Hi all

My dutchie and I are divorcing, and not on friendly terms.

She has chosen a lawyer called "The Divorce Office", who have a 45min "free" intake, then 3 hours for EU1180 by telephone and email, or 10 hours for EU2800. The suggestion is that we see them together.

Questions:
1. Has anyone dealt with them, and what do your recommend?
2. Is this a reasonable price\arrangement? It seems high (even by lawyer standards)
3. Is it better to get my own lawyer (despite the additional cost)?

(Will cross-post in Legal also)

Thanks for any comments or advice.

My 2 cents, having divorced on "not friendly terms" in The Netherlands:
1) always use your own lawyer! ALWAYS, even if it costs you ALL your money, provided you have a guarantee he ((never a "she" if you're a man)) is the best in the business. It will be harsh and mean, but the goal is to WIN and you will loose everything or almost everything in The Netherlands ((please believe me)) if you are soft and hope for a honest partition. It won't happen. The judge will give everything to the woman, even if you are married without community of goods. I know because it happened to me.
2) I don't know the Divorce Office. Is it the English name of "De Echtscheidingsmakelaar" which has frequent ads on telly? If so, I would not trust them personally...

I wish you strength...and success!

No, not the same as the TV ads And I don't own a convertible to contemplate my future in. By the sounds of your experience, he got the convertible and she got everything else.

Any other experiences? A recommended lawyer perhaps (in or around Delft)?

I totally agree with Emilio on this one. I've not got divorced here, but I'd certainly not 'share' a lawyer or you are asking to be taken for a ride.

10 hours at 280 euros eh, nice! Theres this place in London, you can get the top barristers (not solicitors) 'barristers' and some charge 200 pounds an hour. Lincolns inn fields and greys in square ;O) I know they are not in the Netherlands, but in these areas they are the best and also will have experts in all areas of law, including international and possibly dutch. These are the charges you are thinking of accepting?

I know a woman here, a relative of my husband who told me that in court she told the judge that if he allowed her husband to see the kids she would "kill him" If I ever said that in an English court of law I'd expect to be sectioned under the mental health act
I told her this and she said that she'd repeat it over and over until she was heard and
I suggested that by this point not only would she be sectioned, but she'd probably find herself in a padded cell in a straight jacket Nope the oposite happened... amazingly.
The judge stopped the father from seeing his child I always thought she was lieing to me, but from what I hear it happens every days here.....

I am a woman, but this area of law seems very unfair to men.

Thanks, I have let soon-to-be-ex wife know that I will be getting my own lawyer, but given no reason for it. But from everything I have read\heard, even though community property applies, it is very female oriented. Luckily no kids\house involved.

Still, anyone got any suggestions for a lawyer?

your a silly sod if you let it get this far, fighting a divorce will cost you an arm and a leg ....

if she wants a divorce you should let her have one, just go along with her, sign the papers and get
out ...

with no kids or house involved it shouldn't be a problem
get your own laywer and give her what she wants ..
split everything 50/50 .. and tell her to F*$K OFF

its worked for me .... Twice