Insolvency & Liquidation · Gibraltar
Liquidation lawyers in Gibraltar for companies, directors and creditors
When a Gibraltar company can no longer pay its debts, the advice taken in the first weeks shapes everything that follows. Tell us what has happened and we match you, free of charge, with a Gibraltar practitioner whose practice covers liquidation and insolvency. You keep control of the decision and of the fees.
- Practitioners admitted in Gibraltar and regulated under the Legal Services Act 2017
- Experience of creditor claims, winding up, directors’ duties and cross-border assets
- Fee arrangements agreed directly between you and the lawyer you choose
One short form. No cost, no obligation to instruct.
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Insolvency and liquidation in Gibraltar
What a liquidation matter involves in Gibraltar
Company failure rarely happens overnight. Creditors start calling, statutory demands arrive, and directors in Gibraltar have to decide quickly whether the company can be rescued or must be wound up. That decision has consequences for directors, shareholders, employees and creditors alike, and it is governed by Gibraltar law rather than English law, even though the two share a common law heritage. Our matching service puts you in touch with liquidation lawyers in Gibraltar who work with these questions every day: winding up, creditor claims, directors’ duties, cross-border assets and the practical steps that follow. You describe the situation; we identify the practitioners whose practice covers it, and you decide who to instruct. There is no charge for the introduction, and no obligation to proceed.
Gibraltar in practice
How liquidation work fits Gibraltar’s legal system
Gibraltar is a separate jurisdiction with its own courts, its own Parliament and its own legal profession. The points below set out the framework that shapes a winding-up or insolvency matter there, drawn from official Gibraltar sources.
A jurisdiction of its own
Gibraltar is not part of the United Kingdom. It has its own Constitution under the Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006, a directly elected Parliament that enacts primary legislation, and its own courts and legal profession. Its law rests on English common law, the rules of equity and statutes of general application as modified locally. The final court of appeal is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
Who may act for you
Barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar may appear before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. Under section 29(2) of the Supreme Court Act, a practitioner admitted and enrolled as a solicitor ‘shall be at liberty to act also as a barrister’, so one lawyer can both advise and conduct advocacy. Admission, practising certificates and discipline are regulated by the Legal Services Act 2017 and the Legal Services Regulatory Authority.
Which court hears the matter
The Supreme Court of Gibraltar is a superior court of record, composed of the Chief Justice and three further Puisne judges. Its civil jurisdiction is equivalent to that of the English High Court and includes an Ordinary (Chancery) Jurisdiction, the usual forum for company and insolvency work. Complex financial trials may be heard with lay assessors instead of a jury, and civil cases are normally tried by a judge alone.
Appeals
Appeals from the Supreme Court go to the Court of Appeal for Gibraltar, whose Justices are drawn mainly from the English Court of Appeal and which normally holds two sessions a year. A civil appeal must be brought within 14 days of the decision complained of. Beyond the Court of Appeal, the route is to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
Court fees in company and insolvency proceedings
Court fees are set out in Schedule 6 to the Supreme Court Rules 2000, as substituted by the 2025 amendment rules in force from 1 August 2025. Starting a non-money claim costs £450 and proceedings for judicial review £650; a hearing-listing fee of £1,000 applies to trials listed for three or more days, and £200 to an application on notice where no other fee is specified.
Fees, costs and legal aid
Professional fees for barristers and solicitors in Gibraltar are not fixed by statute or by any public tariff; they are agreed between lawyer and client. In civil litigation the court has a discretion over costs, and costs may be assessed by the court under Schedule 6 to the Supreme Court Rules 2000. Civil legal assistance under the Legal Aid and Assistance Act is means-tested and subject to a merits test.
All country-specific details on this page come from official Gibraltar sources — the Gibraltar Courts Service, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority and legislation published on gibraltarlaws.gov.gi — consulted in 2025.
