Administrative law · Greece
Find an administrative law lawyer in Greece
Administrative disputes in Greece are handled by a separate branch of the courts, headed by the Council of State, and governed by codified statutes rather than binding precedent. We put you in touch with a Greek practitioner who works in that environment, so your file is prepared for the right procedure from the outset.
- Practitioners focused on public authorities and administrative courts
- Free, no-obligation matching
- First reply within 24–48 hours
Matching is free, and there is no obligation to instruct anyone.
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
The context
Why the Greek administrative system needs its own specialist
Greek administrative justice is a world of its own: it runs before a separate branch of the courts headed by the Council of State, not before the civil courts, and it follows the continental civil-law method in which codified statutes, not judicial precedent, decide the outcome. If you are facing a decision, an omission or a dispute involving a public authority in Greece, the practical first step is to establish which procedure applies to your file and which time limits are already running. An administrative law lawyer in Greece works in exactly that environment: advising, drafting and representing clients before courts, authorities and public services. Tell us what happened and we will match you, free of charge, with a practitioner who handles this kind of matter.
Greece in practice
How administrative law works in Greece
Greece keeps administrative justice in a separate branch of its court system, and the rules that govern how a public body must act are codified in statutes rather than built up by binding precedent. The notes below set out how the framework is organised, who may represent you, what proceedings cost and which statutory time limits are in play.
A separate branch of the courts
Greek justice is organised in three jurisdictions: civil, criminal and administrative. Administrative courts form their own branch, with the Council of State (Symvoúlio tis Epikrateías) as the supreme administrative court, while the Court of Auditors (Elegktikó Synédrio) has jurisdiction over fiscal audit matters. Greece follows the continental civil-law model: comprehensive codified statutes, rooted in the Roman-Byzantine tradition, are the primary source of law.
Who may act for you
Practice in Greece is reserved to dikigóroi entered in the register of a Bar Association, and membership is compulsory. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013, the Code of Lawyers, a person acquires that status by passing the nationwide bar examinations, obtaining the ministerial appointment published in the Government Gazette, taking the statutory oath and being registered with one of the Bar Associations of the State.
The lawyer as a public functionary
Article 1 of the Code of Lawyers describes the lawyer as a public functionary whose office is a foundation of the rule of law, and states expressly that the practice of law is not a commercial activity. Your lawyer is bound by legal professional secrecy, defends the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and acts as a co-operator of the administration of justice.
What the proceedings cost
Court fees are set by statute and vary by court and procedure. A proportional judicial stamp duty is generally payable on the value of civil claims — 4 or 8 per mille depending on the claim, plus a 30% surcharge for the TAXDIK fund — while public entities and legal-aid recipients are exempt. Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed in writing; absent an agreement the statutory scale applies, and fees carry 24% VAT.
Free legal aid and who qualifies
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is governed by Law 3226/2004, as amended. Low-income applicants qualify where annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income set in the National General Collective Labour Agreement; applicants with a disability of 67% or more qualify regardless of income. EU citizens and lawfully resident third-country nationals may also qualify.
Why time limits shape the file
Statutory limitation periods in Greek law are long by European standards but unforgiving: 20 years for general civil claims, and 5 years for commercial, professional-fee, periodic and tort claims. Employment, inheritance and family matters carry far shorter windows. Administrative procedures follow their own statutory framework, which is why a practitioner maps every deadline in your file before anything else is done.
Every country-specific statement on this page is drawn from official sources — the Greek Ministry of Justice, the Athens Bar Association, Greek public authorities and the European e-Justice Portal — consulted in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Greece
- European e-Justice Portal — Costs of proceedings: Greece
- Athens Bar Association (Dikigorikós Sýllogos Athinón) — the lawyer’s status and the Code of Lawyers
- Greek Ministry of Justice — Greek Civil Code (Presidential Decree 456/1984)
- Greek Ministry of Labour — termination of an open-ended employment contract
- Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) — inheritance tax for non-residents
- AADE — tax obligations arising from loss of life (renunciation of inheritance)
- European e-Justice Portal — Divorce and legal separation: Greece
Common situations
What usually brings clients to us
Most people arrive with a document in hand and no clear idea of what can be done with it.
A decision has gone against you
You have received a decision, a refusal or a penalty from a Greek public body, and you are unsure whether it can be challenged, who can bring the challenge, or how much time is left.
The procedure is unfamiliar
Greek administrative justice is a separate branch with its own courts, its own documents and its own logic. Without local experience it is hard to judge which procedure applies and what the file requires.
Costs are hard to read from outside
Fees in Greece are agreed case by case, court fees are set by statute and vary by court, and legal aid follows an income test. A specialist can explain the framework before you commit to anything.
Why clients use the service
Matching built around Greek public-law practice
We are not a directory. We read your situation and route it to practitioners who deal with this kind of matter.
Focused on administrative matters
We look for lawyers whose practice is built around public authorities and the administrative branch of the courts, rather than generalists who accept any file that arrives.
Greece-specific knowledge
Your match works in Greek, before Greek courts and public services, and knows the statutory framework of the Code of Lawyers and the procedural rules that apply in Greece.
Fees explained before you commit
Greek lawyers may agree their fee in writing, and the statutory scale applies where there is no agreement. You can ask your match how the fee will be calculated before instructing anyone.
Free and confidential matching
Describing your situation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. We forward your request only to lawyers who handle your type of matter, and you decide whether to continue.
European coverage
Also matching clients in these countries
The same free matching service covers administrative and other legal matters in the following European jurisdictions.
Questions
Frequently asked questions about Greece
What does an administrative law lawyer in Greece do?
Greek lawyers represent and defend clients before every court, authority and public service, and provide legal advice and opinions under Article 1 of the Code of Lawyers. In administrative matters that means dealing with public bodies and, where a dispute is litigated, appearing before the administrative branch of the courts, whose supreme court is the Council of State.
Which courts handle administrative disputes in Greece?
Greece has three separate jurisdictions: civil, criminal and administrative. The administrative branch operates under the Council of State (Symvoúlio tis Epikrateías), the supreme administrative court, while the Court of Auditors (Elegktó Synédrio) has jurisdiction over fiscal audit matters. Decisions of the Council of State guide practice but are not formally binding precedent.
How are fees and court costs regulated in Greece?
Court fees are set by statute and vary by court and procedure. A proportional judicial stamp duty is generally payable on the value of civil claims at 4 or 8 per mille, plus a 30% surcharge for the TAXDIK fund; public entities and legal-aid recipients are exempt. A lawyer’s fee is freely agreed in writing, otherwise the statutory scale applies, plus 24% VAT.
Can I obtain free legal aid in Greece?
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is provided under Law 3226/2004, as amended. Applicants qualify where annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income in the National General Collective Labour Agreement, and a disability of 67% or more qualifies regardless of income. EU citizens and lawfully resident third-country nationals may also be eligible.
Is representation compulsory, and in which language does the procedure run?
Greek is the language of the courts and of official proceedings. Legal representation is generally required for litigation, and a lawyer acts before every court, authority and public service on a client’s behalf. In a real-estate transaction, by contrast, a party may act through a lawyer holding a notarised special power of attorney.
How does the free matching service work?
You describe your situation in a short form and we identify lawyers whose practice covers administrative matters in Greece. We contact them on your behalf and put you in touch; the matching itself costs you nothing and you decide whether to instruct anyone. Average first response is 24 to 48 hours.
Next step
Talk to an administrative law lawyer in Greece
Tell us what the authority decided, what documents you have received and where you are based. We will match you with a lawyer who handles administrative law in Greece — free of charge, without obligation, and with a first reply usually within 24 to 48 hours.