Legal support such as mediation and help with inheritances is too expensive for many people in the Netherlands, five organisations have warned in a briefing to political parties.

The organisations say that people often struggle to resolve legal problems because they cannot afford help. “Without timely and accessible assistance, people are left unprotected, resulting in uncertainty and stress,” the associations are quoted as saying by Trouw.

They argue that not only lawyers, but also notaries and mediators should be accessible to people with low incomes. The child benefits scandal, they said, had shown what can go wrong when people do not receive adequate legal protection.

The group, which includes the national insurance association and legal aid helpdesk, is calling on politicians to invest in low-threshold, personal legal advice, ensure access to different types of dispute resolution, and safeguard funding for key institutions.

Junior justice minister Teun Struycken pledged earlier this year to allocate extra funding for legal aid for low-income households.

But the five organisations argue that access to legal assistance should never depend on a person’s income, and called for a broader safety net, including coverage for family law notarial services.

“Access to justice is essential for a properly functioning rule of law,” the organisations said.