Terms of use and conditions of sale

These terms and conditions (the 'Terms') govern access to and use of the website Avocat20min.be, the associated mobile applications and all services offered on them. Those services are operated by Espero-Soft Informatiques SRL, with registered office at Rue de la Colonne 1A, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (Belgium), registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number BE 1033.022.383 (hereinafter 'Avocat20min', 'the Platform' or 'we').

Avocat20min is an information society service provider within the meaning of Book XII of the Belgian Code of Economic Law. Avocat20min is not a law firm, is not registered with any bar, provides no legal services, gives no legal advice and carries out no activity reserved to lawyers within the meaning of article 428 of the Belgian Judicial Code. All legal services are provided exclusively by the lawyer, in full independence and under the lawyer's sole professional liability.

The agreement between the parties consists of the following documents, in decreasing order of precedence in the event of conflict:

• the order or subscription summary accepted by the user, together with any special conditions attached to it;
• these Terms;
• the Privacy Policy, the Cookie Policy and the Legal Notice;
• for lawyers in the network, the shared professional secrecy undertaking signed on joining.

These Terms supersede any earlier version. They are available at all times on the Site, in a format that allows printing and storage on a durable medium.

• 'Platform' or 'Site': the website Avocat20min.be, its subdomains, mobile applications and technical interfaces.
• 'User': any person who accesses the Platform, whether or not they hold an Account.
• 'Client': the user who orders a 20-minute Consultation or who sends a contact request through the directory.
• 'Consumer': any natural person acting for purposes outside their trade, business or profession, within the meaning of article I.1, 2° of the Code of Economic Law.
• 'Business client': any user acting in the course of their professional activity or that of the company they represent.
• 'Lawyer': a lawyer registered on the roll or on the list of trainees of a Belgian bar, whose Profile appears on the Platform or who takes part in the immediate connection network.
• '20-minute Consultation': the paid service described in Part I, consisting in organising and initiating an anonymised telephone connection of no more than twenty minutes.
• 'Connection fee': the price paid by the Client to Avocat20min for the 20-minute Consultation.
• 'Find a Lawyer' or 'Directory': the free service described in Part II, consisting in publishing lawyer Profiles and allowing contact requests to be sent.
• 'Profile': the public page dedicated to a lawyer within the Directory.
• 'Contact request': the request sent by a Client to a specific lawyer from that lawyer's Profile.
• 'Subscription': the optional paid plan taken out by a lawyer under the Find a Lawyer service.
• 'Account': the user's secure personal area.
• 'User content': any content published or transmitted by a user through the Platform.

Avocat20min operates two separate services, subject to different rules. They may be used independently of each other.

• Service 1, the 20-minute Consultation (Part I): a paid service supplied by Avocat20min to the Client. Avocat20min organises, secures and initiates an anonymised telephone connection with an available lawyer registered with a Belgian bar. The connection contract is concluded between the Client and Avocat20min. The advice given during the call comes from the lawyer alone.
• Service 2, Find a Lawyer (Part II): a directory that the Client may consult free of charge, listing lawyer Profiles and allowing contact requests to be sent to them. Avocat20min is not a party to any contract concluded between the Client and the lawyer and receives no payment from the Client in that respect. On the lawyer's side, the service gives rise to an optional Subscription, governed by articles 22 and 23.

Neither service constitutes legal advice given by Avocat20min, assistance or representation in court, a recommendation of a lawyer, a warranty of competence or an undertaking as to any outcome.

Accessing and using the Platform implies full acceptance of these Terms, of the Privacy Policy and of the Cookie Policy.

For the 20-minute Consultation, the contract is formed between the Client and Avocat20min at the moment the Client confirms the order, after ticking two separate mandatory boxes: acceptance of these Terms, and the express request for immediate performance entailing waiver of the right of withdrawal under the conditions of article 13. Payment is then authorised with the payment service provider. An order confirmation together with a copy of the Terms is sent to the Client by email.

For Find a Lawyer, merely consulting the Directory constitutes acceptance of these Terms. Sending a contact request additionally requires the Client's express consent to the transfer of their contact details to the chosen lawyer or, if that lawyer cannot be reached, to another lawyer on the Platform, and confirmation of their email address.

