Insolvency · Greece
Find insolvency lawyers in Greece for your debt or business crisis
Greek financial disputes are decided inside a codified, statute-based legal order, before courts that work on documents and written law. We listen to your situation once and match you with a lawyer registered with a Greek Bar Association. Free, confidential and without obligation.
- Lawyers entered in a Greek Bar Association register
- Experience before the Greek civil courts
- Free matching, first reply within 24–48 hours
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The situation
A financial problem needs a route, not just reassurance
When debts, unpaid invoices or a failing business start to shape your daily life, the first question is usually where to turn and what a Greek court would expect from you. Greece is a civil-law country built on codified statutes, and private financial disputes are heard in the civil courts, from the Magistrates’ Courts and Courts of First Instance up to the Courts of Appeal and, on points of law alone, the Areios Pagos. Insolvency lawyers in Greece work inside that structure every day: they assess claims, limitation periods and security, and they represent clients before every court and authority. Our role is simpler. You describe your situation once, and we match you — free of charge — with a Greek-qualified lawyer whose practice covers the problem you actually have.
Country framework
How insolvency and debt matters work in Greece
Greek debt and insolvency work sits inside a codified, statute-based legal order rather than a system of binding precedent. The practical questions clients ask are almost always the same: which court hears the matter, who is entitled to represent them, what it costs and how long a claim survives. The notes below set out the verified framework.
The courts that hear debt and insolvency disputes
Greece follows the continental civil-law model, and private financial disputes belong to the civil jurisdiction. First-instance work goes before the Magistrates’ Courts (Eirinodikeía) and the Courts of First Instance (Protodikeía); appeals are heard by the Courts of Appeal (Efeteía). The Areios Pagos reviews only the legal correctness of a decision, because Greek procedure has no third degree of jurisdiction on the merits.
Who is entitled to represent you
A lawyer must be entered in the register of one of the Greek Bar Associations; membership is compulsory in order to practise. Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 requires the bar examinations, an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice published in the Government Gazette, the statutory oath and registration. Under Article 1 of the Code of Lawyers, a lawyer represents and defends clients before every court, authority and public service.
What court proceedings cost
Court fees are set by statute and vary by court and procedure. A proportional judicial stamp duty is generally payable on the value of a civil claim — 4 or 8 per mille depending on the type of claim — with a 30 per cent surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. Legal fees follow a written agreement; where none exists, the statutory scale applies. Fees carry 24 per cent VAT.
Free legal aid and who can claim it
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is provided by Law 3226/2004. Low-income applicants whose annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income set by the National General Collective Labour Agreement qualify, as do persons with a disability of 67 per cent or more, regardless of income. EU citizens and lawfully resident third-country nationals may also qualify.
Time limits that decide a claim
Greek law fixes different limitation periods depending on the nature of the claim. The general period for civil claims is twenty years, while commercial claims, professional fees and periodic payments are time-barred after five years; tort claims also run for five years, with a twenty-year absolute ceiling. A claim can be lost once the relevant period passes, so the calendar is mapped early.
Property transfers and asset reviews
In Greece a transfer or encumbrance of immovable property must be made by notarial deed, and ownership passes only when that deed is registered with the competent Land Registry or Cadastral Office — registration is constitutive, not merely declarative. A three per cent real estate transfer tax is payable before the deed is signed. Only lawyers, bailiffs and notaries may conduct searches at the land registries.
All country information on this page is drawn from official Greek bodies, the European e-Justice Portal and the sources listed above, checked in 2025, and is general information rather than legal advice.
- National justice systems – Greece (European e-Justice Portal)
- Plenary of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations – the legal profession and the Code of Lawyers
- Greek Civil Code – limitation periods, property transfers and succession (Ministry of Justice)
- Costs of proceedings – Greece (European e-Justice Portal)
- Divorce and legal separation – Greece (European e-Justice Portal)
- Succession – European e-Justice Portal
- Inheritance tax for non-residents – Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE)
- Tax obligations arising from loss of life – Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE)
- Termination of an open-ended employment contract – Greek Ministry of Labour
- Individual employment relations – frequently asked questions (Greek Ministry of Labour)
Common situations
What brings clients to us
These are the files we are asked about most often in Greece.
Debt that keeps growing
You are being pursued by suppliers, banks or the tax office and the paperwork no longer makes sense. You need someone who can read the file, identify which claims are enforceable and tell you where you stand.
A business that can no longer pay
Wages, rent and suppliers fall due with nothing left in the account. The decisions taken in the coming weeks, and the order in which they are taken, usually matter more than anything decided later.
Assets and personal guarantees
You signed a personal guarantee, or property changed hands within the family, and now you worry about what can be recovered. In Greece the notarial deed and its registration are central to that question.
Why this route
What our matching service gives you
We do not give legal advice — we introduce you to a qualified Greek lawyer who does.
Lawyers registered in Greece
Every lawyer we match you with is entered in the register of a Greek Bar Association, which Greek law requires of anyone who practises in the country.
Representation before every court
Under the Code of Lawyers, a Greek lawyer represents and defends clients before every court, authority and public service, so a single instruction can cover the whole file.
Costs explained before you commit
In Greece legal fees follow a written agreement or, failing that, the statutory scale, and VAT applies. You can raise the fee structure before deciding whether to proceed.
One form, no charge
You describe the problem once, we compare it against lawyers whose practice fits, and the matching itself costs nothing and commits you to nobody.
Other jurisdictions
Looking for help elsewhere in Europe
If your matter has a cross-border element, or you simply want to compare, these are the European jurisdictions clients most often weigh against Greece.
Questions
Insolvency and debt in Greece: frequent questions
How do I find insolvency lawyers in Greece?
Start by describing your situation: the debts involved, who is pursuing you, and whether a business, a property or a personal guarantee is at stake. We then match you with lawyers entered in a Greek Bar Association register whose practice covers that issue. The first exchange is free and obliges you to instruct nobody.
Which courts deal with financial disputes in Greece?
Private financial disputes fall within the civil jurisdiction. First instance is handled by the Magistrates’ Courts and the Courts of First Instance, appeals by the Courts of Appeal, and the Areios Pagos reviews only questions of law, because Greek procedure has no third degree of jurisdiction on the merits.
Is Bar Association membership compulsory for a lawyer in Greece?
Yes. A person acquires the status of lawyer only after passing the nationwide bar examinations, obtaining an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice published in the Government Gazette, taking the statutory oath and being entered in the register of one of the Greek Bar Associations, as required by Law 4194/2013.
What time limits apply to claims in Greece?
It depends on the claim. The general limitation period for civil claims is twenty years; commercial claims, professional fees and periodic payments are time-barred after five years, and tort claims after five years with a twenty-year absolute ceiling. Dismissal challenges follow separate and much shorter periods.
Can I obtain free legal aid in Greece?
Law 3226/2004 provides free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases. Low-income applicants whose annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income under the National General Collective Labour Agreement qualify, and a disability of 67 per cent or more qualifies regardless of income.
What does legal representation cost in Greece?
A lawyer’s fee is freely agreed in writing with the client and may cover the whole proceedings, part of them or specific acts; where there is no written agreement the statutory scale applies. Fees carry 24 per cent VAT, and court proceedings also attract judicial stamp duty of 4 or 8 per mille depending on the claim.
Next step
Tell us about the file and we will find the right lawyer
One short description is enough. We read it, match it against Greek lawyers whose practice covers debt, insolvency and commercial disputes, and put you in touch. Free, confidential and without obligation.