Why hire a lawyer for an MVV application?

Are you wondering why you should hire a lawyer for an MVV application? After all, there are legal agencies that are often cheaper than a lawyer. Am I getting value for money? And surely you can arrange it yourself?

Do it yourself

You can certainly arrange it yourself. You may have already done a search with scattered information in different places; on e.g. internet forums where you come across conflicting messages about the conditions, documents and procedures. Telephone inquiries with the IND also do not always lead to further insights on specific issues. There is also quite a bit of paperwork involved in the application process. Incorrectly filled out forms can sometimes lead to rejection.

Then it is good that you have found this website, because here everything is bundled. Furthermore, on this website you will get tips free of charge on how to handle this yourself. We have created forms and checklists that you can download and fill out on your computer. Please read the pages of this website carefully.

If you cannot figure it out, you can contact us for a free consultation. If, on second thought, you still find it too complicated, we can guide the process for you.

Professional guidance: lawyer or advisor?

There are legal offices that guide MVV applications. Often these are cheaper than a lawyer. A lawyer is also a legal expert. So why use a lawyer anyway?

Laws and rules always provide the most guidance in a procedure, such as an MVV or residency application. The advantage of a lawyer is that they know the laws and rules. An experienced professional has already dealt with many different situations. As a result, there should be no misunderstanding about the route to follow, the conditions and the required papers.

The only problem is that the professional's knowledge and experience are far from measurable. Are there success stories? Am I getting value for money? Here are a few relevant points:

1. Anyone can call themselves legal counsel, even if they are not trained to do so. The legal profession is a protected profession. It is a criminal offense to unauthorizedly impersonate a lawyer. There have been many cases in immigration law of legal advisors defrauding their clients by making false promises and charging a lot of money for this. We still receive regular reports about MVV consultancies that do not respond to anything after receiving their money.
2. All lawyers are registered with the Bar Association. They must abide by rules of conduct, which are written primarily to protect the interests of the client. To oversee this, all lawyers are subject to disciplinary law. Lawyers who cross the line can be reprimanded, suspended and even struck off.
3. Lawyers are obliged to keep their knowledge up to date by attending annual training and courses. In addition, under future rules, they may only call themselves 'specialists' if they are affiliated with a recognized specialization association that sets measurable quality requirements for its affiliated lawyers. This is to monitor the quality of service.

Tips for making the right choice

So how do you make the right choice when looking for a professional to guide an MVV or residency application? Of course, not all factors are normative, but there may be certain characteristics that contribute to the credibility of the professional to a greater or lesser extent:

• Are there success stories? Someone can shout so loudly that he is the best, but who agrees with him? Are there rave reviews on the Internet about the professional's services or complaints? Customer appreciation is a good indicator.
• Who is the professional anyway? Is it a consulting firm without names and faces of people working there? Or is everyone known by name? Is the agency only reachable by phone or email, or is there also a visiting address? Perhaps also a point to consider.
• What about prices/fees? There are legal advisors, but unfortunately also lawyers who dare to charge up to thousands of dollars for a relatively simple procedure like an MVV application. At the other end of the spectrum, there are agencies that charge very low prices. The question, of course, is: what do you get in return? Rates of thousands of euros do not provide any guarantee of quality. Very low rates can also raise questions about what is included in the service (and what is not).

It is usually a combination of the above factors that can help in forming an image of a professional's reliability.

Why Delissen Martens?

Delissen Martens advocaten is a medium-sized law firm in The Hague, with about 30 lawyers working within various disciplines. The firm has a long tradition and good reputation in the field of immigration law. The lawyers are well attuned to each other and work as a team when necessary. Immigration law often interfaces with family law, corporate law, employment law or criminal law. Delissen Martens has all this expertise in-house.

Delissen Martens devotes continuous attention to improving the quality of its services. Client evaluations are public. Clients rate us an average of 9.2.

Attorney Jeroen Maas has specialized in immigration law since 2001 and has successfully handled many hundreds of applications. Jeroen is a board member of the Specialist Association Migration Lawyers, one of the few specialty associations with the seal of approval of the Dutch Bar Association.

Delissen Martens applies transparent prices for the guidance of MVV and residence applications. These prices are very competitive because of the long experience with such applications and the resulting efficient working method.

Are you interested in having your MVV or residence application assisted? Please contact us without obligation.