Rates, discounts and monetary transactions

1. Remuneration and relationship

Not all notaries are the same. Our clients and staff know that. So be careful not to compare apples and oranges.

We strive to provide cost-conscious, high-quality services. We recognize the need to manage your notarial services budget and that our charges should represent value for money. We believe our fee structure is reasonable and competitive, and that our rates are commensurate with the value we add. Our goal is to maintain a lasting relationship with our clients based on the quality we provide and the corresponding fees.

We are transparent about our fees and our billing system. We publish this information openly on our corporate website. This doesn't apply to all civil-law notaries. We are honest. We don't let our fees fluctuate depending on the moment, and our transparency prevents surprises on your invoice or bill.

We don't aim to be the cheapest notary. Nor is it our strategy to lure you in with low rates and then charge you significant sums for all sorts of unmentioned expenses. That's not our style.

We would appreciate hearing from you after a case has been completed to let you know if you are satisfied with the quality and level of service provided, and to ensure that everything you requested has been carried out correctly. After your case has been processed, we invite you to take a satisfaction survey and encourage you to leave an online review.

2. Contractor

The formal contractor for assignments is MAES Notaris BV, a private limited liability company, statutorily established in Rotterdam and with its registered office at Verploegh Chasséplein 1, 3134 BZ Vlaardingen, registered in the Chamber of Commerce under number 24255497. The purpose of this company is to practice civil-law notaries. MAES Notarissen and Basisnotarissen Rijnmond are trading names of MAES Notaris BV. The practice is conducted by MAES Notaris BV.

3. Client

Anyone who accepts our quote or receives the order confirmation is considered the client, the principal. If an order is placed by multiple people, each of them is jointly and severally liable for payment of the invoice for our work. If the order is placed by a natural person on behalf of a legal entity, the order is deemed to have been placed by the natural person as well.

4. Content of assignment

The assignment concerns the preparation and passing of notarial and/or private deed(s) and the provision of notarial advice, or the rendering of other related services, as specified in the assignment agreement with quotation or as resulting from the order confirmation.

We will regularly inform you online about the progress of the assignment and any special circumstances via our automated file progress workflow. If, during the assignment, something unexpectedly doesn't go as planned, we appreciate it if you contact us as soon as possible so we can discuss the matter.

For our terms and conditions, customer survey, privacy statement, rates, compliments and complaints, notarial language, frequently asked questions, code of conduct and integrity, and other information about MAES civil-law notaries and our services, please visit our website.

5. Project and risk management

We always keep in mind that risk and return are correlated. We strive to minimize risk for our clients and maximize returns.

When executing an assignment, we utilize project management methodologies, applications, and data systems specifically developed for these services, such as Microsoft 365, Notarisdossier, Twinfield, Xelion, and Nextens. A dashboard provides us with insight into the assignment's workflow, allowing us to respond quickly and accurately as needed. This reduces the risk of errors.

Our online services demonstrate our ambition to stay ahead of the curve and embrace change. We offer our clients—also in compliance with current privacy regulations—a digital My Notary File via a client portal and utilize automated document assembly. My Notary File is a secure service, available anytime, anywhere, for file management, communication, and collaboration. This allows clients to access their files online 24/7, 365 days a year, from home, the office, or even their vacation address. They can, just like us, download and upload documents within this digital environment. Automated document assembly provides clients with shorter, more cost-effective production times, as well as consistent documentation.

6. Remuneration system

Based on time spent and applicable rate

At MAES civil-law notaries, we are flexible in our billing approach. We determine the fee structure in advance in consultation with the client. Our fees are generally based on the actual time spent on the case and the time we administer (per 6-minute time unit) multiplied by the applicable hourly rates.

Alternative remuneration structures

We are prepared to use alternative fee structures such as a blended rate , a fixed fee , a capped fee, a retainer , the value-based fee structure or - for non-official work - the no cure no pay arrangement.

Blended rate
A blended rate is an average agreed-upon hourly rate, calculated based on our estimate of our employees' time spent multiplied by their hourly rates. If higher-skilled staff is required, the blended fee will be higher. If lower-skilled staff is required, the blended fee will be lower.

Fixed fee (fixed price)
The fixed fee is a fixed fee for a specific type of work, for which we can generally estimate our time commitment fairly accurately. We factor in a risk premium in the fixed fee.

