium: your rights after a medical errorA medical error or a medical accident can have serious consequences for your health, your income and your life. As a patient in Belgium, you…updated on 4 October 2026
• Lawyer Anderlecht: justice of the peace, tenancy and traffic casesLooking for a lawyer for Anderlecht? Novex Advocaten assists residents and businesses in Anderlecht from our office on Avenue Louise (Louizalaan) in Brussels, in English,…updated on 4 October 2026
• Positive saliva drug test in Belgium: your rights at a roadside drug checkA positive saliva drug test at the roadside takes only a moment, but what happens next decides your case. Many drivers assume that a positive…updated on 3 October 2026
• Lawyer in Molenbeek: debt, rent arrears and traffic casesLooking for a lawyer in Molenbeek? If you live in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Sint-Jans-Molenbeek) or run a business there, Novex Advocaten can assist you from our office…updated on 3 October 2026
• How to avoid a driving ban in Belgium or limit it: what can your lawyer achieve?For most clients, the real problem is not the fine but the driving ban. If you need your car to get to work, drop the…updated on 3 October 2026
• Reinstatement exams after a driving ban in Belgium: procedure, costs and preparationA driving ban (verval van het recht tot sturen / déchéance du droit de conduire) does not always end when its term expires. If the…updated on 3 October 2026
• Tenancy law in Belgium: rights and obligations of tenants and landlordsTenancy law in Belgium affects the daily lives of countless tenants and landlords. Since the sixth state reform, residential tenancies have been a matter for…updated on 3 October 2026