Arbitration · Greece
Find an arbitration lawyer in Greece for your dispute
Not every commercial or cross-border conflict belongs in a courtroom. Arbitration gives you a private, structured route to a decision, and Greek counsel can guide each stage of it. Tell us what happened and we match you with the right lawyer, free of charge.
- Lawyers entered in a Greek Bar Association register
- Experience with commercial and cross-border matters
- Free matching with no obligation to instruct
Free matching · No obligation · First reply usually within 24–48 hours
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Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Before you instruct anyone
When a dispute should not go straight to court
Arbitration is often chosen when a commercial or cross-border dispute needs a decision that is more private and more controlled than ordinary litigation. In Greece, courts follow the continental civil-law model and apply codified statutes, so the way a dispute is framed, documented and timed matters from the outset. Whether you are a company, an investor or a private client, an arbitration lawyer in Greece can advise on the procedure, prepare the file and act before the competent bodies. We do not give legal advice ourselves. We listen to your situation and match you, free of charge, with a Greek lawyer whose practice covers arbitration and the related court work. You keep control of the decision at every step.
Greece in practice
How disputes and procedure work in Greece
Arbitration sits alongside the Greek court system rather than replacing it, and the same practical rules on deadlines, documents and representation shape the litigation around it. The points below explain how the framework in Greece operates and what a lawyer will need to check in your file.
A civil-law system built on codified statutes
Greece follows the continental model, based on comprehensive codified statutes rather than binding judicial precedent. The Civil Code entered into force in 1946 and is complemented by the Code of Civil Procedure, the Commercial Code and the Constitution of 1975. The Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) ensures uniform interpretation of the law through its decisions, which are not formally binding precedent.
Who may act for you in Greece
Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise law. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 (the Code of Lawyers), a lawyer acquires that status after the nationwide bar examinations, an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice, the statutory oath and entry in a Bar register. Article 1 describes the lawyer as a public functionary who defends the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Costs and fees you should plan for
Court fees are set by statute and include a proportional judicial stamp duty on the value of civil claims, at 4 or 8 per mille depending on the claim, plus a 30% surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. A lawyer’s fee is freely agreed in writing under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers; without a written agreement the statutory scale applies. Fees carry 24% VAT.
Legal aid and access to representation
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is provided by Law 3226/2004. Low-income citizens whose annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income set in the National General Collective Labour Agreement may qualify, and persons with a disability of 67% or more qualify regardless of income. EU citizens and lawfully resident third-country nationals may also qualify.
Deadlines, documents and notarial form
Greek law sets strict time limits, from the twenty-year general limitation period for civil claims to five years for commercial and tort claims, with much shorter windows in areas such as dismissal disputes. Where immovable property is involved, transfers and encumbrances require a notarial deed, and ownership passes only upon registration with the competent Land Registry or Cadastral Office — registration is constitutive, not merely declaratory.
Cross-border elements and applicable law
Where a dispute has a foreign element, careful choices about the applicable rules and the forum shape everything that follows. Greece applies EU Regulation No 650/2012 to cross-border successions, so the law of the deceased’s habitual residence governs the succession as a whole, with the option to elect the law of nationality, and the European Certificate of Succession is recognised here.
Key time limits — Litigation & Dispute Resolution
| Matter | Statutory deadline | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| General civil claims | 20 years | The general limitation period for ordinary civil claims under the Greek Civil Code. |
| Commercial, professional-fee and periodic claims | 5 years | A shorter period applies to commercial dealings, professional fees and recurring payments. |
| Tort (delict) claims | 5 years (absolute ceiling of 20 years) | Tort claims carry a five-year period, subject to a twenty-year absolute limit. |
All country-specific data on this page comes from official sources — Greek official bodies (Ministry of Justice, AADE, Athens Bar Association) and the European e-Justice Portal — consulted in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Greece
- Athens Bar Association — status of the lawyer (Code of Lawyers, Law 4194/2013)
- Greek Civil Code — Ministry of Justice
- European e-Justice Portal — Costs: Greece
- Greek Ministry of Labour — individual employment relations (FAQ)
- AADE — inheritance tax for Greeks abroad and non-residents
- European e-Justice Portal — succession
Common situations
Why clients look for arbitration counsel
Most enquiries we receive start with the same three worries.