The applicable Terms are those in force on the date of the order or subscription. The time stamp, IP address, display language and exact wording of the statements accepted are retained as evidence, in accordance with Book 8 of the Belgian Civil Code.

The services are reserved for natural persons of full age (18 years or over) having legal capacity, and for legal entities represented by a duly authorised person. The Client warrants the accuracy of the information provided and undertakes to keep it up to date, in particular their telephone number and email address.

The Account is personal. The user is responsible for keeping their credentials confidential and for all activity carried out through their Account. They must inform Avocat20min without delay of any unauthorised use.

The user undertakes to:

• be reachable on the number provided during the announced connection window;
• treat the lawyer, other users and Avocat20min staff with courtesy, and refrain from any abusive, unlawful or discriminatory remarks;
• not use the services for fraudulent, unlawful, advertising or public policy infringing purposes;
• not impersonate a third party, in particular a lawyer, and not open multiple Accounts in order to circumvent a limit or a decision;
• not disrupt the operation of the Platform, nor attempt to circumvent its security, rate limiting or verification measures;
• not extract, copy or reuse the content of the Directory by automated means, in accordance with article 26.

In the event of a breach, Avocat20min may restrict, suspend or terminate access under the conditions of article 30. Amounts corresponding to services already performed remain due. Each party retains, on equivalent terms, the right to claim compensation for damage it can establish having suffered.

The 20-minute Consultation proceeds as follows:

• the Client describes their situation, selects the area of law and the desired language and, where relevant, identifies the opposing party or parties;
• the Client accepts the Terms, requests immediate performance of the service and authorises payment;
• the Platform successively contacts the lawyers declared available who match the area of law and language requested;
• the first lawyer to accept is connected to the Client through a secure telephone bridge;
• the call ends automatically after twenty minutes.

The allocation of the lawyer depends on their declared availability, the area of law, the language and the order in which lawyers are contacted. It is not based on any assessment by Avocat20min of the lawyer's competence or the quality of their work. Under this service the Client may not require a specific lawyer; a Client who wishes to approach a particular lawyer should use the Find a Lawyer service.

A technical interruption occurring during the call may give rise to an automatic reconnection attempt. The consultation is deemed performed once the conversation between the Client and the lawyer has actually taken place, whatever its effective duration.

The service is offered in French, Dutch and English, subject to the availability of a lawyer practising in the language requested.

The connection fee is 20 EUR including all taxes per consultation, unless a different price is displayed on the order summary before confirmation. In accordance with article VI.2 of the Code of Economic Law, the price displayed to a Consumer is the total price payable, taxes included.

This fee remunerates solely the organisation, securing and initiation of the connection by Avocat20min. It covers neither the lawyer's fees nor any subsequent legal services.

• The amount is authorised on the Client's payment method when the order is confirmed, by way of an authorisation with deferred capture operated by our provider Stripe.
• It is captured only after a call has actually been established with a lawyer.
• No amount is charged if no connection could be established within the time limits set out in article 8, or if the Client cancels the request before a lawyer has accepted it.
• Avocat20min stores no complete card details; these are processed by the payment service provider.
• A receipt or invoice is made available in the Client's personal area.
• For orders placed by a business client through a partner application or a prepaid wallet, the billing arrangements agreed with that partner apply in addition.

A valid promotional code reduces the amount due within the limits and for the period announced when it was issued. It is personal, cannot be combined unless otherwise stated, cannot be exchanged for cash and may be deactivated in the event of abusive or fraudulent use.

Any dispute relating to a payment must be addressed to Avocat20min before initiating a chargeback procedure with the card issuer, so that a swift amicable resolution remains possible.

• Connections take place Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, Brussels time. A request confirmed outside these hours is accepted and handled when the service next opens; the 30-minute period only runs during these hours.
• If a lawyer accepts the request within 30 minutes, the connection takes place immediately.
• Failing that, the request switches to the guaranteed call-back: Avocat20min connects the Client as soon as a lawyer becomes available and, at the latest, by 5pm on the business day following that switch. For the purposes of this article, business days are Monday to Friday.
• If no connection could be established by the end of that period, the payment authorisation is released. No amount is charged and, if a capture had already taken place, a full refund is made using the same payment method within 14 days at the latest.
• The Client may cancel the request as long as no lawyer has accepted it: the authorisation is then released free of charge.
• Where the connection fails because the Client cannot be reached on the number provided, Avocat20min repeats the attempt as far as possible or reschedules the call. If the failure is attributable solely to the Client and no rescheduling is possible, the connection fee may remain due.

