General terms and conditions

1. These general terms and conditions apply to all services of Jef Feyaerts BV (hereinafter “Feyaerts Law”), with registered office at Mortselsesteenweg 151, 2100 Antwerp and company number 1017.899.885. They also apply to its lawyers, directors, employees and other auxiliary persons. Only Feyaerts Law is the client’s contracting party. These terms take precedence over those of the client, unless a director of Feyaerts Law accepts a deviation in writing. Feyaerts Law provides them before or at the start of the engagement. They form part of the agreement as soon as the client accepts them or gives instructions after having received them. Amendments apply only to future services and are communicated in advance.

2. Feyaerts Law generally designates one or more lawyers as permanent contact person. It may add other lawyers to the team where this is useful or necessary for the services and may have services performed by way of subcontracting by lawyers of other firms, including in the case of particular expertise or foreign law.

3. The client provides Feyaerts Law in good time with all information and data necessary to handle the matter. Where necessary, the client adds the supporting documents. The client is responsible for the accuracy, legibility, completeness and reliability of everything it provides, even where Feyaerts Law is able to verify the information or data.

4. Where the law, the professional conduct rules or any other obligation require a prior or additional client due diligence, the client provides all requested information, documents and supporting evidence. This applies in particular under the Act of 18 September 2017 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing and on the restriction of the use of cash. In the absence of cooperation, Feyaerts Law may terminate its services. The client remains liable for the services already provided and the costs already incurred.

5. Feyaerts Law calculates its fees on the basis of the time spent and the hourly rate of the lawyer performing the work. Rates are exclusive of VAT, unless stated otherwise. Third-party costs, such as those of a notary, bailiff or translator, publications, court registry fees and travel, are charged separately, either directly or through Feyaerts Law. At the start of the engagement, Feyaerts Law informs the client of the hourly rates and the calculation of costs; the client may request that information again later free of charge. Feyaerts Law may adjust its rates periodically, in principle each year in September, and may request an advance payment. In the event of late payment of an advance or an invoice, it may suspend its services or terminate the engagement, subject to its professional conduct obligations. It generally invoices monthly. Feyaerts Law invoices are payable to fee account BE76 0019 9609 4995, unless otherwise stated in the payment instructions on the invoice.

The client must notify any objection to an invoice to Feyaerts Law in writing within 15 days of the invoice date. If the client fails to do so in time, the invoice is deemed accepted. Each invoice is payable on the fifteenth day after the invoice date. Where Feyaerts Law acts for several parties in the same matter, each party must be able to pay the full invoiced amount, including costs and interest. This applies irrespective of the party or parties to whom Feyaerts Law issues its invoice, how it allocates the amount and what capacity the parties have or what their mutual relationship is. If a client who is not a consumer does not pay an invoice or pays it late, it owes interest without prior notice of default in accordance with the Act on combating late payment. In addition, it owes fixed damages of 10 % of the unpaid amount. As soon as one invoice has not been paid on time, all other invoices also become immediately payable.

If a consumer client does not pay on the due date, Feyaerts Law first sends a free payment reminder on a durable medium stating the outstanding balance, the possible compensation, the service concerned, the due date and the period for payment without charge. If the client does not pay within 14 calendar days, Feyaerts Law may charge interest up to the rate under the Act of 2 August 2002 on combating late payment in commercial transactions. In addition, fixed compensation applies of a maximum of EUR 20 for a balance up to EUR 150; EUR 30 plus 10 % of the amount above EUR 150 for a balance up to EUR 500; or EUR 65 plus 5 % of the amount above EUR 500, with a maximum of EUR 2,000. In the case of electronic dispatch, the period starts on the following calendar day and, in the case of dispatch by post, on the third working day. Upon request, the client receives the supporting documents and information on contesting free of charge. In the event of non-payment by Feyaerts Law, equivalent compensation applies to the consumer client.

