Filing an objection to legal fees

Questioner

After a long period, my sister's divorce is finally finalized. Then, the lawyer presents a bill for more than half of the amount awarded to my sister. The billing statement (which the lawyer delayed for a long time because my sister herself has a low salary) is very short (just a few sentences) for the amount awarded. What makes the situation difficult for us as a family is the fact that my sister clearly struggles with financial estimations and has therefore had virtually no insight into this. No interim accounts or statements have been presented in recent years. Nor, as far as we know, has any upfront cost estimate been made. I get the feeling that my sister's trust has been abused. Is it reasonable to object to this?

Questioner

Yes, that seems reasonable to me, given the information you provided. The lawyer must provide insight into the costs, preferably in advance. Billing them in advance isn't required, but it's helpful for an overview. I'm not familiar with the other agreements, but try to get an itemized invoice (timesheet) and contact the lawyer about it. If the results are unsatisfactory, contact your local bar association and consult the chairman. See here: https://www.advocatenorde.nl/583/consumenten/deken-orde-van-advocaten.html and here: https://www.advocatenorde.nl/276/bedrijven/wat-kost-een-advocaat.html