Capped fee (limited price)
With a capped fee, the compensation is limited to an agreed-upon ceiling, for example, for a specific phase. If we reach that amount, we will stop our work unless the Client instructs us to continue the work at a new capped amount.

Retainer
A retainer (a payment in advance) is an advance payment that, to limit the Client's risk of default, must be paid to the Contractor prior to the performance of the work. A retainer is generally considered an additional incentive to provide a specific service, but in no way guarantees a final result. If the total time spent by the Contractor multiplied by the applicable rates threatens to exceed the budget for which a retainer has been granted, the Contractor will consult with the Client regarding the continuation of the work, the budget to be allocated for it, and the size of a new retainer.  

Value based (added value)
The value-based remuneration structure is a remuneration structure in which the Client determines in advance with the Contractor what the expected, also quantitatively determined, added value of the Contractor will be for the Client and what compensation is appropriate for this.

No cure no pay
With the no-cure-no-pay arrangement, the Contractor is prepared to take over the Client's risk for certain types of work in return for a premium.

Subscriptions
We offer annual subscriptions for certain services.

7. Agreement of assignment (with a quotation) or an order confirmation

For each assignment we place with you, we will first send you a contract (with a quote) or an order confirmation and/or refer you to our general terms and conditions and our corporate website. This will specify the terms and conditions and the fee, including any costs we may incur on your behalf with third parties, under which we accept the assignment. The contract or order confirmation is binding. The quote accompanying the contract is valid for three months. If no contract has been agreed upon and no order confirmation has been sent to the client, our work is deemed to have been performed based on the provisions of our general terms and conditions and on this website.

8. Usual and unusual activities

In notarial practice, the terms "customary work" and "uncustomary work" are frequently used. You can expect us to perform the customary work for the quoted price.

If, in a specific case, unusual work or additional work is required in our sole discretion, or if it is performed for or at the request of the customer, this work will be invoiced additionally. We will only invoice for unusual work if we were not reasonably aware of it at the time of issuing the quotation or order confirmation, and if we could not reasonably have foreseen it.

It may also be the case that more or different advances are due and/or more sales tax is due than was reasonably known to us or could reasonably have been foreseen by us at the time the contract was drawn up or at the time the order confirmation was sent.

This means that the amounts stated in the quotation accompanying the contract or in the order confirmation are the amounts charged on the invoice or settlement statement. However, it is also quite possible that the amounts on the invoice or settlement statement are higher if, in a specific case, unusual work, in our sole discretion, proves necessary or is performed for or at the client's request, or if more disbursements are due, or if more VAT is due.

This means that a difference may arise between the amounts stated in the quotation (as part of the contract) or order confirmation and what you actually owe us according to the invoice or settlement statement.

9. Our approach

Our goal is to handle your case as efficiently and structured as possible. We want to avoid endless back-and-forths on the phone or via email. We aim to request and receive all necessary information from you in one go. Therefore, we expect you to provide us with the requested information and documents as quickly as possible upon our first request, and to cooperate cooperatively. This allows us to work faster and at a lower cost, and to continue offering our clients our competitive rates. Our clients appreciate this. And so do we.

10. Step-by-step plan

In many cases, when handling a case, our step-by-step plan, the process progress or workflow, can be divided into six phases as follows:

1. Client and case acceptance phase

You request us directly or through an intermediary (for example, your real estate agent, mortgage advisor, lawyer, tax advisor, accountant or bank) to handle a case for you and/or you request us, before we handle or have handled the case, to enter into an agreement with a quotation for the services you require from us.

We will confirm the assignment or send you our agreement with the quote by email. In such cases, we will first contact you by phone before drafting a (partially automated) agreement to ensure we can properly execute the assignment and do no more or less than you may expect. The quote, along with other attachments, is attached to an emailed agreement with a written explanation of the requested service(s).

If you do not request a contract with a quote in advance and an order confirmation suffices, you can find information on our corporate website and in our general terms and conditions about the usual and unusual activities and the rates and conditions we apply.

