Rechtwijzer

What Rechtwijzer does

Rechtwijzer is an online legal self-help platform serving Dutch citizens with information, advice, and interactive tools for legal problems including separation and divorce, debt and statutory restructuring (Wsnp), housing and rental disputes, employment issues, government interactions, and consumer matters. The platform is organized into seven content modules (Uit elkaar, Consumenten, Overheid, Wonen, Werk, Schulden, Ander probleem) and operates core interactive products including the Eerste Hulp bij Oplossingen (EHBO) questionnaire, Advocaat Needed Checker Tools for housing and employment, and document-generation helpers for objection letters, petitions, and complaints. Underlying technology is a web-based content and questionnaire platform with no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed AI capabilities.

Rechtwijzer is developed and operated by the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand, a zelfstandig bestuursorgaan (self-governing public body / ZBO) of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, headquartered in 's-Hertogenbosch. The Raad holds statutory responsibility for subsidized legal aid under the Wet op de rechtsbijstand and related mandates (Wsnp, Wbtv). Rechtwijzer functions as the public-facing triage and self-help layer feeding into that broader system, with referral pathways to Het Juridisch Loket (0800-8020), Sociaal Werk Nederland, NIBUD, Geldfit, MIND Hulplijn, and the Belastingdienst, and integration with gesubsidieerde rechtsbijstand for eligible citizens.

The business model is non-commercial. All services are provided free of charge to end users, with no pricing tiers, no subscription, and no advertising. Funding flows from Dutch government appropriations through the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or commercial revenue. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via rechtwijzer.nl, supplemented by organic search, social media (LinkedIn, YouTube), and partner referrals. Geographic scope is the Netherlands only; there is no indication of cross-border expansion or commercial productization.

Name

Rechtwijzer

Legal name

Raad voor Rechtsbijstand

Website

https://rechtwijzer.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rechtwijzer is a Dutch government-backed online legal self-help platform, operated by the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand, that provides free information, diagnostic questionnaires, and document tools to Dutch citizens facing separation, debt, housing, employment, and government-related legal problems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Legal Self-Help Services

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Dispute Resolution & Restorative Justice Programs (BPAIAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)

Keywords

• Legal self-help platform
• Online dispute resolution
• Legal aid information
• Debt restructuring guidance
• Divorce legal guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded public service: Rechtwijzer is operated by the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand (Council for Legal Aid), a Dutch autonomous administrative body. The platform is funded through government appropriations and provides free services to citizens. There is no commercial revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rechtwijzer is a free online legal information and self-help platform operated by the Dutch Council for Legal Aid (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand). It provides Dutch citizens with legal guidance, interactive diagnostic questionnaires, document drafting tools, and personalized action plans across seven topic areas: separation, consumer issues, government matters, housing, work, debt, and other problems. The platform helps users determine whether they need professional legal help and refers eligible users to subsidized legal aid.

Product overview

Rechtwijzer is a single integrated online platform by the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand (Council for Legal Aid) that provides Dutch citizens with free information, advice, and self-help tools for legal problems. The platform is organized into topic-specific content modules covering separation, consumer issues, government matters, housing, work, and debt. Its core interactive products include the Eerste Hulp bij Oplossingen (EHBO) questionnaire tool that generates personalized action plans, and the Advocaat Needed Checker Tools for housing and employment legal questions. The platform acts as a gateway to professional legal services including subsidized legal aid and referrals to lawyers and mediators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rechtwijzer EHBO (Eerste Hulp bij Oplossingen): An online self-help tool developed by the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand and MIND Hulplijn that helps users gain control over their problems and conflicts through guided questions covering money, health, housing, relationships, and work.

Products and services

• Rechtwijzer Core Platform An online platform that provides information, advice, and self-help tools for Dutch citizens facing legal problems including divorce, housing, work, debt, consumer issues, and government matters. The platform serves as a free gateway to professional legal services including subsidized legal aid.
• Eerste Hulp bij Oplossingen (EHBO) A free, online, anonymous questionnaire tool that helps users gain control over multiple problems across money, health, housing, relationships, family, and work domains. It generates a personalized overview and action plan with tips, advice, and referrals to relevant organizations.
• Advocaat Needed Checker Tools

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform serves Dutch citizens across all major legal problem categories including separation, debts, housing, work, and government interactions

