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Areas of practice

Law of persons & family law

The law of persons and family law are a part of civil law. They deal with parentage, births, marriages and divorce as well as other matters related to family relationships and the status and powers of persons.

It thus governs the rights and obligations arising from the family relationship, marriage or civil partnership. But aspects of these rights and obligations can sometimes cause problems… Feel free to contact us for assistance or advice. 

Marriage, registered and de facto cohabitation

Marital difficulties, divorce

Marriage settlements — contracts

Parentage

Adoption

Parental authority, under-age status

Judicial protection of incapable adults

Succession law

Succession law is that part of civil law that governs inheritance or succession.  This branch of law determines what happens to a person’s possessions and debts when he or she dies.

We can provide you with advice and assistance in such matters.

Inheritances: liquidation / distribution of inheritances

Gifts and wills

Contract law

Contract law is that part of civil law that governs agreements or contracts. It regulates, for example, the duration and termination of agreements, whether or not they were validly concluded, their scope with respect to other persons, and other. Correct compliance is also monitored.

Does the purchased good meet expectations or are there defects? Was payment late or not in full? Did either party not comply (fully) with the arrangements? We can examine this together with you.

Purchasing and selling

Rental and leasing

Agricultural lease, exchange, deposit

Debt collection, recovery

Suretyship

Deposit

Mandates

Loan agreement

Property law

A right in rem refers to a right attached to a thing or other good. A right in rem is in contrast to a personal right that is related to the person. The right in rem continues to be associated with the thing, regardless of who owns it. It is different from a personal right, that can only be enforced against a specific person.

Characteristic of property law is that it concerns proprietary rights offering a certain degree of control over a good. Ownership provides the rightholder with far-reaching powers. More limited control over property includes the right of usufruct, easements, the right of superficies, ground lease, the right of pledge and mortgage, and apartment right. Here again we have the necessary specialisations to represent your interests.

Easements

Usufruct

Managing joint-ownership, apartment ownership

Nuisance caused by neighbours, Rural code

Right of superficies

Right of ownership

Privileges and mortgages

Building and construction contract law

Building law/construction contract law is the totality of legal rules that aim to regulate and ensure construction processes. Building law provisions are partly public-law in nature, when they concern urban planning, and partly private law, where agreements between client, architect and contractor are concerned.

Many dream of building or renovating. For contractors and architects, the challenge is to realise their client’s dream. Unfortunately, this dream sometimes turns into a nightmare: the client’s expectations are not met, a contractor goes bankrupt, the contractor and/or architect are not paid as agreed… Construction problems often lead to a lawsuit, resulting in an appraisal by a court-appointed expert. Assistance from an experienced lawyer is needed. We can help.

Contractor, architect liability

Purchasing and selling

Construction of real estate

Examination by an expert

Buying on plan

Criminal & liability law

Criminal law is the totality of rules of law that establish which conduct is considered punishable, which penalties are imposed on such behaviour, and by which means punishment can be realised. Criminal law is therefore the (negative) sanction of certain behaviour (an act or an omission).

In addition to punishing those who committed offences, there are also the interests of those who were the victims of the offences. They may claim compensation in legal proceedings for the damage they suffered at the hands of the offender(s).

Liability law concerns the obligation to bear the adverse effects of a particular event. One can be held liable on the basis of a contract concluded (contractual liability) or on the basis of a non-contractual relationship (non-contractual liability).

If one is held liable for damage that took place, the claimed amounts can be very high. As is often the case, here too seeking advice early can prevent a lot of misery. So be sure to contact us in time.

Criminal defence

Civil interests

Contractual liability

Handling claim files

Insurance law

Insurance law is the totality of legal rules that determine the relationship between the insurer and the policyholder and/or the insured. Legally required car insurance, legal expenses insurance, family insurance, fire insurance, sickness and invalidity insurance, guaranteed income insurance, occupational accident insurance, business insurance… Insurance affects almost every aspect of your social life.

We have many years of expertise in these matters and act on behalf of insurers as well as policyholders. For example, insurers may refuse cover in various cases (non-payment of the premium, acknowledgment of liability by the insured, damage not covered under the policy…). Also an insurer may recoup from the insured the amounts it paid to a third party, for example in the case of drunkenness, deliberately concealing information, etc. This is not always lawful and should be verified. On the other hand, an insurance company may be confronted with a fraudulent declaration. Or in the context of legal assistance insurance, sometimes assistance by a lawyer must be provided to the insured.

Family insurance

Car insurance

Fire insurance

Occupational accident

Commercial, economic & company law

Commercial law is the totality of legal rules regarding the obligations of traders arising due to their profession. These rules can refer to the taking up and/or organising of an economic activity, or the production and distribution of goods and services.

The rules of commercial law are spread across civil law, social law, commercial law, economic law regarding a number of independent professions, administrative law, constitutional law and tax law. There are also trade-related laws that do not apply only to traders. Where commercial law falls under private law, economic law falls under public law. These are the totality of rules of law that concern government intervention in economic life.

Agreements

Competition

Business continuity & bankruptcy

Consumer law

Product liability

Shareholders agreements

Director liability

General terms and conditions, and invoices

Acquisition of assets

Transferring shares

Private international law

Private international law is the branch of law that determines in an international situation which court of which country is competent, which law should be applied by the competent court, and how other countries may recognise and enforce such a court judgement (international procedural law). It consists of international treaties, European regulations, but mainly of national law.

This branch of law may be more useful than you might think. In the case of a car accident in France or a ski accident in Austria, for example, you are confronted with it even before you know it. We can then assist you.

Parentage disputes

Divorce with an international component

Tax law

Tax law comprises the totality of rules on levying and collecting taxes. Tax law touches all areas of society. Personal income tax is levied on your total income: income from work as well as income from your bank balances, shareholdings, real estate… When confronted with a death, you will be faced with the payment of inheritance taxes. If you buy property, you are required to pay registration duties. If you set up a company in the course of your professional career, this company will be subject to corporation tax. If you buy a car, you are required to pay motor vehicle tax. VAT will be owed on most of the purchases you make.

In short, you are exposed to different types of taxation on a daily basis. We are available to answer your questions on tax matters.

VAT

Customs & excise duties

Tax regularisations

Registration duties

Taxes

Tax proceedings

Labour law and social law

Labour law is the branch of the law that regulates the relationship between an employer and an employee. An employee is someone who undertakes, by means of an employment contract, to work under the authority of the employer in return for a wage.

Labour law includes, for example, the rules to be respected when drawing up an employment contract (for blue-collar as well as white-collar workers), but also for terminating the employment contract (notice of termination, severance pay, dismissal for urgent cause, mass redundancies, etc.). These regulations can also apply in the case of work-related accidents. Labour law is composed of individual and collective labour law, and is an integral part of social law.

Social law governs, among others, your legal status as an employee or self-employed person, as well as the resulting social contributions associated with this status. It is a complex matter in which we can assist you.

Collective and individual labour law

Occupational accident