---
title: Glossary
description: The key terms from Basenet and legal practice, explained in plain language.
---

> Nederlandse versie: [/handleiding/begrippenlijst](/handleiding/begrippenlijst)

**What is this?** The terms you encounter in Basenet and around the office, explained without jargon. Terms from the app itself are quoted exactly as they appear on screen.

## Terms in the app

| Term | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Dossier** (matter) | The case the firm handles for a client, from intake to close. Almost everything in Basenet hangs off a matter. |
| **Relatie** (relation) | Any recorded person or organization: client, opposing party, contact person, or employee. |
| **Behandelaar** (handling lawyer) | The lawyer who handles the case substantively. A matter also shows a **"Verantwoordelijke"** (person ultimately responsible for the case). |
| **Rechtsgebied** (practice area) | The legal field of a case, for example employment law or family law. |
| **Termijn** (deadline) | A date by which something must happen at the latest (for example filing an appeal). See [Deadlines](/guides/deadlines). |
| **Vierogenprincipe** (four-eyes principle) | A deadline only counts as checked once a second person — someone other than the person who created it — has confirmed it. That way a fatal date never depends on a single pair of eyes. |
| **Inkomende post** (incoming mail) | The queue of arrived documents still to be linked ("archived") to a matter. |
| **Conceptfactuur** (draft invoice) | An invoice in preparation. Only after **"Goedkeuren"** (approve) does it get a final invoice number and become sendable. |
| **Factureerwachtrij** (billing queue) | The not-yet-invoiced billable hours of a matter — the basis for a new draft invoice. |
| **Declarabel** (billable) | Hours that can be charged to the client. Non-billable or internal work is also written, but not invoiced. |
| **Afboeken** (write off) | (Partly) not charging billable hours, with a required reason. The originally worked hours stay recorded. |
| **Toegangsniveau** (access level) | Determines who may see a matter, relation, or document. Set by the administrator. |
| **Afdeling / vestiging** (department / office location) | The organizational unit (office location or practice group) a matter or employee falls under. |
| **Auditlog** (audit log) | The unerasable log of every change, login, and export — who did what, when. |
| **Maatwerkveld** (custom field) | A field added by the firm itself, for example an extra attribute on matters. |

## Legal and financial terms

| Term | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Wwft** | The Dutch anti-money-laundering and anti-terrorist-financing law. Requires firms to establish who their client is before work begins. |
| **CDD** | Customer Due Diligence: the client investigation the Wwft prescribes. Recorded in Basenet as **"Cliëntacceptatie (Wwft)"**. |
| **UBO** | Ultimate Beneficial Owner: the person who ultimately controls or has the greatest interest in an organization. Must be established for corporate clients. |
| **PEP** | Politically Exposed Person: someone with a (former) politically prominent position. Requires enhanced client due diligence. |
| **BSN** | Dutch citizen service number. An extra-sensitive personal data field: stored encrypted in Basenet and only visible with a separate permission. |
| **KvK** | The Dutch Chamber of Commerce trade register. Company data is pulled in via **"KvK-import"**. |
| **Toevoeging** | Publicly funded legal aid: the government pays (part of) the legal costs, granted by the Legal Aid Board. |
| **Eigen bijdrage** (own contribution) | The part the client pays themselves under a legal-aid arrangement. |
| **OHW** | Onderhanden werk (work in progress): hours and costs already incurred but not yet invoiced. See [Reports](/guides/reports). |
| **Kantoorkosten** (office costs) | A surcharge percentage on top of the fee for general office overhead. |
| **Derdengelden** (third-party funds) | Money the firm holds on behalf of others (for example a settlement amount). Always held in a separate foundation, strictly segregated from the firm's own money. |
| **Rol** (court roll) | The procedural calendar of a case at court; roll dates are an important source of deadlines. |
| **Peppol** | The European delivery channel for electronic invoices: the invoice arrives directly in the recipient's accounting system. |
| **UBL** | The XML file format for electronic invoices on Peppol. |
| **LEDES** | An invoice format required by some large (corporate or insurer) clients. |
| **NOvA** | The Netherlands Bar Association. Its guidelines help determine how Basenet handles AI — which is why the **"AI-gebruiksrapport"** (AI usage report) exists per matter. |
| **Btw** (VAT) | Value-added tax; shown on invoices as the difference between **"Netto"** and **"Bruto"**. |

Missing a term? Ask your office administrator, or check the relevant guide page above.