These time commitments are reinforced obligations of means, coupled with the full refund described above in the event of failure. They are in no way a warranty as to the content, substance or outcome of the consultation.

The call is established through a secure telephone bridge. The Client's private number is not disclosed to the lawyer and the lawyer's private number is not disclosed to the Client. The conference is limited to twenty minutes.

Calls are not recorded by default. A recording may take place only if the Client has expressly consented in advance, the lawyer being informed. The recording is stored encrypted, access to it is logged, and it is deleted on expiry of the retention period announced in the Privacy Policy. Consent may be withdrawn at any time for the future and deletion of the recording may be requested.

Recording a conversation by one of its participants is lawful under Belgian law, but its communication to and use towards third parties are strictly regulated. A Client who records the call by their own means undertakes to inform the lawyer and to make no use of it that would infringe professional secrecy, privacy or the rights of third parties.

The lawyer may, at their sole discretion, record a note about the consultation on the Platform. That note is encrypted and access to it is recorded in an audit log. It is not written legal advice, a formal opinion or an undertaking by the lawyer, and may not be relied on as such. The absence of a note does not affect the proper performance of the service.

Information communicated by the Client to the lawyer is covered by the lawyer's professional secrecy, sanctioned by article 458 of the Belgian Criminal Code, including where the lawyer ultimately declines the matter. Lawyers in the network have signed a shared professional secrecy undertaking.

Avocat20min staff authorised to access consultation data are bound by a contractual duty of confidentiality. Every access to sensitive data is logged and limited to what is necessary for technical support, fraud prevention or compliance with a legal obligation.

The Client is invited to identify the opposing party or parties. That information is passed on to the lawyer contacted so that they can carry out their own check.

Any technical checks Avocat20min may run on the declared opposing parties are a detection aid and do not amount to a professional conflict check. Verifying the absence of a conflict of interest is exclusively the lawyer's responsibility, in accordance with the rules of their bar. Avocat20min is not liable for an undetected conflict, in particular where the information provided by the Client is incomplete, imprecise or inaccurate.

If the lawyer identifies a conflict, they inform the Client without delay, end the call or refer the Client to a colleague, refrain from using the information received and treat it as covered by professional secrecy. The Client may then request a new connection or a refund of the connection fee.

The Client is informed that the consultation, even limited to preliminary guidance, may prevent the lawyer consulted from later accepting a matter involving the same opposing party. The lawyer will then withdraw, and that withdrawal may not be invoked to contest the service rendered.

There is no relationship of subordination between Avocat20min and the lawyers in the network. Avocat20min gives no instruction as to the content of the advice, exercises no control over the opinion given and does not interfere in the relationship between the lawyer and their client.

In accordance with the professional rules applicable to lawyers registered with a Belgian bar, in particular the prohibition on sharing fees with non-lawyers, the prohibition on soliciting clients and the principle of independence, there is no sharing of fees between Avocat20min and the lawyers in the network. The connection fee remunerates only the technical and commercial service provided by Avocat20min; the lawyer receives no part of it and is not paid by Avocat20min for the first call.

Lawyers in the network take part voluntarily. The preliminary guidance they give during the first call is voluntary and free of charge: it gives rise to no payment by Avocat20min and to no invoicing between the lawyer and the Client for that call.

Each lawyer remains solely responsible for complying with the professional rules of their profession, including those on advertising, soliciting, independence, professional secrecy and insurance. They declare that they are registered on the roll or on the list of trainees of a Belgian bar and are covered by valid professional indemnity insurance. Advice given during the call engages that professional liability alone, and not that of Avocat20min.

The connection service is fully performed as soon as the call is established, that is within minutes or hours of the order. In accordance with article VI.53, 1° of the Code of Economic Law, which transposes article 16(a) of Directive 2011/83/EU, the consumer Client acknowledges, by means of a mandatory tick box separate from acceptance of the Terms, that they expressly request immediate performance of the service and lose their fourteen (14) day right of withdrawal once the service has been fully performed. To the extent that the service involves the supply of digital content, article VI.53, 13° of the same code also applies.