2. File start-up phase

Due to our required quality standards, efficiency reasons, and strict privacy regulations, we use the online My Notary File as much as possible. My Notary File allows us to exchange documents securely. You will receive a login from us at the email address you provided, allowing you to log in to your personal online My Notary File, which we created for you in the client portal. The client portal is accessible from the homepage of our website. If you prefer not to use the online My Notary File and would prefer to receive everything by mail or email, please let us know, and we can accommodate this under certain conditions.

3. Questionnaire phase

When you open a file, you will often receive a questionnaire from us. We will schedule a meeting and/or schedule the signing appointment to have the documents signed at our office—or outside the office upon request—in the presence of a notary. After receiving the fully completed questionnaire from the parties and uploading the documents requested, we can analyze the information, provide targeted advice, and prepare the required documentation. If there is an urgent matter or we need to observe a strict deadline, please let us know as soon as possible so we can schedule an appointment and act accordingly. The time required for signing the deed at our office is included in the fee. All other substantive discussions (including telephone discussions), including assistance with completing the questionnaire if you are unable to complete it yourself, will be charged at the applicable hourly rate.

4. Treatment phase

After you have reviewed the written explanation of the requested service(s) and uploaded the completed questionnaire, we will prepare the draft deed(s) and accompanying documentation. We will upload the draft documentation, including the draft deed(s), to the online My Notary File for you and – in a separate online environment – for other parties or interested parties (including intermediaries) as far in advance of the agreed execution date as possible. Should any unexpected and unforeseen delays occur during the processing of your file, for example, because we are dependent on third parties who are delaying their response, we will inform you accordingly.

After you've reviewed the draft documentation we've prepared, please let us know if you agree or if you require any adjustments. Always include the file number in all correspondence. If anything is unclear or you require further consultation, please feel free to contact us by phone. We're happy to help.

5. Passing phase

The deeds are executed on the agreed date at our office—or, by arrangement, outside the office at one of our other locations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or The Hague, or at your home, hospital, nursing home, hospice, etc. The parties are physically present or represented by a proxy, often an employee of our office.

6. Post-work phase

We then process the file. This means that we enter all deeds in our repertory, register them, update the registers (such as the Central Register of Wills, the Central Register of Living Wills, the trade register kept by the Chamber of Commerce, registers kept by the Land Registry, etc.), place a copy of the deed(s) in the online My Notary File for you, and, in the case of real estate files, file the declaration and payment of transfer tax, handle the financial transactions, and ensure that expired mortgage registrations are cancelled. We bind the original deed, seal it, and store it securely in the minute safe where we keep the deeds for you for twenty years. We then transfer the minute deeds to a secure storage location elsewhere in the country where your deed will be kept indefinitely. After the deed is executed, the online My Notary File remains fully accessible to you via your own login, so you can consult all the documents in that secure digital safe whenever and wherever you wish. You are, of course, free to print and archive the documents yourself.

Finally, we invite you to participate in a short satisfaction survey.

January 1, 2026

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All amounts, rates and fees are exclusive of disbursements and 21% sales tax, unless expressly stated otherwise.

We will itemize the disbursements and sales tax for you in the invoice or settlement statement and, if known or foreseeable in advance, in the quotation.

Our rates may be revised annually on January 1st.

If a fixed fee (fixed fee) applies, our offer covers the performance of standard work. In that case, our offer includes a one-time adjustment of the draft documentation to the final version. Any deviation from this will be considered additional work.

We will charge the client for additional work and unusual activities at the hourly rates described below or at the amounts stated on our website and in the appendices to the contract of assignment (with quotation) or with the order confirmation.

If for any reason our work in a deed-bound file does not lead to the passing of one or more deeds, or if the assignment is cancelled by the client, we are entitled to charge the fixed amount or, at our discretion, the lower amount of time actually spent at the rates described above.

Our hourly rates in 2026 are as follows.

Fee for drawing up, passing, registering and recording the specified notarial deeds and for performing all notarial work.

All amounts, rates and fees are exclusive of disbursements and 21% sales tax, unless expressly stated otherwise.

We will specify the advances and sales tax for you in the invoice and, if possible, already in the quotation.

Our rates may be revised annually on January 1st.

Fee for drawing up, passing, registering and recording the specified notarial deeds and for performing all notarial work.

All amounts, rates and fees are exclusive of disbursements and 21% sales tax, unless expressly stated otherwise.

