Corporate Restructuring & Insolvency · Lithuania
Liquidation lawyers in Lithuania for an orderly company closure
Closing a company in Lithuania raises questions about creditors, employees, tax and registry filings. Tell us what has happened, and we introduce you — free of charge — to an advocate whose practice covers liquidation and insolvency work.
- Company closure, creditor claims and insolvency files
- Advocates enrolled with the Lithuanian Bar Association
- Free, no-obligation matching, usually within 24–48 hours
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Liquidation · Lithuania
How liquidation lawyers in Lithuania can help your business
Lithuania has a developed, civil-law legal system built on the 1992 Constitution and the Civil Code (Civilinis kodeksas, in force since 2001), and winding up a company is a formal, court-facing process. Whether you are a director closing a solvent company, a shareholder facing insolvency, or a creditor owed money by a Lithuanian business, the steps you take — and their timing — shape the outcome. Liquidation lawyers in Lithuania help you prepare the filings, deal with the registry and tax authorities, handle employee claims and negotiate with creditors. We are a matching service, not a law firm: you describe your situation, and we introduce you to an advocate whose practice covers liquidation and insolvency, so you can compare fit and fees before you commit.
Lithuania in practice
How liquidation and insolvency work in Lithuania
Lithuania’s legal system follows the continental civil-law model, founded on the 1992 Constitution and the Civil Code (Civilinis kodeksas), with statutes rather than judicial precedent as the primary source of law. The Supreme Court of Lithuania guides interpretation through uniform case law, and proceedings are conducted in Lithuanian. The points below set out the framework you will meet when closing a company or pursuing a creditor.
A statute-led, civil-law system
Lithuania follows the continental model. The Civil Code (Law No VIII-1864, in force since 1 July 2001) is organised into six books, and the Code of Civil Procedure (2002) governs court actions. Most civil cases start before one of twelve district courts, with five regional courts and the Court of Appeal above them. The Supreme Court of Lithuania is the sole court of cassation and forms uniform case law.
Who may act as your advocate
The title advokatas is reserved to persons entered on the register kept by the Lithuanian Bar Association (Lietuvos advokatūra), a self-governing public-law body established by the Law on the Bar. Practising requires Lithuanian or EU citizenship, a master’s-level law degree, an impeccable reputation, command of Lithuanian, the qualification examination and the advocate’s oath. EU-qualified lawyers may also serve under temporary or permanent establishment rules.
Court fees and electronic filing
The main court fee is the stamp duty (žyminis mokestis), regulated by Articles 79–80 of the Code of Civil Procedure and normally paid before a claim or appeal is lodged. In pecuniary cases it is a percentage of the amount claimed; in non-pecuniary cases it is a fixed sum. Where a document is filed exclusively by electronic means, 75% of the amount due is payable, with a minimum of EUR 5.
State-guaranteed legal aid
Under the Law on State-Guaranteed Legal Aid, primary legal aid — information, consultation and help drafting simple documents — is free to everyone and delivered through the municipalities. Secondary legal aid covers procedural documents, defence, court representation and litigation costs, and is provided by advocates through the State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service to applicants whose property and annual income fall below statutory levels, covering 100% or 50% of costs.
Employee claims and pre-trial commissions
Individual labour disputes in Lithuania must first be brought before a Labour Dispute Commission (Darbo ginčų komisija) operating under the territorial divisions of the State Labour Inspectorate, before any recourse to the courts. Since 1 July 2017 the commissions also decide dismissal, removal from work and non-pecuniary damage cases. A commission must resolve a dispute within one month of receiving the application, extendable by one further month in individual cases.
Notaries, registers and third-party effect
A contract for the purchase and sale of immovable property must be concluded in notarial form, otherwise it is void (Article 6.393 of the Civil Code), and it takes effect against third parties only once registered. Immovables — land, buildings and separate premises — are recorded in the Real Property Register maintained by the SE Centre of Registers (Registrų centras) under the Ministry of Justice, which registers ownership, charges and encumbrances.
Country data on this page is drawn from official Lithuanian bodies (Teismai.lt, the Lithuanian Bar Association, VDI, VMI and Registrų centras) and from EU e-Justice, consulted in 2025.
