Criminal defence · Belgium
Find a theft lawyer in Belgium who knows your district
A theft allegation in Belgium moves quickly, and the file is often being built before anyone tells you what it contains. Tell us where you are and what has happened, and we match you with a lawyer who handles theft cases in that district and in the language of its courts.
- Lawyers whose practice includes theft files in the Belgian criminal courts
- Matching by judicial district and by the language of the proceedings
- Free matching — fees are agreed directly with the lawyer
Free · No obligation · First response usually within 24–48h
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
When a theft file is opened
Someone to stand between you and the file
A theft allegation in Belgium can reach into several parts of your life at once: a police interview, a summons, an employer asking questions, an insurer requesting documents. The earlier a clear defence strategy begins, the more calmly the file can be examined — what is actually alleged, which court is dealing with it, in which language the proceedings are conducted, and what evidence the other side holds. Our matching service is free and takes a few minutes: you describe the situation, and we match you with a theft lawyer in Belgium whose practice covers your district and the language of its courts. The lawyer then advises you directly on your rights and the next steps. We do not decide your case; we make sure you do not face it alone.
Belgian context
How theft cases and legal representation work in Belgium
Belgium is a federal state in the civil law tradition, and criminal cases are heard within its ordinary judiciary. Two features shape almost every practical decision: the country is divided into judicial districts with their own courts, and the language of a case is fixed by the territory in which it is heard. The notes below set out how that works and what it means for the lawyer you choose.
The courts that hear a criminal case
Criminal cases in Belgium belong to the ordinary judiciary, whose highest instance is the Court of Cassation. The country is divided into five judicial areas — Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège and Mons — subdivided into 12 judicial districts, each with a court of first instance. Fifteen police tribunals sit at the base and the most serious crimes go before one of the 11 assize courts.
The language your case is heard in
The language of judicial proceedings follows the territory and is governed by the Law of 15 June 1935. Proceedings run in Dutch in the Flemish districts, in French in the Walloon districts and in German in the judicial district of Eupen. Brussels-Capital is bilingual: the introductory document is drawn up in French or Dutch according to the defendant’s domicile, and the case is heard by the corresponding language section.
Who is allowed to represent you
Registration with a Belgian bar is compulsory in order to practise. The profession is organised into two national bars split by language community: AVOCATS.BE for the French-speaking and German-speaking bars, and the Orde van Vlaamse Balies for the Dutch-speaking bars. Qualification requires a Belgian master’s degree in law, the oath before a Court of Appeal, a three-year traineeship and the CAPA or BUBA aptitude examination.
Paying for a defence
Lawyers’ fees in Belgium are freely agreed between lawyer and client: there are no binding official tariffs and the lawyer is an independent professional. Legal aid works in two lines. First-line legal aid is a free initial consultation open to everyone, with no income condition. Second-line legal aid assigns a lawyer to a case, free or partly free according to means, with thresholds indexed in September 2024.
What a ruling can mean for costs
Cost recovery in Belgian litigation is not a full ‘loser pays’ system. Since the Law of 21 April 2007, the losing party owes the winning party a statutory procedural indemnity (indemnité de procédure) — a fixed lump sum set by Royal Decree of 26 October 2007 under Article 1022 of the Judicial Code and scaled to the value of the claim. A successful party usually still bears part of its own lawyer’s fees.
Every country-specific statement on this page comes from official Belgian and European sources — the European e-Justice portal, AVOCATS.BE, the Belgian Federal Public Service Justice, the Judicial Code, the Civil Code and the Law of 15 June 1935 — with legal aid thresholds as indexed in the Moniteur belge of 2 September 2024.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Belgium
- AVOCATS.BE — Becoming a lawyer in Belgium
- Belgian Federal Public Service Justice — Legal aid
- Law of 15 June 1935 on the use of languages in judicial matters
- Belgian courts — Procedural indemnity (indemnité de procédure)
- Belgian Civil Code — limitation periods
- Law of 3 July 1978 on employment contracts
- Judicial Code — appeal periods
- Law of 28 April 2022 — action for nullity of a contract
What people bring to us
The first weeks of a theft file are the hardest to navigate alone
Most people arrive with the same three worries: not knowing what is alleged, not knowing which court is involved, and not knowing what any of it will cost.
