How can the notary be made accessible to everyone?

People with limited means or with debts rarely visit a notary. Yet, it's also important for them to have their affairs properly documented or to receive legal advice. The Royal Dutch Association of Civil-Law Notaries (KNB) therefore advocates for a more accessible notarial profession and is already taking steps in that direction.

This is the view of legal advisor Madeleine Hillen-Muns of the Royal Dutch Bank (KNB) in the article "The Notary for Everyone" (pdf) in the Debt Restructuring Journal. In it, she explains why a large group of Dutch people never visit a notary and what can be done about it.

Cultural, social and economic capital
To exercise your rights, you need cultural, social, and economic capital: some knowledge of your rights, people around you who can help you, and enough money to pay for the services of a notary.
For those who don't have this, or have limited access to it, notaries are difficult to reach. Socialist Party MP Michiel van Nispen wants to change this with his initiative bill for a social notary service .

Legal assistance
The Royal Dutch Notary Association (KNB) applauds Van Nispen's initiative and has already taken steps to improve the accessibility of notarial services. For example, we are collaborating with Steffie.nl to provide accessible information about bequests and inheritances to a vulnerable target group. The KNB also plans to offer training courses that will better equip notaries to communicate with vulnerable citizens, such as those with low literacy.
To make notaries more financially accessible, the Royal Dutch Bar Association (KNB) advocates incorporating notarial legal assistance in family matters under the Legal Aid Act.

You can read the full article 'The notary for everyone' here (pdf)