We will specify the advances and sales tax for you in the invoice and, if possible, already in the quotation.

Fee for drawing up, passing, registering and recording the specified notarial deeds and for performing all notarial work.

All amounts, rates and fees are exclusive of disbursements and 21% sales tax, unless expressly stated otherwise.

We will specify the advances and sales tax for you in the invoice and, if possible, already in the quotation.

Fee for drawing up, passing, registering and recording the specified notarial deeds and for performing all notarial work.

All amounts, rates and fees are exclusive of disbursements and 21% sales tax, unless expressly stated otherwise.

We will specify the advances and sales tax for you in the invoice and, if possible, already in the quotation.

"Good for each other" discount scheme

We believe that our fee structure is fair and that our rates are in proportion to the value we add.

Because of our ambition to be entrepreneurial, socially and socially engaged, we offer the "Good for Each Other" discount scheme for the combinations listed below, at the fees stated thereafter.

All amounts, rates, and fees, unless explicitly stated otherwise, exclude disbursements and 21% VAT and pertain solely to standard services. Non-standard services will be invoiced additionally, if applicable. We will itemize disbursements and VAT in your invoice and, if possible, in your quote.

Subscriptions for entrepreneurs and businesses

Our fee applies solely to the compensation we receive for the services provided. It excludes expenses (disbursements) and sales tax that we are required to incur and reimburse to third parties as a result of our duties.

We will, of course, pass all these costs on to you. These include costs related to, for example, the BRP (Personal Records Database, formerly GBA-V), VIS (Verification Identification System), CTR (Central Register of Wills), CLTR (Central Register of Living Wills), CIR (Central Insolvency Register), CCBR (Central Register of Guardianships and Trustees), HGR (Marital Property Register), KvK (Chamber of Commerce registers), and the Land Registry.

We will follow the Land Registry's fee schedule and can be consulted at Land Registry Rates 2025, with the understanding that we charge €40 for cadastral inspection (initial inspection, re-examination, and follow-up inspection) for each cadastral parcel.

Since 2018, a mandatory contribution of €8.22 (excluding VAT) per deed has been due to the quality fund of the Royal Dutch Notarial Association. This fee is the same for every notary in the Netherlands.

Common advances include:

1. Declaration or statement of settlement

For family law and corporate law cases, we will invoice our services and costs immediately after the deed is executed or on a monthly basis. You will then receive an invoice from us upon execution or after the deed has been executed. Any advance payment or retainer fee paid in advance will be deducted from the final invoice. We have a payment term of 14 days.

In real estate transactions, parties receive a settlement statement prior to the execution of the deed(s). This statement lists the amounts due, receivable, and payable, including—in principle—the purchase price, the mortgage amount, transfer tax, VAT, land registry costs, disbursements, KNB quality fund payments, brokerage fees, business expenses to be settled, the security deposit, daily interest due, and our fee. Note: the costs of the mortgage deed (our fee, investigation costs, registration fees, and VAT) are deductible for income tax purposes.

2. Quality accounts

By law, a civil-law notary is required to maintain one or more trust accounts, also known as escrow accounts or trust accounts. Such accounts hold funds entrusted to the civil-law notary by third parties in connection with the notary's work, resulting in a payment obligation from one party to the other. For example, in the transfer of a property, where cash flows flow between the buyer, bank, and seller. With a trust account, the civil-law notary keeps the funds of clients and third parties separate from their own office assets. This protects the funds of clients and third parties from improper use or bankruptcy. Without this special legal provision, clients who deposited money in the notary's account might lose (part of) their money if the notary were to go bankrupt.

Because the law imposes these special consequences on the escrow account, this account may only be used for monetary transactions in which the notary is directly involved. This means that the notary has performed work that results in a payment obligation for one contracting party to the other. For example, the buyer's obligation to pay the purchase price. In other cases, the notary may not receive money into their account.

MAES Notaries banks with ABN AMRO Bank and Rabobank. Our quality accounts are:

Quality accounts MAES notaries

Rabobank Rotterdam eo
IBAN NL91 RABO 0170 0703 60
BIC RABONL2U

ABN Amro
IBAN NL29 ABNA 0481 4729 24
BIC ABNANL2A

Payments to MAES notaries, please state the file number.

