The availability of social welfare lawyers and other subsidised legal assistance in the Netherlands is facing severe shortages.
Over one-third of the Dutch population qualify for social legal aid based on income, and therefore many social welfare lawyers are now being forced to reject cases due to the overwhelming demand. Access to low-threshold legal assistance is also becoming more and more limited. An assessment of over 900 legal aid offices and advice centres outside the four major cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht) found that only 50 of them are open to walk-ins more than one workday per week.
This shortage is being exacerbated by an aging workforce and a reported lack of new talent. While young lawyers show interest in the area, the resulting conditions of disinvestment has made it difficult to attract them. This government term alone, funding for subsidised legal aid has been slashed by another 12%. The shortage is particularly acute in areas like asylum and refugee law, where 31% of lawyers are over the age of 60, and only one is under the age of 30. This has led to many vulnerable people no longer even trying to seek legal help.
In response to a report which highlighted the shortfall in social welfare lawyers, the Netherlands state secretary for legal protection, Teun Struycken, acknowledged the importance of "a nationwide legal aid network" and announced plans to appoint a coordinator.
Struycken believes it is the responsibility of the broader legal profession to address this issue and encourages greater collaboration between social and commercial lawyers to ensure continued access to justice. A new campaign called "The Social Law Office of the Future" aims to foster collaboration among lawyers and other stakeholder by developing potential partnerships and working on sustainable solutions.
Click here to read more about the shortage of social lawyers in the Netherlands.
Click here to read more about the effect of the aging workforce on the shortage of social lawyers in the Netherlands.