Terms of Service
19 August 2026
Article 1. Definitions
Janus means Janus Law, a sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 42129724, with its business address at Bankastraat 4, 2585 EN The Hague, The Netherlands.
Jurist means the founder or professional working under the Janus trade name.
Client means the natural person, company, organization, or institution entering into an engagement with Janus.
Engagement means the agreement for services between Janus and the Client.
Services means legal information, legal advice, advisory, case assessment, document review, legal and policy research, drafting, training, strategic support, and other services expressly agreed in writing.
Matter means the issue, project, application, case, or assignment for which the Client instructs Janus.
Third Party means a person or organization other than Janus or the Client.
Written includes email and secure digital communication.
Article 2. Applicability
These General Terms and Conditions apply to every offer, engagement, service, invoice, and other legal relationship between Janus and the Client.
Any Client terms, purchase conditions, or other terms are excluded unless Janus expressly accepts them in writing.
If an engagement letter, proposal, or fee agreement conflicts with these Terms, the engagement letter, proposal, or fee agreement prevails for that specific engagement.
Janus may amend these Terms. The version applicable is the version provided to the Client before or at the time the Engagement is accepted, unless a later version is agreed in writing.
Article 3. Nature and Scope
Janus provides legal and professional services as a lawyer’s office (juristenkantoor). Janus is not a law firm regulated as an attorney’s office (advocatenkantoor).
Janus may provide legal advice, immigration and mobility advice, assistance with administrative procedures, document preparation, policy and legal research, and other Services within its expertise and legal authority.
Janus does not provide services that are reserved by Dutch law to an attorney (advocaat), civil-law notary, bailiff, or other regulated professional. Janus will not represent the Client in court or conduct litigation where legal representation by an advocaat is required, unless Janus expressly arranges collaboration or referral to an appropriately qualified professional and the Client agrees in writing.
Janus does not guarantee a visa, residence permit, naturalization decision, appeal outcome, grant, funding decision, court decision, or any other outcome by the IND, municipality, court, embassy, employer, educational institution, or other authority.
Janus will use reasonable professional care and make best efforts in performing its Services. An Engagement is an obligation of effort (inspanningsverbintenis), not an obligation to achieve a particular result.
Unless expressly agreed in writing, Janus’s Services do not include:
Filing an objection, appeal, application, or other formal document on behalf of the Client.
Monitoring statutory deadlines after a matter has been completed.
Attending hearings, interviews, or appointments.
Acting as authorized representative.
Paying government fees, translation costs, expert fees, or third-party costs.
Advice on tax, financial, criminal, employment, family, or corporate law outside the agreed scope.
Article 4. Accepting an Engagement
An Engagement is formed when Janus confirms acceptance in writing, including by email, or begins the agreed work after receiving the Client’s clear instruction.
Janus may require identity verification, proof of authority to act, proof of legal residence or status where relevant, and information necessary to comply with legal, insurance, anti-fraud, sanctions, or professional obligations.
Janus may decline or end an Engagement where:
The matter falls outside Janus’s expertise, capacity, or professional role.
A conflict of interest exists or may arise.
The Client does not provide required identification, documents, instructions, or payment.
The Client provides incomplete, misleading, fraudulent, or unlawful information.
Continuing would create legal, ethical, safety, reputational, or professional concerns.
A referral to an attorney (advocaat) or another specialist is necessary.
Article 5. Client Responsibilities
The Client must provide complete, accurate, current, and truthful information and documents in a timely manner.
The Client must immediately notify Janus of any new facts, correspondence, deadlines, changes in address, changes in immigration status, changes in family or employment circumstances, decisions by authorities, or other circumstances relevant to the Matter.
The Client remains responsible for all decisions, declarations, applications, signatures, submissions, deadlines, and communications made in the Client’s name unless Janus expressly agrees otherwise in writing.
The Client must not submit, use, or ask Janus to rely on false, altered, misleading, forged, or unlawfully obtained documents or information.
The Client must review all drafts, translations, forms, and submissions carefully before use and must confirm their accuracy where requested.
Janus may suspend or end the Services if the Client does not meet these responsibilities. The Client remains liable for fees and costs incurred up to that point.
