I live in US but needed certain legal advice in Netherlands on a civil matter. I signed the engagement letter and we had an agreement that I would pay EUR 5,000 as a deposit but lawyer will not incur charges/hours above the deposit amount without prior authorization from me (the agreement was oral and not in writing). During the course of my dealings with the law firm, I had couple phone conversations, one meeting in person and a 6 page letter summarizing my situation. I was under the impression that the charges were still within the deposit amount previously paid. I never heard from the lawyer requesting to go over the amount. Once our dealings were over, imagine my surprise when I received a bill for an additional EUR 15,000. The legal firm (Loyens & Loeff) sent me various bills and I kept explaining that I did not authorize extra charges. The firm finally sent my case to a collection agency in Netherlands. Can a collection agency in Netherlands collect a debt from me in US? Will they go to court in Netherlands? Any advice on what to do in the current situation is really appreciated.