As long as the service has not been fully performed, the consumer Client retains the right of withdrawal and owes, where applicable, only an amount proportionate to what has been supplied, in accordance with article VI.51 of the Code of Economic Law. In practice, since no amount is captured before the call has taken place, exercising the right of withdrawal before the connection entails no cost for the Client.

The time stamp, IP address, display language and exact wording of the statement accepted are retained as evidence.

Clients acting in a professional capacity (B2B) do not benefit from the right of withdrawal provided by consumer law.

If, after the first call, the Client decides to open a file or to continue working with the lawyer, the contractual relationship continues directly between the Client and the lawyer, at the lawyer's office, on fees freely agreed between them. Avocat20min no longer intervenes at that stage.

Avocat20min takes no part in negotiating, setting, invoicing or collecting fees, receives no commission on them and is not a party to the contract between the Client and the lawyer. The fee agreement, the prior cost estimate and the information on how fees are calculated are the lawyer's responsibility, in accordance with article 446ter of the Judicial Code.

The Client is informed that, subject to income conditions, they may be entitled to second-line legal aid from the legal aid office of their judicial district, as well as to judicial assistance for procedural costs. Using Avocat20min does not deprive the Client of any of those rights.

Find a Lawyer is an online directory allowing users to search for lawyers by city, area of law, language and the other criteria stated on the results pages, to view their Profile and, where relevant, to send them a contact request.

Access to the Directory and sending a contact request are entirely free of charge for the Client. No amount is requested from the Client in that respect and Avocat20min receives no commission on any matter subsequently entrusted to the lawyer.

In that capacity Avocat20min acts as an online intermediation service within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 and as a hosting service within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065. It is not a party to the contract between the Client and the lawyer, represents no lawyer and acts on behalf of none of them.

Listed lawyers act in a professional capacity. Protective consumer law rules therefore apply to the relationship between a consumer Client and the lawyer, independently of Avocat20min.

A Profile has one of two origins: either it is created and maintained by the lawyer, after registration or claiming; or it is compiled by Avocat20min from public professional sources, in particular the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises and information made public by law firms.

Processing of the data appearing on an unclaimed Profile is based on the legitimate interest of Avocat20min and of the public in a complete and up-to-date professional directory (article 6(1)(f) GDPR). It concerns professional data only, to the exclusion of any data relating to private life. In accordance with article 14 GDPR, each Profile states the origin of the data and includes a link allowing the lawyer concerned to request its immediate removal.

An unclaimed Profile is flagged as such. It implies no endorsement by the lawyer of Avocat20min's services, does not allow the lawyer to be reached by telephone through the Platform and is not indexed by search engines.

No Profile may suggest that the lawyer is a partner of Avocat20min, recommends its services or has approved the published content, as long as the lawyer has not claimed the Profile.

The information published on a claimed Profile is supplied by the lawyer, who is solely responsible for it and warrants its accuracy, its updating and its compliance with the rules of the profession, in particular as regards advertising and the mention of specialisations.

The information published on an unclaimed Profile comes from public sources and is reproduced as is. It may be incomplete or out of date. Avocat20min warrants neither the completeness of the Directory, nor the accuracy of that information, nor the availability of the lawyer.

The verification badge attests only that Avocat20min checked, on the date indicated, the lawyer's registration with a bar. It is neither an assessment of competence, nor a quality label, nor a recommendation.

The order of display, the badges and the responsiveness indicators do not constitute a recommendation by Avocat20min. The choice of lawyer rests exclusively with the Client, who should check with the relevant bar the registration and any specialisations of the lawyer they intend to contact.

Contact requests are subject to the following rules:

• the Client states the purpose of the request, the area of law concerned and their contact details, and expressly consents to those details being passed on to the lawyer they have chosen or, if that lawyer cannot be reached, to another lawyer on the Platform;
• a verification email is sent to the Client: as long as the address is not confirmed, the request is not forwarded. The verification link expires after 72 hours;
• once verified, the request is forwarded to the chosen lawyer, who has 48 hours to reply or decline;
• if the chosen lawyer cannot be reached or does not reply within that period, Avocat20min may forward the request to another lawyer on the Platform matching the search, or suggest other lawyers for the Client to choose from; the Client is informed by email of any such transfer;
• the Client may withdraw the request at any time and unsubscribe from follow-up messages using the link included in every email.