Article 6. Communications and Confidentiality
Janus will treat information received from the Client as confidential, subject to applicable law, professional obligations, the Privacy Policy, and the need to involve approved Third Parties in delivering the Services.
Janus may share information with an interpreter, translator, accountant, IT provider, insurance provider, co-counsel, expert, or other Third Party only where reasonably necessary for the Engagement and subject to appropriate confidentiality and data-protection arrangements.
The Client authorities Janus to use ordinary communication channels, including email, telephone, videoconferencing, messaging, and secure cloud-based systems, unless the parties agree a different secure method in writing.
Email and internet communication involve security risks. Janus will take reasonable precautions but cannot guarantee that electronic communication is fully secure, uninterrupted, or error-free. The Client should not send highly sensitive documents through un-encrypted email unless Janus has confirmed that this is appropriate.
Janus may communicate with a person who appears reasonably authorized by the Client, but may request written authority where necessary.
Confidentiality does not apply where disclosure is required by law, a court order, a regulator, an insurer, or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Article 7. Personal Data and Sensitive Information
Janus processes personal data in accordance with applicable data-protection law, including the GDPR, and the Janus Privacy Policy.
Immigration and legal matters may involve special-category personal data or highly sensitive personal information. Janus will process such information only where necessary for the agreed Services and where a valid legal basis applies.
The Client must use the secure method indicated by Janus for sharing passports, residence documents, medical records, criminal-record information, asylum narratives, or other highly sensitive records.
The Client confirms that they have a lawful basis to provide Janus with personal data about any Third Party, such as a family member, employer, sponsor, colleague, witness, or employee.
Janus may refuse to accept or retain documents that are not necessary, cannot be handled securely, or create a legal or ethical concern.
Article 8. Fees, Expenses, and Payments
Fees are agreed in the engagement letter, proposal, quotation, website price list, or other written communication. Janus may charge: an hourly rate; a fixed project fee; a consultation or combination of these.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, fees are exclusive of VAT, government fees, courier costs, translation or interpretation costs, travel, accommodation, expert fees, and other third-party expenses.
Janus may request an advance payment or retainer before starting work, continuing work, submitting documents, or booking a consultation.
Janus may invoice periodically and may charge for work already carried out, including consultations, review of files, research, drafting, communication, administration, and meetings.
Invoices must be paid within 14 days of the invoice date, unless another payment period is stated in writing.
If payment is late, Janus may suspend Services after giving notice. The Client may also owe statutory interest and reasonable extrajudicial collection costs in accordance with Dutch law.
Janus may adjust hourly rates or standard fees prospectively by giving reasonable notice. Fixed fees already agreed for a defined scope will not change unless the scope, facts, urgency, or Client instructions materially change.
Where the Client instructs Janus on behalf of another person or entity, both the instructing party and the Client may be jointly and severally liable for payment, unless agreed otherwise in writing.
Article 9. Third Parties, Referrals, and External Costs
Janus may recommend or engage a Third Party—such as an attorney (advocaat), translator, interpreter, tax adviser, expert, mediator, or local counsel—only where necessary or appropriate for the Matter.
Unless Janus expressly agrees otherwise in writing, any Third Party is engaged directly by the Client. The Client is responsible for that Third Party’s fees, terms, and work.
Janus is not liable for the acts, omissions, advice, availability, fees, or outcomes of a Third Party, except where mandatory law provides otherwise.
A referral to an attorney (advocaat) or other specialist does not mean Janus remains responsible for that professional’s work or for the Matter after the referral, unless the parties expressly agree otherwise in writing.
Article 10. Deadlines and Urgent Matters
The Client must inform Janus of all relevant deadlines before requesting Services.
Janus will make reasonable efforts to meet deadlines that it has expressly accepted in writing. However, Janus is not liable for a missed deadline caused by late instructions, missing information, technical failures, authority processing times, or circumstances outside Janus’s reasonable control.
For urgent or time-sensitive matters, the Client must obtain written confirmation from Janus that Janus has accepted the urgency and can meet the relevant deadline.
The Client remains responsible for meeting deadlines unless Janus expressly confirms in writing that it will submit a particular document by a particular date.
Article 11. Liability
Janus maintains professional-liability insurance appropriate to its activities, where available and applicable.
