Procedures
Kantonrechter and rechtbank split by value, with no general duty of disclosure
Civil procedure is governed by the Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering. Claims up to EUR 25,000 — plus employment, tenancy and consumer-credit disputes whatever their value — go to the kantonrechter, where a party may appear without a lawyer; everything else goes to the rechtbank.
Key rules
- The kantonrechter hears claims up to EUR 25,000 and all employment, tenancy and consumer-credit cases regardless of value.
- Representation by an advocaat is compulsory before the rechtbank but not before the kantonrechter.
- Appeal to the gerechtshof must be lodged within three months, and is excluded where the claim is below EUR 1,750.
- Cassation to the Hoge Raad lies on points of law within three months.
- The ordinary limitation period is five years from knowledge of the damage, subject to a twenty-year long-stop under article 3:310 BW.
Governing law
- Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering (Rv)
- Burgerlijk Wetboek (art. 3:310)Five-year limitation with a twenty-year long-stop
- Wetboek van Burgerlijke Rechtsvordering (art. 332)Appeal threshold of EUR 1,750
In practice
There is no general obligation to disclose documents. A party wanting material held by the other must make a targeted request under article 843a Rv identifying specific documents and a legitimate interest, so a fishing expedition is not available. Proceedings are opened either by writ of summons (dagvaarding) served by a deurwaarder or, for many kantonrechter matters, by petition. The KEI digitalisation programme was largely rolled back, so practice remains substantially paper-based outside specific pilots.