Version applicable as of 01.11.2026

Method for Calculating Expenses and Fees and General Terms and Conditions of
BV ADVOCATENASSOCIATIE LM&DS
Registered under Crossroads Bank for Enterprises No. 0894.715.033

Unless specifically agreed otherwise (e.g. value rate or flat fee), to be agreed upon in writing on a case by case basis, the expenses and fees of LM&DS are set as follows:

1. The services of LM&DS shall be charged as expenses on the one hand, and as fees on the other.

The expenses shall consist of specific costs imputed to a case, and fixed and variable office costs which cannot be imputed specifically and are distributed objectively over all cases. LM&DS does not provide pro bono (pro deo) services.

All amounts are exclusive of VAT.

1. The following costs will be charged:
   • Opening of the case file (fixed fee of € 55.00/file unless LM&DS is consulted fewer than two working days before a session or a deadline, in which case this fixed fee amounts to € 250.00/file)
   • Correspondence (€ 11.00 per page)
   • Typing (procedural documents – pleading, summons, inventory, petition to the court, etc. at € 13.00 per page)
   • Registered mail (€ 25.00)
   • Photocopy (€ 0.40 per page, except for specific copy for third parties at actual price)
   • E-mails (€ 9.00 per page)
   • Consultation of national register (€ 15.00)
   • Financial transaction (€ 2.00)
   • Court fees and related costs
   • Kilometre allowance (€ 0.50/km), in principle to be charged by the fastest route
   • Attendance (time spent waiting at a court session or elsewhere, travel time, at € 125.00/h)
   • Not specifically imputable costs (spreading of office costs over the cases, e.g. cost of office and infrastructure, utilities, bank costs, library, subscriptions, online service, etc.) at 7.5% of the fee.
2. The fees are charged per registered time unit of the lawyer(s) in charge of the case (practitioner) and/or case manager(s). The basic fee varies between € 155.00 and € 210.00/h depending on the qualification of the practitioner. For cases in which the person paying the invoice is a consumer, the basic fee is reduced to an amount between € 130.00 and € 180.00/h, depending on the qualification of the practitioner.

The fee can be adapted to the consumer price index by LM&DS and will be adjusted every January 1st of the new calendar year according to the formula = basic fee x new index/starting index. The starting index is that of April 2022. The new index figure is that of the month of November prior to the adjustment.

As at 01.01.2026, our hourly rates were indexed as follows:

Partners:

• Basic rate companies € 187, indexed € 210
• Basic rate consumers € 160, indexed € 180

Associates:

• Basic rate companies € 160, indexed € 180
• Basic rate consumers € 139, indexed € 155

Trainee lawyers:

• Basic rate companies € 139, indexed € 155
• Basic rate consumers € 118, indexed € 130

1. The Client agrees that LM&DS, under its responsibility, may call upon lawyers who are not permanently attached to the firm to perform specific tasks (e.g., postponement of the court date).
2. For a case in which the lawyer must represent the Client before a court, commission or authority, the lump-sum minimum fee amounts to € 250.00.
3. LM&DS undertakes to submit, at reasonable intervals, either interim invoices or retainer invoices with a description of the file status and mention of the registered fees, registered costs and advanced expenditures, on the one hand, and the already-made payments, on the other. After termination of the assignment for whatever reason, the Client shall reimburse LM&DS for the services provided and costs incurred up to and including the effective date of termination.
4. All invoices are payable within 15 days after sending.

For companies: as of the due date, the invoices shall be increased by a conventional interest rate equal to the interest rate specified in Article 5 of the Act on combating late payment in commercial transactions, and by an additional compensation of 10% on the invoice amount.

For consumers: if the invoice has not been paid on the due date, the Client is called upon, via letter or e-mail, to settle the invoice within 14 calendar days. The 14-day period begins on the third day after the reminder is sent, respectively one day after sending when the reminder is transmitted electronically. The reminder costs amount to € 7.50, plus the postal charges.

If the invoice is not paid after 14 calendar days, the Client shall owe late-payment interest equal to the interest referred to in Article 5 (2) of the Act of 2 August 2002 on combating late payment in commercial transactions. The late-payment interest will commence as of the calendar day following the day on which the first demand was sent to the Client. Moreover, the Client shall owe liquidated damages that are equal to:

• € 20 if the balance due is less than or equal to € 150;
• € 30 increased by 10% of the amount owed on the tranche between € 150.01 and € 500 if the balance due is between € 150.01 and € 500;
• € 65 increased by 5% of the amount owed on the tranche above € 500 with a maximum of € 2000 if the balance due is greater than € 500.

Any clause that is in conflict with the provisions of Book XIX of the Code of Economic Law C.E.L. "Debts of the consumer" shall not entail the invalidity of the clause, but will be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of the above-mentioned Book XIX.

1. In all cases covered by legal expenses insurance, the insurance company and the Client shall be jointly and severally liable to pay the expenses and fees. In cases involving more than one client, each Client is jointly and severally liable to pay the expenses and fees.
2. Any comments on invoices must be formulated within 15 days, failing which they will no longer be taken into consideration. LM&DS is the first point of contact for complaints. Should you be unable to reach an agreement, you can contact the Bar Association (Orde van Advocaten) of the province of Antwerp (Keizerstraat 20, 2800 Mechelen, T: +32 15 32 90 63, F: +32 15 21 21 35). However, you always retain the right to initiate legal proceedings.
3. In the event of non-payment of an invoice, LM&DS shall be entitled ipso jure and without prior notification to suspend its future activities. In the event of non-payment or late payment of an invoice, all other invoices shall ipso jure become due and payable.
4. The courts of the district of Antwerp, section Mechelen, and the Justice of the Peace of the subdistrict of Mechelen have jurisdiction for any dispute regarding invoices or the collection thereof.

This is without prejudice to the possibility of making use – by mutual agreement to be given at the moment itself – of the possibilities provided for in Articles 54 et seq. of the Codex of the Bar Association of the Province of Antwerp, i.e. reconciliation, mediation or assessment.

1. The liability of LM&DS shall be limited to the coverage and the ceiling of the insurance policy taken out by its lawyers through the Bar Association (Orde van Advocaten).
2. In the event that one of the above provisions should be deemed to be invalid, the others shall remain valid.