Company Liquidation · Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liquidation lawyers in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Closing a company, or recovering what a closed company owes, is answered differently depending on where in Bosnia and Herzegovina the matter sits. We match you with a lawyer who works on company wind-ups and creditor claims under the law that actually applies to your case.
- Entity-aware advice: FBiH, Republika Srpska and Brčko District
- Lawyers admitted to the relevant entity bar association
- Free matching, no obligation and no fee to you
First response usually within 24–48 hours. You stay free to decide.
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Why this matters
Getting the jurisdiction right before anything else
Liquidation lawyers in Bosnia and Herzegovina work inside one of the most layered legal orders in Europe. Because the State, the Federation of BiH, the Republika Srpska and the Brčko District each legislate and apply their own private law, the rules that shape a company wind-up, its debts and its creditors depend on where the company is registered and where the dispute belongs. That makes the choice of counsel far more than a formality: a lawyer admitted to the relevant entity bar association will know which court hears the matter, which limitation period runs against you, and what the proceedings are likely to cost. Our matching service introduces you to a lawyer whose day-to-day work covers company wind-ups and creditor enforcement in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Local framework
How liquidation-related disputes are handled in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no single body of private law and no unified judiciary, so a liquidation or creditor matter is always routed through the legal order of the State, an entity or the Brčko District. The points below set out the structure you are dealing with.
One country, several legal orders
The Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina divides the territory into the State, the Federation of BiH (itself made up of ten cantons), the Republika Srpska and the self-governing Brčko District. Each level has its own legislature and judiciary, and matters such as obligations, succession, notaries and labour are enacted separately. The applicable substantive law therefore depends on where your case is connected.
Who may act for you
Admission to a bar association is compulsory in order to practise. Under the Law on the Legal Profession of the Federation of BiH, applicants need citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a law degree, a passed bar examination and attorney examination, at least two years of legal work experience and suitable office premises. The Republika Srpska and the Brčko District apply equivalent regimes through their own bar associations.
Which court hears the matter
There is no unified judiciary: four court systems operate in parallel. In the Federation of BiH, Municipal Courts sit at first instance with Cantonal Courts on appeal and the Supreme Court of the Federation of BiH at the top. In the Republika Srpska, Basic and District Courts hear cases, with District Commercial Courts and the High Commercial Court for commercial matters. The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina handles only the jurisdiction assigned to it by State law.
What it costs and who pays
Court fee laws differ between the State, the entities and the Brčko District. Before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina the fee for a statement of claim is 5% on the first 1,000 KM, 4% up to 5,000 KM and 3% above that, capped at 10,000 KM. Lawyers’ fees follow the official tariff adopted by each entity bar association, and the losing party may be ordered to reimburse the prevailing party’s costs.
Free legal aid and relief from costs
Free legal aid before State institutions and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by the Law on Free Legal Aid and administered through the Office for Free Legal Aid of the Ministry of Justice. It covers legal information, advice, drafting of submissions and representation, including appeal drafting. At entity and cantonal level, separate public institutions provide aid, and civil courts may exempt a party from costs.
Time limits that can end a claim
Limitation periods are set by entity law and can decide whether a claim against a company in liquidation survives at all. The general period for contractual claims is five years in the Federation of BiH and ten years in the Republika Srpska. Shorter periods apply to commercial supply claims, periodic payments and household utility debts. The table below sets out the verified periods.
All country data on this page comes from official Bosnia and Herzegovina sources — the EU e-Justice Portal, the BiH Constitutional Court, the entity bar associations, the Ministry of Justice and the published entity legislation — and was last reviewed in 2025.
- EU e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bar Association of the Federation of BiH
- Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina — limitation periods
- Labour Law of the Federation of BiH (2016)
- Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Law on Court Fees
- Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina — Free legal aid
- Law on Notaries of the Federation of BiH
The problem
Why liquidation cases stall before they start
Most delays come from picking the wrong route through a multi-layered system, not from a weak case.
The wrong entity
Instructions are often sent to a lawyer in the wrong entity, and the file has to be restarted under a different set of rules and a different limitation period.
Deadlines already running
Creditors frequently discover that a commercial claim or a periodic payment has been running against a shorter period than they assumed.
Unclear cost exposure
Court fee laws and lawyers’ tariffs differ between the State, the entities and the Brčko District, so budgeting without local advice is guesswork.
How we help
What you get from our matching service
We do not replace your lawyer. We find the one whose practice fits your file.
Entity-specific matching
Your request is routed to lawyers who work where your company or dispute belongs, so you are not paying for someone to learn your jurisdiction from scratch.
Verified admission
Every lawyer we introduce is admitted to a bar association of the Federation of BiH, the Republika Srpska or the Brčko District, as the law requires.
Plain-language first contact
You describe the situation in your own words. The lawyer explains the route, the realistic timeline and the likely cost exposure before you commit.
No cost to be matched
Our matching is free and carries no obligation. You decide whether to instruct the lawyer after the first conversation.
Cross-border
Regional knowledge, European reach
Liquidation matters in Bosnia and Herzegovina often involve creditors, shareholders or assets abroad. We also work with lawyers in the following European countries, which is useful where enforcement or registration crosses a border.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a lawyer to handle a liquidation in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
In civil and commercial proceedings before the entity courts and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a party may in principle appear in person or through a representative, but representation in contentious proceedings must normally be undertaken by an attorney-at-law admitted to a bar association. Extraordinary legal remedies before the supreme courts require representation by an attorney.
Which law applies — Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska or Brčko District?
Bosnia and Herzegovina has no single body of private law. The State, the Federation of BiH and its ten cantons, the Republika Srpska and the Brčko District each legislate on matters such as obligations, which is why a comparable situation can be governed by different rules. The decisive factor is where your company or the dispute is connected.
How do liquidation lawyers in Bosnia and Herzegovina approach a claim against a company that is being wound up?
The starting point is to establish the applicable entity law, because the limitation period for the same contractual claim runs for five years in the Federation of BiH but ten years in the Republika Srpska. Shorter periods apply to commercial supply claims, rent and interest, and household utility debts, so the timing of the claim is assessed before anything else.
What will the proceedings cost?
Court fees are governed by separate laws at State, entity and Brčko District level. Before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina the fee for a statement of claim is 5% on the first 1,000 KM, 4% up to 5,000 KM and 3% above that, capped at 10,000 KM. Lawyers’ fees follow the official tariff of the relevant bar association, and parties may agree fees in writing.
Is free legal aid available?
Free legal aid before State institutions and the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina is regulated by the Law on Free Legal Aid and administered through the Office for Free Legal Aid of the Ministry of Justice. It covers information, advice, drafting of submissions and representation, including appeal drafting. Eligibility turns on status or on a poor financial situation assessed by the competent body.
Can I rely on the European Convention on Human Rights in Bosnian proceedings?
Yes. Under Article II of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols apply directly and have priority over all other law. Litigants can therefore invoke Convention rights, including the Article 6 right to a fair trial, directly before the domestic courts and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Next step
Tell us about your liquidation matter
Describe the company, where it is registered and what you need to achieve. We will match you with a lawyer who handles liquidation and creditor work in that part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, free of charge and without obligation.