- Teismai.lt — Judicial system of Lithuania
- Lithuanian Bar Association (Lietuvos advokatūra)
- Law on the Bar (Advokatūros įstatymas) — e-Seimas
- Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania — e-Seimas
- State Labour Inspectorate — Labour Dispute Commissions
- State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) — stamp duty
- EU e-Justice — legal aid in Lithuania
- SE Centre of Registers — Real Property Register
The problem
Why liquidation files stall
Three situations we see most often when a Lithuanian company is wound down.
You are unsure which route applies
Solvent dissolution, restructuring or insolvency each carries different duties and filings. Without a clear view of the Civil Code framework and the registry steps, directors risk acting on assumptions rather than advice.
Creditors and employees are pressing
Unpaid suppliers, tax arrears and staff entitlements all have to be identified and sequenced. Limitation periods for contractual claims and labour claims differ, and missing one can change your position.
Fees are not set by regulation
Advocates’ fees in Lithuania are freely agreed; there are no binding official tariffs, only non-binding Ministry of Justice recommendations. Comparing several quotes before you commit is the practical way to control cost.
Why use our service
How matching works for you
A short, structured way to find the advocate who fits your file.
Matched to liquidation specialists
We review your file — company status, creditors, employees and assets — and introduce advocates whose practice covers company closure, restructuring and insolvency in Lithuania, rather than general practitioners.
Transparent about fees
Because fees are agreed freely with each advocate, we help you ask the right questions up front: hourly rates, fixed stages, court fee estimates and who bears costs if the matter is lost.
Local practice, plain language
Your advocate works in Lithuanian before the district, regional and appeal courts. We keep the matching conversation in the language you are comfortable with and explain each step clearly.
No cost to be matched
Describing your situation and receiving introductions is free. You decide whether to instruct, and you pay the lawyer directly on the terms you have agreed with them.
Cross-border
Support in neighbouring markets
Many Lithuanian companies have creditors, suppliers or owners elsewhere in Europe. If your matter crosses a border, we can look for lawyers in these markets as well.
Common questions
Liquidation in Lithuania: what clients ask
Do I need liquidation lawyers in Lithuania to close a company?
Not always. In civil proceedings natural persons may generally act in person at first instance and are not obliged to instruct an advocate, while legal persons act through their statutory organs. Representation by an advocate is mandatory for cassation appeals before the Supreme Court of Lithuania, and creditor, tax or employee disputes usually justify specialist help.
How much does a liquidation lawyer cost in Lithuania?
Advocates’ fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client; Lithuania has no binding official tariff, only non-binding Ministry of Justice recommendations on the amounts that may be reimbursed to a winning party. Court fees (žyminis mokestis) are separate and calculated under Articles 79–80 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Can I get free legal help for a liquidation matter?
Possibly. Primary legal aid — information, consultation and help drafting simple documents — is free to everyone through the municipalities. Secondary legal aid covers procedural documents, defence and court representation and is provided through the State-Guaranteed Legal Aid Service to people whose property and annual income are below statutory levels, covering 100% or 50% of costs.
Which Lithuanian court hears a company dispute?
Most civil cases at first instance go to one of twelve district courts, with five regional courts and the Court of Appeal of Lithuania above them. The Supreme Court of Lithuania (Lietuvos Aukščiausiasis Teismas) is the sole court of cassation and forms uniform case law. Administrative matters follow a separate administrative court system.
What happens to court fees if I file online?
The stamp duty depends on the case type: a percentage of the amount claimed in pecuniary disputes, a fixed sum in non-pecuniary ones. Where a procedural document is filed with the court exclusively by electronic means, 75% of the amount due is payable, with a minimum of EUR 5. Employees, consumers and certain other claimants are exempt.
How quickly will I hear from a lawyer?
Usually within 24 to 48 hours of submitting your description. We review what you send, identify the type of liquidation or creditor issue involved, and introduce advocates whose practice covers it. You then speak with them directly and decide whether to instruct.
Free matching
Tell us about your liquidation file
Describe your company’s situation in a few lines — status, creditors, employees, assets. We will introduce you to liquidation lawyers in Lithuania whose practice fits, and you decide whether to proceed.