Any liability of Janus arising from or connected with an Engagement is limited to the amount paid out under Janus’s professional-liability insurance for the relevant claim, plus any applicable deductible paid by Janus.
If, for any reason, no payment is made under the professional-liability insurance, Janus’s total liability is limited to the fees paid by the Client for the relevant Engagement in the 12 months before the event giving rise to liability, with a maximum of €25,000.
Janus is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, including lost income, loss of opportunity, loss of profit, reputational damage, emotional distress, business interruption, penalties imposed by Third Parties, or loss resulting from a decision made by a public authority or another Third Party.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited under Dutch law.
Any claim against Janus must be notified in writing as soon as reasonably possible and, in any event, within 12 months after the Client became aware, or reasonably should have become aware, of the facts giving rise to the claim.
Article 12. Ending the Engagement
The Client may end the Engagement at any time by giving written notice.
Janus may end the Engagement by giving reasonable written notice. Janus may also end the Engagement with immediate effect where this is necessary because of non-payment, a conflict of interest, missing or misleading information, unlawful instructions, loss of trust, abusive conduct, a serious data-security risk, or another compelling reason.
Ending the Engagement does not affect the Client’s obligation to pay fees and expenses incurred up to the end date and clauses that are intended to continue after termination, including confidentiality, data protection, payment, liability, complaints, and dispute-resolution provisions.
At the end of an Engagement, Janus will take reasonable steps to return original documents where appropriate and will retain a file in accordance with Article 13.
Article 13. File Retention
Janus retains client files for 7 years after the end of the Engagement, unless a longer or shorter period is required or justified by law, insurance requirements, the nature of the Matter, or a written agreement.
After the retention period, Janus may securely delete or destroy the file without further notice.
The Client is responsible for retaining original documents, copies of applications, proof of submission, and important authority correspondence unless Janus expressly agrees in writing to retain originals.
On request and subject to payment of outstanding invoices and applicable law, Janus may provide the Client with a digital copy of the file or relevant documents.
Article 14. Complaints
Janus aims to provide careful, accessible, and professional services. If the Client is dissatisfied with the Services, the Client should first raise the concern with Janus as soon as possible.
Complaints may be submitted free of charge in writing to:
Janus Law
Omer Hamed
Bachstraat 670, 2324 Leiden, The Netherlands
info@januslaw.nlA complaint should include the Client’s name and contact details, the Matter reference if available, a clear description of the complaint, and any relevant supporting documents.
Janus will acknowledge receipt within 5 working days and aims to provide a substantive response within 4 weeks. If more time is needed, Janus will explain why and provide an expected response date.
Janus will handle complaints confidentially and fairly. Submitting a complaint does not suspend the Client’s obligation to pay undisputed invoices.
If the Client is not satisfied after the internal complaint process, the parties will first attempt to resolve the dispute through consultation or mediation. Nothing in this clause limits the Client’s right to bring a matter before a competent court.
Article 15. Intellectual Property
Janus retains all intellectual-property rights in its advice, templates, reports, training materials, research, proposals, methodologies, and other work product, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
After full payment, the Client receives a non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the work product solely for the Client’s own internal and agreed purpose.
The Client may not publish, distribute, reproduce, modify, or share Janus work product with Third Parties without Janus’s prior written consent, except where necessary for the agreed Matter or required by law.
The Client remains responsible for ensuring that documents, information, and materials supplied to Janus do not infringe third-party rights.
Article 16. Force Majeure
Janus is not liable for delay or failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including illness, incapacity, Cyber incidents, internet or power failures, strikes, government action, war, public-health emergencies, natural disasters, failure of Third Parties, or disruption of authority systems.
If force majeure continues for more than 30 days, either party may end the affected part of the Engagement in writing. The Client remains responsible for fees and expenses incurred before termination.
Article 17. Application Law and Jurisdiction
Dutch law applies to every Engagement and these General Terms and Conditions.
Disputes will be submitted to the competent Dutch court in the district where Janus has its principal place of business, unless mandatory law requires otherwise.
If these Terms are translated, the English version prevails in the event of a difference of interpretation, unless Janus expressly agrees otherwise in writing.