Employment law · Liechtenstein
Your sick leave lawyer in Liechtenstein
Illness should not put your job, your pay or your peace of mind at risk. Tell us what happened and we match you with a lawyer entered in the Liechtenstein lawyers’ list who handles sickness-absence disputes. Matching is free, and you decide whether to instruct.
- Free matching with a Liechtenstein-listed lawyer
- Sickness absence, withheld pay and dismissals
- German-language proceedings handled for you
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Sick leave in Liechtenstein
Illness, work and the Liechtenstein courts
Being ill is stressful enough; discovering that your employer disputes your absence, your pay or your dismissal turns it into a legal problem. In Liechtenstein, employment matters are private-law disputes decided by the ordinary courts — the Fürstliches Landgericht in Vaduz, then the Obergericht and finally the Oberster Gerichtshof — applying a civil code received from the Austrian ABGB. A sick leave lawyer in Liechtenstein reads your medical certificates and correspondence, tests the position taken by your employer and tells you which steps are realistic. Because representation by a lawyer is not generally compulsory in Liechtenstein civil proceedings, you can act in person, but you do not have to: you may appoint a representative. We match you, free of charge, with a lawyer entered in the Liechtenstein lawyers’ list who handles illness-related employment matters.
Liechtenstein in practice
How sick leave disputes work in Liechtenstein
Sickness-absence cases in Liechtenstein are handled as ordinary civil disputes, and the framework is set by Liechtenstein legislation rather than by the rules of a neighbouring country. The points below summarise the structure, the people entitled to represent you, the periods that can end a claim and what proceedings cost.
Where illness-related disputes are decided
Liechtenstein is a civil-law jurisdiction whose private law largely follows the Austrian Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, in force here with Liechtenstein amendments. Employment disputes are ordinary civil matters. The first instance is the Fürstliches Landgericht in Vaduz, the Obergericht hears appeals and the Oberster Gerichtshof decides at third instance. A lawyer assesses your case against this framework, not against another country’s rules.
Who may practise as a Liechtenstein lawyer
Only persons entered in the Rechtsanwaltsliste kept by the Liechtensteinische Rechtsanwaltskammer may practise as Liechtenstein lawyers. The Lawyers Act (RAG) requires, among other things, legal capacity, trustworthiness, EEA or equivalent nationality, a bar or aptitude examination or three years’ regular practice, a domestic office and professional indemnity insurance. Lawyers qualified elsewhere in the EEA may provide services under the free movement of services (Art. 78 RAG).
Representation is not generally compulsory
The Zivilprozessordnung regulates powers of attorney and the representation of parties (SS 28–31). No general Anwaltszwang was identified in the consolidated text, and S 33(1) ZPO expressly allows a party to authorise persons who are not lawyers. You may therefore act in person. Whether representation is required in a particular high-value or higher-instance matter should be checked case by case with your lawyer.
Periods that can end a claim
Under the consolidated ABGB text, the general limitation period is ten years following the 2026 reform (LGBl. 2026 Nr. 23), while final judgments, enforceable settlements and enforceable instruments remain at thirty years. Damages claims where both the loss and the wrongdoer are known lapse three years after knowledge, and five-year periods apply to typical commercial and professional claims. A lawyer identifies which period governs your wage or damages claim.
Costs and legal aid
Court fees follow the Gerichtsgebührengesetz: the assessment base is normally the value in dispute, amounts are rounded up to the next franc and foreign-currency amounts are converted at the SIX AG reference rate. Lawyers charge under the statutory Rechtsanwaltstarif published by the Bar Association. Verfahrenshilfe under S 63 ZPO can exempt a party from fees and procedural costs and provide an assigned lawyer where costs cannot be met without impairing the necessary livelihood.
Language and free initial information
Proceedings and legal advice before the Liechtenstein courts are conducted in German. In simple cases, court interns at the Fürstliche Gerichte give free oral legal advice by telephone and draft submissions, claims and other filings in German, by prior appointment; they do not provide written opinions or expert reports. Illness files usually contain medical certificates and employer correspondence, so a German-speaking lawyer is often practical.
The country-specific statements on this page are taken from official Liechtenstein sources — the courts (gerichte.li), the consolidated legislation portal (gesetze.li), the Bar Association (rak.li) and the Government (regierung.li) — as published at the time of writing.