3. Payment of fees prior to passing a deed

Legal provisions prohibit a notary from executing a deed of transfer or mortgage if the funds have not been credited to their principal account before the deeds are executed. Therefore, the balance of the buyer's and/or mortgagor's (debtor/debtor's) settlement statement must be credited to one of our principal accounts before the deeds are executed, and this credit must be visible to us through our online banking.

iDEAL

You can pay us via iDEAL through your My Online File.

Pinning

We have a debit card machine at our office, so you can pay immediately, eliminating the need to carry cash, and we don't keep a full account at the office. It's very secure. Please note: you cannot exceed the debit limit agreed upon with your bank.

Cash amounts

Notaries are not allowed, under their professional rules, to accept or pay out cash amounts of €2,500 or more.

4. Payment of funds

When

According to our professional rules, disbursements of funds in real estate files to third parties, such as the seller, the mortgage bank, or an intermediary, may not take place until we have conducted a follow-up investigation in the public registers held by the Land Registry. We can only conduct this investigation on the first business day after the deed is registered in the public registers. Therefore, there is a one or two business days between the execution of the deed and the disbursement.

To whom?

Own account only
When buying or selling real estate, the notary may only disburse funds to the person directly involved in the transaction and entitled to payment. This also applies to mortgages. In the case of a sale, the notary deposits the funds into the seller's own account. In the case of a mortgage, the notary deposits the funds into the mortgagor's (the debtor's) own account. Therefore, funds cannot be transferred at the request of a seller or mortgagor to a bank account not registered in their name. Transfers to a "joint account" to which someone other than the seller/mortgagor is also entitled are permitted.

Exceptions
Several exceptions to the rule are permitted. Deviations from the rule are permitted in cases such as mortgage repayments, real estate agent commissions, payments to the Homeowners' Association, appraisal costs, and, in the case of new-build homes, expired construction deadlines. Repayment of personal loans (e.g., Comfortcard or VISA) and bridging loans by the notary is also permitted, provided a mortgage lender has stipulated this as a condition for providing (new) financing.

Ratio
The notary may not transfer money to the seller in a different proportion than the ownership ratio. For example: A and B own 40 and 60 percent of a house, respectively. They request the notary to transfer half of the sale proceeds to each of them. The notary is not permitted to do so by law, unless A and B have agreed to this payment method in writing as part of a settlement at the end of a marriage or cohabitation. The notary may not, at the seller's request, transfer funds from the sale proceeds as a gift to, for example, the children.

5. Interest on third-party funds

We charge interest on funds entrusted to us in our office's trust account based on the guidelines and percentages customary in normal business transactions for the amount in question and applied by our banks. This means that the amount of the entrusted funds and the term determine the interest rate. We may charge management fees for managing funds.

Interest is calculated daily. Interest rates are updated monthly. Interest is paid as soon as possible after the funds are disbursed, with the exception of interest on amounts of €500,000 or more, which is paid only when we actually receive the interest from our bank (quarterly or annually).

For estates and inheritances, a base interest rate (with a surcharge) will be paid based on a scale of interest rates, depending on the term and balance. Interest calculation fees will apply for large transactions.

We do not pay interest on funds entrusted to us for five (5) days or less, regardless of the amount. Exceptionally, different arrangements can be made in advance in special cases. We do not pay interest on amounts less than €10,000 and entrusted to us for seven (7) days or less. We do not pay interest on amounts less than €5,000 and entrusted to us for thirty (30) days or less.

For deposit amounts, depending on the amount and the expected term, a deposit agreement will be drawn up, in which the agreements on interest compensation and management costs are recorded.

We are bound by the regulations laid down in the Civil-Law Notaries Act and the Code of Conduct and Professional Conduct. This means that our bank accounts must meet the specified requirements and that the funds must be accessible at any time. For this reason, interest rates may be lower than those typically paid on private savings accounts.

In the event of negative interest, we charge (at least) 0.5% negative interest on the amount of funds deposited into our quality account, divided by 365 days and multiplied by the number of days we hold the funds, so that we can pay the bank compensation for funds we hold on behalf of third parties. We may ask clients for an advance payment to enable us to pay this compensation to the bank in advance and on time. We specify the interest charged in the settlement statement.

We do not discuss or correspond about the (amount of) interest payments.

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