A file opened without warning
A letter arrives, or an officer explains that a file has been opened, and you are left guessing what the other side already holds. In Belgium the court and the language of a case follow the district, so the first questions are very concrete.
Not knowing which court, or which language
Belgian proceedings run in Dutch, French or German depending on the territory, and Brussels-Capital works in both French and Dutch. A lawyer who is at ease in that language and that court avoids avoidable friction later.
Cost worry before anything else
Fees are freely agreed with the lawyer and there is no official tariff, so the first conversation should cover how the work will be billed. First-line legal aid is free and open to everyone, whatever your income.
How the matching works
What you get when you send us your situation
We are not a law firm and we do not decide cases. We introduce you to a lawyer who already works with files like yours.
Practices that handle theft files
We match you with lawyers whose day-to-day work includes theft files before the Belgian criminal courts, so the first conversation starts from your facts rather than from a general overview of the law.
Matched to your district and language
Because the language of proceedings is fixed by judicial district, we look for a lawyer who practises before the relevant court and works in the language in which your case will be heard.
Free, and without obligation
Describing your situation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. You decide whether to instruct the lawyer you are introduced to, and fees are then agreed directly between the two of you.
A first response in 24–48 hours
You send the essentials — what is alleged, where the case is being handled, any document you have received — and we come back with a matched lawyer, usually within one or two working days.
Also available in
Cross-border help across Europe
If your case crosses a border, or you live outside Belgium, we can also look for representation in the following countries.
Questions we are asked
Theft cases in Belgium: practical answers
Do I need a theft lawyer in Belgium if the police have already questioned me?
In Belgian criminal proceedings the defendant has the right to be assisted by a lawyer, and representation is in principle required before the courts of first instance and the courts of appeal. A lawyer can review what the file contains and advise you before any further step you take. A free first-line consultation is open to everyone in Belgium, so an initial conversation carries no cost.
Which court in Belgium will deal with a theft case?
Criminal cases belong to Belgium’s ordinary judiciary, headed by the Court of Cassation, which reviews the lawfulness of decisions but does not re-judge the facts. The territory is divided into five judicial areas — Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Liège and Mons — and 12 judicial districts, each with a court of first instance. Fifteen police tribunals sit at the base and 11 assize courts hear the most serious crimes.
In which language will my case be conducted?
The Law of 15 June 1935 determines the language by territory. Proceedings are conducted in Dutch in the Flemish districts, in French in the Walloon districts and in German in the judicial district of Eupen. Brussels-Capital is bilingual: the introductory document is drawn up in French or Dutch according to the defendant’s domicile and the case is heard by the corresponding language section of the court.
Can I get free legal help in Belgium?
Yes, in two forms. First-line legal aid is a free initial consultation delivered through the legal aid commissions and is open to everyone without an income condition. Second-line legal aid assigns a lawyer to your case, free or partly free depending on means: indexed in September 2024, a single person below €1,582 net monthly income qualifies for fully free aid, and a household below €1,884. Dependants raise these thresholds.
How are lawyers’ fees set in Belgium?
Fees are freely agreed between the lawyer and the client; Belgium has no binding official tariff and the lawyer is an independent professional. Where a civil claim is decided by a court, the losing party pays a fixed procedural indemnity rather than the winner’s full fees, so a successful party usually still bears part of its own costs. Agree the basis of billing before instructing.
What does your matching service cost?
Nothing. You describe your situation, we look for a lawyer who handles theft files in the relevant Belgian district and language, and we introduce you. There is no fee for the match and no obligation to instruct, and the average first response takes 24 to 48 hours. Fees are then agreed directly with the lawyer you choose.
Next step
Tell us what happened and we will find the right lawyer
Describe the situation in a few lines — where in Belgium the case is being handled, what you have received and what worries you most. We match you free of charge with a lawyer whose practice covers theft cases in that district and in the language of its courts.