Forwarding a request creates no mandate, no lawyer-client relationship and no obligation for the lawyer to accept the matter. The lawyer may decline without giving reasons, in particular in the event of a conflict of interest, unavailability or a field outside their practice. Avocat20min warrants neither the lawyer's reply, nor its timing, nor the action taken on the request.

Information passed on with a view to obtaining a lawyer's assistance is covered by that lawyer's professional secrecy, including where they decline the matter. It nevertheless passes through the Platform: at this stage the Client should disclose only what is necessary to assess the request and keep sensitive documents and information for the direct discussion with the lawyer.

The Client must not send fictitious, automated or advertising requests, nor requests intended to solicit the listed lawyers. The number of requests sent from a single address is limited and a manifestly abusive request is not forwarded.

Exchanges relating to a request are retained by the Platform in order to allow the request to be followed up and its handling to be evidenced, for the periods stated in the Privacy Policy.

In accordance with article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 and the transparency obligations of Book VI of the Code of Economic Law, the main parameters determining the ranking of Profiles are published and accessible from every results page. In decreasing order of importance, they are:

• the promoted placement attached to a Subscription, identified as such on the results concerned;
• the Subscription tier of the Profile;
• verification of the lawyer's registration with a bar;
• the completeness of the Profile;
• the immediate availability declared by the lawyer;
• recent activity and responsiveness to contact requests;
• the match with the search criteria entered (city, area of law, language).

Remuneration paid to Avocat20min may therefore influence the ranking and promotion of a Profile. That influence is disclosed. It has no effect whatsoever on the content of Profiles, on the information published on them, on the forwarding of a contact request to the lawyer chosen by the Client, or on the operation of the 20-minute Consultation service.

Avocat20min applies no differentiated treatment in favour of Profiles connected to it: it operates no law firm and holds no interest in any listed firm.

The responsiveness indicators shown on a Profile are calculated automatically from the requests received and the replies given through the Platform. Avocat20min does not publish client reviews on Profiles. Should such a feature be introduced, the measures for verifying the authenticity of reviews required by Book VI of the Code of Economic Law would be announced beforehand.

Any lawyer may claim the Profile concerning them free of charge. Claiming requires the bar registration number, a professional email address and any information establishing the identity of the applicant.

Avocat20min verifies the registration with the bar concerned and may request any additional document. It may refuse a claim, in particular where identity is not established, where the person is not or is no longer registered, or where the request comes from a third party. Any refusal is reasoned and may be challenged in accordance with article 32.

After approval, the lawyer becomes solely responsible for the content of their Profile. They warrant that they hold the rights to the material they publish, in particular their photograph and firm logo, and grant Avocat20min a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence limited to displaying their Profile on the Platform and promoting it on search engines, for the duration of publication.

Any fraudulent claim of a Profile may amount to identity fraud and expose its author to civil and criminal proceedings.

In accordance with article 21 GDPR, a lawyer whose Profile was compiled without their consent may request its removal at any time, without having to give reasons, using the link on the Profile or by email to the address below. Removal is immediate and is not subject to any prior review.

A removed Profile ceases to be publicly accessible. A technical record of the objection is kept, limited to the strictly necessary data, to ensure that the Profile is not recreated during a later data collection.

A claimed Profile is managed from the holder's personal area, from which it may be unpublished or the account closed at any time. Contact requests already received and accounting records are retained for the applicable statutory periods.

The other rights guaranteed by the GDPR, in particular the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction and portability, are exercised in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

This article governs the relationship between Avocat20min and the lawyer, as a business user of the Find a Lawyer service within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150. It supplements the other provisions of these Terms.

Publication of a claimed Profile is free of charge. An optional Subscription, taken out for a renewable monthly or annual period, gives access to the contact details of the requests received, to presentation options for the Profile and to a ranking weight, according to the price list in force on the date of subscription.