Situations we see
Where a liquidation question usually starts
Most people who contact us are not looking for a definition of insolvency. They are dealing with a specific problem that has a deadline attached to it.
The first demands have arrived
Statutory demands, frozen accounts and unanswered creditor correspondence: the earliest weeks are when records, evidence and cash flow matter most. Waiting usually narrows your options rather than widening them.
You are a director under pressure
Directors of a Gibraltar company that cannot pay its debts face questions about their own conduct as well as the company’s position. You need advice that separates the two.
The case crosses borders
Assets in Spain, creditors in London, a parent company elsewhere: because Gibraltar is a separate legal system, cross-border insolvency needs practitioners used to coordinating with lawyers in other jurisdictions.
Why use the matching service
How we choose who to put you in touch with
We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. We do one thing: connect your situation with a Gibraltar practitioner whose practice actually covers it.
Practitioners, not a directory
We match you with lawyers whose work covers liquidation and insolvency in Gibraltar, not with generalists taking the matter as a favour.
One form, no cost
You describe the situation once. There is no charge for the introduction and no obligation to instruct the practitioner we propose.
Fit matters more than size
A small creditor claim and a contested winding up are different problems. We consider the scale, the sector and the forum before proposing names.
You stay in control
Fees, scope and strategy are agreed directly between you and the lawyer you choose. We do not stand in the middle of that relationship.
European coverage
Other jurisdictions our network covers
Gibraltar sits at the southern tip of Europe and its insolvency work frequently involves parties elsewhere. Alongside Gibraltar, we match clients with practitioners in these jurisdictions.
Frequent questions
Liquidation and insolvency in Gibraltar: practical answers
Do I need a Gibraltar-qualified lawyer to handle a liquidation there?
Yes. Gibraltar is a separate jurisdiction from the United Kingdom, with its own courts, Parliament and legal profession. Representation before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal is by barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar holding the required admission and practising certificate, so a practitioner qualified only elsewhere cannot simply take the case over.
Which Gibraltar court deals with winding up and insolvency claims?
Company and insolvency matters are heard in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar, a superior court of record whose civil jurisdiction is equivalent to that of the English High Court and includes an Ordinary (Chancery) Jurisdiction. Criminal trials there are generally by jury, complex financial trials may be heard with lay assessors instead, and civil cases are usually heard by a judge alone.
How much do liquidation lawyers in Gibraltar charge?
Professional fees are not fixed by statute or by any public tariff in Gibraltar; they are agreed between the lawyer and the client, so ask for a written scope and fee basis before work begins. Court fees are separate and are set out in Schedule 6 to the Supreme Court Rules 2000, as amended with effect from 1 August 2025.
Can one practitioner both advise me and appear in court?
In practice, often yes. Gibraltar has both barristers and solicitors of the Supreme Court, but section 29(2) of the Supreme Court Act provides that a person admitted and enrolled as a solicitor ‘shall be at liberty to act also as a barrister’. Many practitioners therefore hold a dual capacity. For complex or higher-court advocacy, a specialist barrister is frequently instructed.
Are there time limits if I am owed money by a Gibraltar company?
Yes. The general limitation period is six years for contractual claims and six years for tort claims from the date the cause of action accrued. Personal injury claims have a three-year period, subject to the court’s discretion to extend. Where a judgment has already been obtained, an action upon it may be brought within 12 years of it becoming enforceable.
Is legal aid available for insolvency or liquidation proceedings in Gibraltar?
Legal aid is governed by the Legal Aid and Assistance Act. Part II provides civil legal assistance for proceedings before courts and tribunals in Gibraltar and before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. It is means-tested and subject to a merits test, so eligibility depends on your income, your capital and the strength of the case.
Next step
Tell us about the company and we will find the right practitioner
Describe the situation in a few lines: the company, the creditors, the deadlines you already know about. We come back with Gibraltar practitioners whose practice covers liquidation and insolvency, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The introduction is free, and you decide whether to instruct.