6. By way of derogation from Article 6.3, §§ 1 and 2 of the Civil Code, the client may not bring any non-contractual claim against Feyaerts Law or its auxiliary persons, including lawyers, directors, employees, self-employed collaborators and subcontractors. Against Feyaerts Law it may only bring a contractual claim. Its liability and that of its lawyers towards the client or third parties for damage, loss or costs arising from the services, an act or an omission is limited to what the professional liability insurer actually pays out, except in the case of wilful misconduct or fraud. In the absence of any payment by the insurer, liability is limited to what the client paid in the preceding year.

The collective policy of the Orde van Vlaamse Balies provides the standard cover and applies worldwide, except for claims before a court of, or under the law or jurisdiction of, the United States or Canada. The client may request a copy of the policy conditions free of charge; the policy is taken out through Vanbreda Risk & Benefits (Plantin en Moretuslei 297, 2140 Antwerp). The auxiliary persons may also rely on this limitation. Feyaerts Law performs its engagement with care, but does not guarantee any result. Advice is based on the information provided by the client and on the law at the time of the advice. It may be used only for the intended matter and purpose; third parties may not rely on it without prior written consent.

7. Feyaerts Law may terminate its services for any reason compatible with the applicable professional conduct rules. It may also do so if, after the start of the engagement, unexpected circumstances arise which make the continued provision of services considerably more difficult or impossible. The client may terminate the engagement in writing at any time. In both cases, the client must pay for the services provided and the costs incurred before termination. The client also pays for the services and costs necessary to transfer the file.

8. Feyaerts Law takes reasonable measures against viruses and other harmful files in its emails and attachments. The client remains responsible for the security of its computers and IT environment. Feyaerts Law is not liable for damage caused by its electronic communications. It may use artificial intelligence, including Large Language Models (LLMs), for its services. In doing so, it respects professional secrecy and the rules on personal data, protects client data with reasonable technical and organisational measures and verifies the results. If the client itself uses an AI application or LLM that does not sufficiently protect confidential information or personal data, it does so at its own responsibility.

Data entered may be stored, processed, shared or used for training and may thus reach third parties. By entering information covered by the professional secrecy of Feyaerts Law, the client may itself break that confidentiality. Feyaerts Law is not liable for damage resulting from such use.

9. Feyaerts Law processes clients’ personal data for its legal services, client management, accounting and direct marketing. Depending on the purpose, this processing is based on the performance of the agreement, a legal obligation or a legitimate interest. Feyaerts Law only transfers personal data and only retains it for as long as this is necessary for those purposes. The client has the right of access, rectification, erasure and objection. The client may also lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority.

The client is responsible for the accuracy of the personal data it provides. It must comply with the GDPR in respect of the persons whose data it provides to Feyaerts Law and in respect of the personal data it receives from Feyaerts Law or its collaborators. Further information can be found in the data protection policy on the website. For questions, the client may make contact via jef@feyaertslaw.be or +32 476 85 46 39.

10. Complaints may be submitted in writing via jef@feyaertslaw.be. Feyaerts Law deals with every complaint as quickly as possible. If no solution is reached, the client may turn to the Consumer Ombudsman Service where applicable or, for a complaint about the practice of the profession, to the competent president of the Bar. Feyaerts Law is subject to the professional conduct rules of the Orde van Vlaamse Balies and of the competent local Bar. These rules may be consulted on the websites of those Bars.

11. If a provision of these general terms and conditions is wholly or partly invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply. The invalid or unenforceable provision is replaced by a valid provision which comes as close as possible to its purpose.

12. Only Belgian law applies to the relationship between the client and Feyaerts Law. For disputes with clients who are not consumers, only the courts of Antwerp, Antwerp division (Belgium), have jurisdiction. Feyaerts Law may also bring a claim before the courts of the domicile or registered office of that client. For consumer clients, the mandatory statutory rules on jurisdiction apply.

version August 2026