The consideration for the Subscription is a visibility and tooling service, invoiced on a flat-rate periodic basis. It is independent of the number, nature, outcome and value of the matters actually entrusted to the lawyer. Avocat20min receives no commission, no percentage and no share of the lawyer's fees, does not intervene in the relationship between the lawyer and their client and carries out no soliciting on the lawyer's behalf. The request quota is a technical usage limit of the service, not the price of a matter.

The lawyer alone decides whether to accept a request. They remain responsible for complying with the professional rules of their bar, including assessing whether their presence in the Directory is compatible with those rules, and it is for them to inform their bâtonnier if they consider it appropriate.

Financial conditions of the Subscription:

• prices are stated exclusive of tax; Belgian value added tax at the applicable statutory rate is added on the invoice;
• the Subscription is invoiced in advance, per period, through our payment service provider;
• any trial period is announced on subscription and ends automatically if the Subscription is cancelled before its term;
• the Subscription renews automatically on each due date, unless cancelled from the personal area before the end of the current period;
• cancellation takes effect at the end of the paid period, without pro rata refund of the period started; requests already unlocked remain accessible;
• an unused request quota is neither carried over nor refunded;
• in the event of a failed payment, the lawyer retains their rights during an announced grace period, after which the Profile is downgraded to the free tier;
• any price change is notified with at least fifteen days' notice, the lawyer being free to cancel without charge before it takes effect.

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2019/1150: these Terms are drafted in plain and intelligible language and remain available at all times, including before subscription; any amendment is notified on a durable medium with at least fifteen days' notice, the lawyer being free to cancel without charge before it takes effect; the grounds that may lead to a restriction, suspension or termination are set out in article 23; the lawyer may at any time export the data of their Profile and the history of the requests they have received.

The lawyer remains free to offer their services through any other channel and on other conditions, including more favourable ones. No parity or exclusivity clause is imposed on them.

Avocat20min may restrict, suspend or terminate the publication of a Profile or access to the service in the following cases:

• removal, striking off, suspension or any other measure affecting the lawyer's registration with their bar;
• absence of professional indemnity insurance;
• inaccurate, misleading information or information contrary to the rules of the profession published on the Profile;
• unlawful content or content contrary to the rules of conduct in article 24;
• repeated failure to respond to forwarded contact requests, impairing the quality of the service provided to Clients;
• persistent non-payment after expiry of the grace period;
• fraud, identity fraud, compromise of the Platform's security or unauthorised extraction of the Directory;
• an order from a competent administrative or judicial authority.

Save where prohibited by law, in cases of established urgency or on the order of an authority, the decision is notified on a durable medium with a statement of reasons, before it takes effect in the case of a restriction or suspension, and with thirty days' notice where Avocat20min ends the relationship in the absence of any breach by the lawyer. The decision may be challenged in accordance with article 32.

On termination, the Profile is unpublished. Amounts corresponding to the current period remain due, except where termination results from a breach by Avocat20min.

The Platform hosts content written by its users: the description of the Client's situation, the lawyer's note, the presentation and biography appearing on a Profile, and the messages exchanged about a contact request.

Users remain solely responsible for the content they publish. They warrant that it is not unlawful, insulting, hateful, harassing, defamatory, discriminatory, sexually explicit, violent or threatening, that it infringes no third-party rights, that it discloses no information covered by professional secrecy or by the secrecy of an investigation, and that it does not constitute prohibited advertising.

Avocat20min applies a zero tolerance policy: no inappropriate content or abusive behaviour is tolerated on the Platform, without exception.

Avocat20min carries out no general monitoring of content and is under no obligation actively to seek facts indicating illegal activity. It acts upon notification or where it obtains actual knowledge of manifestly illegal content.

In accordance with article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065, any user may report content they consider illegal or contrary to these Terms, from the Platform or by email to the address given in article 34. The notice must be sufficiently precise and adequately substantiated to allow the content in question to be assessed and its exact location identified.

Avocat20min acknowledges receipt of the notice and examines it as soon as possible, and at the latest within twenty-four hours of receipt where it concerns manifestly illegal content or abusive behaviour.

The measures that may be taken are removal of the content, restriction of its visibility, unpublication of a Profile, suspension of the author's Account or its permanent closure, without prejudice to any civil or criminal action. They give rise to no refund of amounts corresponding to services already performed.