The contract clause is unclear
An arbitration clause that names no seat, no language and no number of arbitrators leaves room for argument before the dispute even begins. A Greek lawyer can read the wording and explain what it realistically allows.
The other side is in another country
Cross-border disputes raise questions about which law applies, where proceedings should take place and how any decision will be recognised. You need counsel used to working with foreign counterparts and documents in more than one language.
Costs feel unpredictable
Greek court fees, stamp duties, expert reports and lawyers’ fees can be hard to estimate in advance. A written fee agreement, which the Code of Lawyers expressly allows, gives you clarity before the work starts.
What you get
How our free matching works for you
You describe the problem once; we do the searching.
Arbitration-focused counsel
We look for lawyers whose practice covers arbitration and the court work around it — interim measures, enforcement questions and connected claims — rather than sending you a generic list of names.
Admission you can verify
Every lawyer we suggest is entered in a Greek Bar Association register, as membership is compulsory in order to practise law in Greece under Law 4194/2013.
Clear information on costs
Greek lawyers agree their fees in writing under the Code of Lawyers, and court fees follow statutory scales. You can ask about the fee structure before you commit to anything.
One request, several profiles
Describe your dispute once. We forward your summary to matching lawyers and let you compare their approach, language skills and availability before you decide whom to instruct.
Cross-border reach
Disputes rarely stop at one border
Clients approach us from all over Europe, and Greek counsel frequently works alongside colleagues in neighbouring or closely connected jurisdictions. If your counterparty, your assets or your witnesses are elsewhere, tell us when you write.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions about arbitration in Greece
What does an arbitration lawyer in Greece actually do?
Under Article 1 of the Code of Lawyers (Law 4194/2013), a Greek lawyer represents and defends clients before every court, authority and public service, and provides legal advice and opinions. In practice, arbitration counsel reviews the clause and the file, prepares submissions and evidence, and handles the court work that surrounds the procedure.
Do I have to instruct a lawyer who belongs to a Greek Bar Association?
Yes. Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise law in Greece. A lawyer qualifies under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 after passing the nationwide bar examinations, receiving an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice, taking the statutory oath and being entered in a Bar register. Article 6 sets the citizenship and degree conditions.
How are legal fees and court costs calculated in Greece?
A lawyer’s fee is freely determined by written agreement with the client under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers; where there is no written agreement, the statutory scale based on the value of the matter applies. Fees carry 24% VAT. Court fees are set by statute and include a proportional judicial stamp duty of 4 or 8 per mille, plus a 30% surcharge for the TAXDIK fund.
Can I obtain free legal aid in Greece?
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is provided by Law 3226/2004. Low-income citizens whose annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income under the National General Collective Labour Agreement are entitled to it, and persons with a disability of 67% or more qualify regardless of income. EU citizens may also qualify.
Which deadlines should I watch before starting a claim?
Greek law distinguishes carefully between claims. The general limitation period for civil claims is twenty years, while commercial, professional-fee, periodic and tort claims are limited to five years, with an absolute twenty-year ceiling for torts. Dismissal challenges are far shorter: three months for invalidity and six months for severance.
Does Greek procedure require a notarial deed for property?
Yes. In Greece the transfer or encumbrance of immovable property must be effected by a notarial deed, and ownership passes only upon registration of that deed with the competent Land Registry or Cadastral Office, since registration is constitutive rather than declaratory. Failure to observe the notarial form renders the transfer void, and real estate transfer tax at 3% is payable before signature.
Next step
Tell us about your dispute
One short description is enough. We review it, match you with a Greek lawyer whose practice covers arbitration and the related court work, and leave the decision entirely to you. There is no charge for the matching and no obligation to instruct anyone.