Insolvency & Company Law · Hungary
Find liquidation lawyers in Hungary for a company in distress
When a Hungarian company can no longer pay what it owes, the first weeks shape everything that follows. We match you with a practitioner who deals with winding-up, creditor claims and company disputes in Hungary, so your next step is taken on advice rather than on guesswork.
- Bar-admitted practitioners who work under Hungarian law
- Company, insolvency and creditor-side experience
- Free matching, no obligation to instruct
Describe your situation in a few lines. We reply with a shortlist within 24–48 hours.
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Why this page
Liquidation lawyers in Hungary: what they do for you
A company in Hungary that can no longer meet its debts enters territory where the rules are written down and the timing matters. Liquidation lawyers in Hungary work on this ground daily: advising directors on their duties, representing creditors who want to be paid, and handling the disputes that reach the courts. Hungarian private and company law is codified in Act V of 2013, so arguments rest on the text of the code and on the uniformity decisions of the Curia rather than on case precedent. Our role is the matching step. You describe your situation, and we introduce you to a practitioner admitted to a Hungarian regional bar association who handles this kind of work. You decide whether to instruct them; the matching itself costs nothing.
Local context
How company distress and liquidation work is handled in Hungary
Hungary is a continental civil-law country: the rules are written in codes, and judges decide on the basis of the legislation and their own conviction. If your company, your claim or your assets sit in Hungary, the procedural framework below is the one that applies to you.
A single codified private law
Hungary replaced its 1959 Civil Code with a comprehensive new code, Act V of 2013, in force since 15 March 2014. It unifies the rules on persons, family law, property, obligations, companies and succession in eight Books. Company-related disputes, including those arising around a failing business, are argued from the text of that code and from Curia uniformity decisions, which bind the lower courts.
The courts that hear company disputes
The judiciary consists of 158 courts in a four-tier hierarchy: district courts (járásbíróság), administrative and labour courts, regional courts (törvényszék) and regional courts of appeal, headed by the Curia (Kúria) in Budapest. There is no subordination between the levels — higher courts cannot instruct lower ones — and judges are independent. The National Office for the Judiciary carries out central administrative tasks.
Who is allowed to act for your company
Practising as a Hungarian lawyer requires membership of a regional bar association; those bodies are themselves members of the Hungarian Bar Association (Magyar Ügyvédi Kamara), seated in Budapest. Once admitted, a practitioner may carry out professional activities throughout the whole territory of Hungary. Act LXXVIII of 2017 also imposes mandatory continuing training and a professional guarantee and indemnity insurance scheme.
When legal representation is compulsory
Representation by a bar-admitted practitioner is the general rule in Hungarian litigation, but it is not required in actions falling within the subject-matter jurisdiction of the district courts (járásbíróság), including appeals and retrial procedures. Only admitted lawyers, law offices and registered in-house legal counsels may act as agents, so professional help becomes essential before the regional court and the higher courts.
Court fees and how lawyers charge
Court fees (illeték) are calculated on the value of the claim under Act XCIII of 1990. Following the reform of 28 January 2025, the former flat 6% rate for first-instance contentious proceedings was replaced by a tiered scale, starting at HUF 18,000 for claims up to HUF 300,000. In other non-contentious proceedings the fee is 3% of the subject-matter value. Legal fees themselves are freely agreed in the mandate; there is no binding statutory tariff.
Legal aid and the limits you must watch
Legal aid under Act LXXX of 2003 provides advice, document drafting and representation in civil, labour and administrative matters for people of insufficient means. Eligibility turns on whether available monthly net income exceeds the social reference base — a figure set annually in the central budget act — and on the person having no assets. Time limits matter too: general debt recovery is limited to five years and a company resolution must be challenged within 30 days, with a one-year preclusion.
All country details on this page are taken from official Hungarian sources — the courts of Hungary, the national legal database at njt.jog.gov.hu and the bar framework under Act LXXVIII of 2017 — and reflect the position as published at the date of writing.