In accordance with article 17 of the same regulation, the author of the content and, where applicable, the author of the notice receive a statement of reasons for the decision taken together with information on the redress available. Any decision may be challenged with Avocat20min in accordance with article 32, without prejudice to the right to bring proceedings before the competent courts.

Users may also block another user. Blocking prevents any new connection between them.

All elements of the Platform, in particular texts, illustrations, photographs, logos, trade marks, databases, structure and source code, are protected by copyright, trade mark law and neighbouring rights. Any unauthorised reproduction, communication, adaptation, extraction or exploitation is prohibited.

Users enjoy a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable and revocable right of use, strictly limited to using the services in accordance with these Terms.

The Directory constitutes a protected database. Any extraction or re-utilisation, qualitatively or quantitatively substantial, of its contents, as well as any repeated and systematic extraction of insubstantial parts, is prohibited, including by means of robots, site rippers, scripts or any other automated process. This prohibition applies without prejudice to copyright and to the sui generis database maker's right laid down in Book XI of the Code of Economic Law.

Use of the Platform's content for training artificial intelligence systems is prohibited without prior written authorisation. Avocat20min expressly reserves its rights as regards text and data mining, within the meaning of the provisions of Book XI of the Code of Economic Law transposing article 4 of Directive (EU) 2019/790.

Users who publish User content grant Avocat20min a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to reproduce and communicate that content, solely for the purpose of operating the services and for the duration of its publication.

The processing of personal data is described in the Privacy Policy and in the Cookie Policy, which form an integral part of these Terms.

Avocat20min acts as controller for the operation of the Platform. The lawyer acts as a separate controller for the data they receive and process in the course of their assignment, under the supervision of their bar and in compliance with their professional secrecy.

The most sensitive consultation data are encrypted, access to them is logged and retention periods are set out in the Privacy Policy.

Any question or request relating to data may be sent to info@espero-soft.com. Users may lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority, rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels.

Avocat20min uses reasonable means to keep the Platform accessible, without warranting uninterrupted or error-free operation. Interruptions may occur for maintenance, update or security reasons; as far as possible they are announced and scheduled outside peak periods.

The Platform depends on third-party providers, in particular for hosting, payment, email delivery and telephony. A failure by one of them may affect the provision of the service.

Neither party is liable for a failure resulting from an event of force majeure within the meaning of Belgian law, in particular a general outage of telephone operators, the failure of an essential provider beyond its control, a measure imposed by an authority, a natural disaster, armed conflict or a pandemic. Where force majeure prevents a 20-minute Consultation from being performed within the time limit of article 8, Avocat20min refunds the connection fee in full. If the event continues for more than thirty days, either party may terminate the ongoing contract without compensation.

Avocat20min is bound by an obligation of means in providing its services. In particular, it is not liable for:

• the content, quality, accuracy, relevance or consequences of the advice given by a lawyer;
• a lawyer's refusal to accept a matter, for whatever reason;
• the accuracy of information originating from public sources or supplied by the lawyer on their Profile;
• the lawyer's failure to perform their professional or ethical obligations;
• the consequences of inaccurate, incomplete or late information provided by the Client;
• the content and consequences of exchanges taking place directly between the Client and the lawyer outside the Platform.

The services do not replace a consultation at a law firm, do not constitute formal legal advice and have no interrupting or suspending effect on statutory time limits, in particular limitation, foreclosure or appeal periods. The Client remains solely responsible for identifying and complying with those time limits. In an emergency, it is for the Client to contact a lawyer or the competent court directly.

Subject to mandatory provisions, in particular those protecting consumers, and excluding wilful misconduct, gross negligence and damage resulting from harm to life, physical integrity or health, Avocat20min's liability is limited: for the 20-minute Consultation, to the amount of the connection fee received for the consultation concerned; for Find a Lawyer, to the amounts paid by the lawyer concerned during the three months preceding the event giving rise to liability. This limitation does not apply where the law prohibits it and does not have the effect of depriving a consumer Client of compensation for damage caused by a fault of Avocat20min.

To the extent permitted by law, indirect damage, loss of a chance, loss of opportunity, loss of profit, reputational harm and the consequences of the expiry of a statutory time limit are excluded.

The Client and the lawyer are liable, on equivalent terms, for damage they cause to Avocat20min, in particular through non-compliant use of the services.