- Liechtenstein courts – Oberster Gerichtshof and court structure
- Consolidated Zivilprozessordnung and Lawyers Act (RAG) on gesetze.li
- Consolidated ABGB – limitation periods
- Consolidated ZPO – appeal and recourse periods
- Gerichtsgebührengesetz (court fees and legal aid exemption)
- Fürstliche Gerichte – free legal advice in simple cases
- Liechtensteinische Rechtsanwaltskammer (Bar Association)
- Government information on the 2026 limitation reform
- Oberster Gerichtshof – published legal statements on EEA matters
Typical situations
When a sick note becomes a legal file
Most sickness-absence problems start as a disagreement about facts and end up turning on documents, dates and periods. These are the situations clients bring to us most often.
The absence is questioned
Your employer says the certificate is insufficient or that you were not genuinely ill. Every reply you send without advice can shape the file later, so it helps to have a lawyer read the correspondence before you answer it.
Pay stopped during illness
Wages or salary are withheld while you recover and you are unsure whether your claim is still live. Limitation periods run regardless, so the earlier a lawyer reviews the contract and payslips, the clearer your options become.
Dismissal linked to sick leave
You were dismissed during or shortly after a long absence and suspect the illness was the real reason. A lawyer can examine the timing, the grounds stated and the available evidence, and explain which route fits your situation.
Why use the matching
What you get from our free service
We do not practise law and we do not give advice. We connect you with lawyers who do, quickly and without cost to you.
Liechtenstein-listed lawyers
We match you with lawyers entered in the Rechtsanwaltsliste kept by the Liechtensteinische Rechtsanwaltskammer, so the person you instruct is entitled to practise in the Principality.
Employment and illness focus
Your enquiry goes to lawyers whose work covers sickness absence, withheld pay and dismissals, including the medical certificates, correspondence and employer statements that decide such files.
A clear view of the periods
Liechtenstein limitation periods differ by claim type — three years from knowledge for many damages claims, longer general and judgment periods. A matched lawyer explains what applies to your facts.
Free and confidential matching
You describe your situation once, at no cost and with no obligation. You decide whether to instruct, and you keep control of the case from the first conversation onwards.
Europe-wide reach
Other European jurisdictions
Sickness-absence rules, court procedures and limitation periods differ from country to country. If your contract, your employer or your residence is elsewhere in Europe, it is worth starting from the right jurisdiction.
Frequently asked
Questions clients ask about sick leave in Liechtenstein
Do I need a sick leave lawyer in Liechtenstein to bring a claim against my employer?
No general obligation to be represented by a lawyer was identified in the Liechtenstein Zivilprozessordnung, and S 33(1) ZPO allows you to authorise even a non-lawyer, so you may act in person. In practice, however, medical evidence, employer correspondence and limitation periods make professional help valuable, and we can match you with a suitable lawyer free of charge.
Which Liechtenstein court hears a dispute about sickness absence?
Ordinary civil claims begin at the Fürstliches Landgericht in Vaduz. An appeal goes to the Obergericht, and a further appeal to the Oberster Gerichtshof, which also sits as the Verwaltungsgerichtshof. The Staatsgerichtshof is separate and hears constitutional complaints. Your lawyer will confirm the correct route for your particular claim.
How long do I have to claim withheld pay or damages in Liechtenstein?
It depends on the type of claim. Damages claims where you know both the loss and the wrongdoer are subject to three years from knowledge; a ten-year general period now applies under the consolidated ABGB after the 2026 reform; and five-year periods cover many commercial and professional claims. A lawyer can identify the period that governs your file.
Can a lawyer from another EEA state act for me in Liechtenstein?
Only persons entered in the Rechtsanwaltsliste kept by the Liechtensteinische Rechtsanwaltskammer may practise as Liechtenstein lawyers. Lawyers qualified in other EEA states may provide services under the free movement of services (Art. 78 RAG). If you prefer a locally listed lawyer, our matching takes that into account.
What will proceedings cost and is legal aid available?
Court fees are governed by the Gerichtsgebührengesetz and are normally based on the value in dispute, calculated in Swiss francs. Lawyers charge according to the statutory Rechtsanwaltstarif. Verfahrenshilfe under S 63 ZPO may exempt you from fees and procedural costs and provide an assigned lawyer where the costs would impair your necessary livelihood.
How does your free matching service work?
You describe your situation once — the illness, what your employer did and any letters you have received. We then suggest lawyers whose practice covers employment and sickness-absence matters in Liechtenstein. You choose whom to contact. Matching costs you nothing and creates no obligation to instruct.
Next step
Speak to a sick leave lawyer in Liechtenstein
Describe your situation in a few lines and we will suggest lawyers who handle illness-related employment disputes in the Principality. There is no charge for the matching and no obligation to instruct anyone. The sooner a lawyer sees your documents, the sooner you know where you stand.