Consider a lawyer when complaining to Statsforvalteren
A complaint to Statsforvalteren (the County Governor) should be something parents can write themselves and have taken seriously. At the same time, we know that a number of families have felt well helped by getting legal assistance with writing the complaint.
It can seem that you are taken more seriously with assistance from a lawyer; perhaps it plays a part that the case is written up professionally.
Using a lawyer is a question of cost. If your complaint is upheld, you can apply for reimbursement of the costs of the case, such as lawyer’s fees. (The right to have legal costs covered has followed from the Public Administration Act (forvaltningsloven) § 36; the applicable legal basis after the introduction of the new Public Administration Act has not been verified as of July 2026 — with FOMIS for legal clarification.)
Do check whether legal assistance can be covered by one of the family’s insurance policies.
It can be an advantage to use a lawyer who has experience of bullying cases. Do contact Foreningen Mobbing i Skolen (FOMIS) for recommendations.
To limit the costs, you can do the preparatory work yourself, and only use a lawyer for the final polish and for submitting the complaint.
Do agree the price with the lawyer in advance.
You can ring law firms and find out about your legal position, and about what working together might look like. Such consultations should normally not cost anything, before you actually enter into an agreement.