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Raad voor RechtsbijstandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRechtwijzer is developed and operated by the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand (Council for Legal Aid), an autonomous administrative body of the Dutch government responsible for subsidized legal aid and mediation. The Raad provides the organizational mandate, funding, and governance for the platform.
• MIND HulplijncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIND Hulplijn collaborated with the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand to develop the Rechtwijzer EHBO (Eerste Hulp bij Oplossingen) tool, which provides psychosocial support and problem-solving guidance alongside legal information.
• Het Juridisch LoketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHet Juridisch Loket provides free legal advice to citizens and refers individuals to Rechtwijzer for self-help guidance. The Juridisch Loket also helps citizens access subsidized legal aid through the Raad voor Rechtsbijstand when appropriate.
• Sociaal Werk NederlandminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSociaal Werk Nederland provides information and advice on a broad social-legal scope and is freely accessible. They refer citizens with legal problems to appropriate resources including Rechtwijzer.
• NIBUDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNIBUD provides practical tools and guidance for financial management and debt. Their tools are referenced on Rechtwijzer for citizens seeking help with money problems and debt management.
• GeldfitminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGeldfit provides anonymous financial guidance and support. Referenced on Rechtwijzer as a resource for citizens with money worries, offering phone support and local assistance.
• BelastingdienstminorOthersThe Dutch Tax Authority (Belastingdienst) provides information about tax implications of divorce and tax filing requirements that are referenced on Rechtwijzer's platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Lawyer: Rocket Lawyer offers online legal documents, self-help tools, and on-demand attorney access via subscription. It overlaps with Rechtwijzer's document-generation and self-help functions but operates as a commercial subscription business rather than a free public service.
• LegalZoom: LegalZoom is the dominant online legal self-help and document-generation platform in the US. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Rechtwijzer on the legal-information, document-drafting, and attorney-referral dimensions, though it is commercial and US-focused rather than Dutch and statutorily funded.
• Het Juridisch Loket: Het Juridisch Loket is the Dutch first-line legal-advice hotline and a core Rechtwijzer partner. It is a broad incumbent in the same statutory legal-aid ecosystem, providing in-person and telephone legal guidance that Rechtwijzer self-help tools funnel into.
• EU Online Dispute Resolution Platform: The European Commission's ODR Platform handles cross-border consumer disputes between EU traders and consumers. It overlaps with Rechtwijzer's consumer-dispute guidance function at a supranational level and similarly routes to approved ADR bodies rather than providing legal-aid routing.

Direct peers

• Smartsettle: Smartsettle provides online dispute resolution and negotiation tools for courts, ombudsmen, and ADR providers. It is comparable to Rechtwijzer's guided-questionnaire and decision-support flows, focused on enabling parties to settle civil disputes without a hearing.
• Civil Resolution Tribunal (British Columbia): British Columbia's Civil Resolution Tribunal is the world's first online tribunal, providing guided pathways for small claims, strata, and motor-vehicle disputes. It is a direct peer in the public-sector online dispute resolution category, though it actually decides cases rather than only routing to subsidized lawyers.
• Modria / Tyler Technologies ODR: Modria, now part of Tyler Technologies, is the leading US court-adopted online dispute resolution platform. It is directly comparable to Rechtwijzer as it offers guided, structured online resolution flows for civil disputes, though it typically sits behind court referral rather than sitting as a public-facing legal-aid front door.

Emerging players

• JusticeCodes / HiiL (now NRF): HiiL (formerly The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law) helped build and scale the original Rechtwijzer concept internationally and continues to invest in user-friendly justice innovation. It is thematically comparable as a public-interest ODR and legal-self-help innovator, operating as a foundation rather than a consumer platform.

Regional players

• European Consumer Centre Netherlands (ECC-Net NL): ECC Netherlands advises Dutch consumers on cross-border disputes and ADR pathways. It is regionally comparable to Rechtwijzer on the consumer-side dispute guidance dimension and shares a public-service, non-commercial posture, but is EU-network-funded rather than legal-aid-funded.
• Avvocato Flash / Riforma Avvocatura (Italian legal-aid portals): Italian Ordine degli Avvocati portals publish legal-aid eligibility information and lawyer directories. They are comparable to Rechtwijzer on the subsidized legal-aid triage dimension but are more directory-led and less interactive than Rechtwijzer's diagnostic questionnaires.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Rechtwijzer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rechtwijzer
• Xx.com/rechtwijzer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rechtwijzer