Foreign lawyers
Foreign lawyers registered on the EU-list are not only subject to the rules of their home Bar, but also to the rules of professional conduct (hereafter: Codex) to which Flemish lawyers registered on the list of trainees or the Tableau are bound (double deontology).
You can download the compiled Deontology Codex OVB-NOAB [here].
Please note that the following obligations do not apply to B-list lawyers.
Third party or escrow account
The Codex obliges every lawyer to have a third party or escrow account registered in their own name or in the name of the law firm where they are practising (art. 30 Codex). This account must be used to pay and receive sums on behalf of clients other than lawyer’s fees and expenses.
Third party or escrow accounts can be opened at any bank that has concluded an agreement for this purpose with the Brussels Bar or the OVB (Order of Flemish Bars).
The agreement provides that the accounts will not earn any interest and that the President of the Bar (Stafhouder) is entitled to inspect the accounts and the movements thereon.
Moreover, the account number of the third party or escrow account should be mentioned together with the contact details of the lawyer in question on the website of the OVB (www.advocaat.be).
Every year before the end of February, every lawyer is obliged to file a report on their third party account. A manual in English on third party or escrow account reporting can be found [here].
Foreign lawyers practising in Belgium may be exempt from the obligation of maintaining a Belgian third party or escrow account if they have such account in their home State and if this account is supervised by their home Bar (art. 140bis Codex).
Continuing professional development
Lawyers registered on the EU-list of the Brussels Bar are obliged to obtain 20 points of continuing professional education every judicial year.
VIA (Institute for Continued Education of the Brussels Bar) organizes webinars and seminars throughout the year on various aspects of law and skills of all kinds which enable lawyers to act as professionally as possible. You can find an overview of all courses and seminars on the members section of the website www.advocaat.be > voor de advocaat (for lawyers) > applicaties (applications) > opleidingsinstituut (training institute) > opleidingsaanbod (training overview).
The Order of Flemish Bars
The Order of Flemish Bars can award credits for certain courses and lectures taken in the foreign home country. Lawyers can submit an application for recognition on the members section of the website www.advocaat.be > voor de advocaat (for lawyers) > applicaties (applications) > opleidingsinstituut (training institute) > dien een aanvraag in (submit an application).
For all questions regarding continuing professional development credits, seminars and applications for recognitions, please contact opleidingen@ordevanvlaamsebalies.be or permanente.vorming@ordevanvlaamsebalies.be.
For all other questions regarding continuing professional development at the Brussels Bar (Dutch speaking section), please contact permanentevorming@baliebrussel.be.
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