- Courts of Hungary — Hungarian judicial system
- Act LXXVIII of 2017 on the professional activities of attorneys-at-law
- Act V of 2013 (Civil Code)
- Act CXXX of 2016 (Civil Procedure Code)
- Act XCIII of 1990 on Duties
- Act LXXX of 2003 on Legal Aid
- Act I of 2012 (Labour Code)
- Act CL of 2016 (administrative procedure)
Common situations
Signals that you need legal help sooner rather than later
Company distress rarely announces itself. These are the moments when an hour of advice tends to change the options you still have.
Creditors are pressing
Payment demands arrive, calls go unanswered and suppliers start asking about your position. Once a company cannot settle its debts as they fall due, every message you send can later be read by a court. Have your file reviewed before you reply.
A resolution is being challenged
Shareholders disagree, a resolution is passed and someone threatens to take it to court. Hungarian company law allows only a short window to challenge a resolution, and once it closes the opportunity is gone.
You are a creditor left unpaid
You supplied goods or lent money and the debtor has stopped paying. A general limitation period applies to debt claims in Hungary, so delay can extinguish your right to recover. An early assessment shows what is still open to you.
How we help
Matching that respects both your time and your position
We are not a law firm. We are the step between your problem and the practitioner who can take it on.
Country-specific matching
We work with practitioners admitted to Hungarian regional bar associations, so the person you speak to understands the four-tier court structure, the national court-fee scale and the deadlines that apply here.
One shortlist, no cold calls
You submit one description of your matter. We return a shortlist of lawyers whose practice covers it. You contact them directly, compare approaches, or decide not to proceed at all.
Costs discussed before you commit
Hungarian legal fees are agreed freely between lawyer and client, with no statutory tariff. We make sure the conversation about remuneration, court fees and disbursements happens before you instruct anyone.
Plain-language next steps
You receive a calm explanation of the sequence ahead — what happens first, what the other side can do, and where the pressure points are — without jargon and without promises about outcomes.
Cross-border matters
Hungarian matters, European reach
A Hungarian company file often has a foreign dimension: a parent company registered elsewhere, creditors based abroad, or property held outside Hungary. Say so when you write to us, and we will look for practitioners who work on both sides of the border.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What do liquidation lawyers in Hungary actually do?
They advise directors on the decisions that follow once a company can no longer meet its debts, represent creditors and shareholders whose interests are at stake, and run or defend company-related disputes before the Hungarian courts. Because Hungarian law is codified, their work is built on the text of Act V of 2013 and on uniformity decisions of the Curia, rather than on case precedent.
Do I need a lawyer who is admitted in Hungary?
For representation as an agent in Hungarian civil litigation, yes. Only admitted lawyers, law offices and registered in-house legal counsels may act as agents. Membership of a regional bar association is compulsory in order to practise, and once admitted, a practitioner may act throughout the whole territory of Hungary, so a lawyer based in Budapest can handle a matter in Debrecen or Pécs.
Is legal representation always compulsory in Hungary?
Not always. Representation is mandatory as a general rule, but it is not required in actions falling within the subject-matter jurisdiction of the district courts (járásbíróság), including appeals and retrial procedures, where parties may appear in person. Before the regional court (törvényszék) and the higher courts, professional representation is required.
How are court fees and legal fees calculated in Hungary?
Court fees are calculated on the value of the claim under Act XCIII of 1990. Since 28 January 2025, first-instance contentious proceedings follow a tiered scale instead of the former flat 6% rate, while other non-contentious proceedings attract 3% of the subject-matter value. Legal fees are not fixed by statute: they are freely agreed between you and your lawyer in the mandate.
Can I obtain legal aid for a company-related dispute in Hungary?
Legal aid under Act LXXX of 2003 covers advice, document drafting and representation in civil, labour and administrative matters for people of insufficient means. Eligibility depends on whether available monthly net income exceeds the social reference base and on the person having no assets. The forint value of that base is set each year in the central budget act, so the threshold moves annually.
How long do I have to challenge a company resolution?
Thirty days. A resolution of a Hungarian company may be challenged within that period, and after one year the claim is precluded entirely. Because the window is short and the procedural requirements are specific, it is sensible to have the resolution and the surrounding correspondence reviewed before the period runs out.
Next step
Tell us what is happening with your Hungarian company
Write a few lines about your situation — who you are in the file, what has already been demanded or decided, and any deadline you are aware of. We will match you with a practitioner who handles this kind of work in Hungary. The matching is free and puts you under no obligation.