Nothing in these Terms limits the professional liability of the lawyer, which is covered by their compulsory insurance and falls under the supervision of their bar.

The Account is opened for an indefinite period. Users may close it at any time from their personal area or by writing to info@espero-soft.com. Closure entails the deletion of the associated data, subject to the retention periods imposed by law, by professional rules or by the need to establish a legal claim.

Avocat20min may suspend access to the services or close an Account in the event of a serious breach of these Terms, abusive or fraudulent use, non-payment, conduct harming a lawyer, another user or Avocat20min staff, or on the requisition of a competent authority.

Save in cases of urgency, legal prohibition or an order from an authority, the decision is reasoned and notified to the user, who may challenge it in accordance with article 32. Any 20-minute Consultation in progress at the time of suspension is dealt with under the refund rules of article 8.

Avocat20min may develop its services, their features and its prices, in particular for technical, regulatory or economic reasons.

Any substantial change to these Terms or to prices is published on the Site and notified by email at least fifteen days before it takes effect. That notice period is extended to thirty days where the change affects an ongoing Subscription.

The Terms applicable to an order are those in force on the date of that order. Continuing to use the services after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of it. Failing acceptance, the user may close their Account or cancel their Subscription free of charge before that date.

Successive versions of the Terms are archived; a copy of the version applicable to a given order is provided on request.

Any complaint should be sent to info@espero-soft.com with a precise description of the problem and, where applicable, the reference of the order or request concerned. Avocat20min acknowledges receipt within five working days and provides a reasoned reply within thirty days.

Complaints from lawyers, as business users, are handled through the same process. As at the date of these Terms, Avocat20min is a small enterprise within the meaning of article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 and is therefore not required to operate a formal internal complaint handling system or to designate mediators. It nevertheless undertakes to handle any complaint in good faith and within the time limits stated above.

Failing an amicable solution, a consumer Client may refer the matter free of charge to the Consumer Mediation Service (FPS Economy), boulevard du Roi Albert II 8, 1000 Brussels, contact@consumerombudsman.be, www.consumerombudsman.be. The European online dispute resolution platform was discontinued on 20 July 2025; the list of national out-of-court dispute resolution bodies remains available on the European Commission portal.

Any complaint concerning a lawyer's services, in particular their fees, their diligence or their compliance with professional rules, falls to the bâtonnier of the bar with which the lawyer is registered, and not to Avocat20min. The contact details of the bar concerned appear on the lawyer's Profile or may be obtained from AVOCATS.BE or the Orde van Vlaamse Balies.

These Terms, the Privacy Policy, the Cookie Policy and the order summary constitute the entire agreement between the parties in relation to the services and replace any prior exchange on the same subject.

If a provision of these Terms is held void or unenforceable by a competent court, it is deemed unwritten and replaced by a valid provision of equivalent economic effect; the remaining provisions remain fully effective.

The fact that a party does not rely on a breach by the other party does not constitute a waiver of its right to rely on it later.

Avocat20min may assign these Terms, in particular in the context of a reorganisation or a transfer of business, provided that the assignment does not reduce the guarantees enjoyed by the user. Users may not assign their rights and obligations without Avocat20min's prior written consent. Avocat20min may use subcontractors and remains responsible towards users for the performance of the service.

Save where mandatory law provides otherwise, all communications relating to an order, an Account or these Terms take place electronically to the address provided by the user, who must keep it up to date.

These Terms are available in French, Dutch and English. In the event of a difference of interpretation, the French version prevails, except where the user is a consumer who contracted in one of the two other languages, in which case the version in that language prevails.

Avocat20min's computer records, connection logs and time stamps constitute evidence between the parties until proof to the contrary, in accordance with Book 8 of the Civil Code.

These Terms are governed by Belgian law. A consumer Client also benefits from the protection afforded by the mandatory provisions of the law of the country of their habitual residence, in accordance with article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 (Rome I).

Any dispute falls within the jurisdiction of the courts of the judicial district of Brussels. A consumer Client retains the right to bring proceedings before the court of their domicile.

For any question relating to these Terms, write to info@espero-soft.com or to Espero-Soft Informatiques SRL, Rue de la Colonne 1A, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium.