Adoption law · Greece
Adoption lawyers in Greece who guide families through the courts
Greek family-law files are decided under a codified system, and preparation is what keeps a sensitive matter moving. We introduce you to practitioners who handle adoption work and explain each step in plain language. The matching is free and carries no obligation.
- Practitioners entered in a Greek Bar Association register
- Fee agreed in writing with your lawyer before work begins
- Free matching, usually answered within 24–48 hours
Free matching · No fee for the introduction · No obligation to instruct
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Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Before you choose
Why families look for adoption lawyers in Greece
Adoption in Greece sits inside a codified civil-law system, and the paperwork, court steps and official documents involved are governed by statute rather than by precedent. That is why families who want to move forward confidently look for adoption lawyers in Greece who work with family-law files every day. Our platform is a free matching service: you describe your situation, and we introduce you to a Greek lawyer whose practice covers the matter you are dealing with. You stay in control of the choice and of the fee arrangement, which under Greek law is agreed in writing with your lawyer. There is no charge for the introduction, and no obligation to instruct anyone.
Greece in practice
How the Greek legal system shapes a family file
Greece follows the continental civil-law model: rules on family and personal status are written in codified statutes, above all the Greek Civil Code, and not in binding judicial precedent. Two consequences follow for any family matter — the wording of the statute is decisive, and the file must be built around documents that Greek courts and authorities can verify.
A codified civil-law tradition
The Greek Civil Code entered into force on 23 February 1946 and is currently codified by Presidential Decree 456/1984, complemented by the Code of Civil Procedure and the Constitution of 1975. Statutory law and the Constitution are the primary sources of law, so a file is built from the text of the code rather than from earlier rulings alone.
Where family cases are heard
Courts in Greece are organised in three jurisdictions — civil, criminal and administrative. Civil matters begin before the Magistrates’ Courts or the Courts of First Instance, and appeals go to the Courts of Appeal. The Court of Cassation (Areios Pagos) reviews only the legal correctness of decisions and does not re-examine the facts.
Who is entitled to act as your lawyer
Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise law in Greece. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013, the Code of Lawyers, a person becomes a dikigóros by passing the nationwide bar examinations, obtaining the Minister of Justice’s appointment published in the Government Gazette, taking the statutory oath and being entered in a Bar register.
A profession with a statutory character
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 that practising law is not a commercial activity. Your lawyer is bound by legal professional secrecy, acts as a co-operator of the administration of justice and is subject to disciplinary control by the Bar Associations.
Costs, fees and legal aid
Court fees are set by statute: a proportional judicial stamp duty of 4 or 8 per mille on the value of a civil claim, plus a 30% surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed in writing under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers and carry 24% VAT; free legal aid under Law 3226/2004 is available to low-income applicants.
Greece and cross-border elements
Greece applies EU Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 to cross-border successions and accepts the European Certificate of Succession, which is recognised in all participating Member States. Where a family file involves more than one country, the Greek lawyer will check which national law and which EU instrument apply to each element before anything is filed.
Key time limit — Family Law
Contested divorce (presumption of irretrievable breakdown) — 2 years of continuous separation. Contested divorces remain before the courts, where two years of separation is presumed to establish breakdown.
All country data on this page comes from official Greek and European sources — the Greek Ministry of Justice, the Greek Bar Associations, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) and the European e-Justice Portal — as consulted at the time of writing.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Greece
- Plenary of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations — the legal profession in Greece
- European e-Justice Portal — Costs: Greece
- Greek Ministry of Justice — Greek Civil Code (consolidated text)
- Hellenic Labour Inspectorate — termination of open-ended employment contracts
- 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
- European e-Justice Portal — Succession and the European Certificate of Succession
The usual worries
What makes a family file feel heavy
Most of the difficulty is not the decision itself, but finding out who does what, in which order, and at what cost.
Too many unknowns
You know the outcome you want for your family, but the procedural route is unclear, and court documents, certificates and written submissions all have to be assembled in the correct order for a Greek authority.
Fees you cannot read
Greek lawyers set their fee by written agreement, and where nothing is agreed in writing the statutory scale applies. Without a clear mandate you cannot tell what each stage of your own file will cost.
Distance and language
If you live abroad, you are dealing with a Greek-language system and offices in a different time zone. Slow exchanges of emails can hold up a family matter that already needs careful timing.
How we help
A calmer way to find the right practitioner
One short description of your situation is enough for us to look for lawyers whose practice fits it.
Specialisation, not general practice
We look at the subject of your file and match you with lawyers whose daily work covers that area, so the first conversation starts from substance rather than from a general introduction.
Regulated practitioners only
Anyone you meet through us practises under the Greek Code of Lawyers and is entered in a Bar Association register in Greece, with the professional secrecy and disciplinary framework that this status carries.
Clarity on cost before you commit
You discuss the fee directly with the lawyer and agree it in writing, as Greek law provides. Free legal aid also exists for applicants who meet the statutory income conditions.
Support across borders
Living in another country does not remove you from the picture: we match you with lawyers used to corresponding remotely and to working with documents produced outside Greece.
Cross-border files
Families often come to us from these countries
Greek family files frequently involve a second jurisdiction, because one spouse, a child or a grandparent lives elsewhere in Europe. These are among the countries most often involved:
Questions parents ask
Adoption, lawyers and the Greek system
Do I need a lawyer to start an adoption procedure in Greece?
Greek court proceedings generally require legal representation, and only lawyers entered in a Bar Association register may practise in Greece. Because every case turns on its own facts and on the documents you can produce, the practical answer is to speak to a practitioner early. We match you for free with adoption lawyers in Greece who can assess your file at a first consultation.
Which courts in Greece deal with family-law cases?
Civil jurisdiction in Greece is organised around the Magistrates’ Courts and the Courts of First Instance, with appeals heard by the Courts of Appeal. The Court of Cassation (Areios Pagos) sits above them but reviews only the legal correctness of a decision; it does not re-examine the facts. A lawyer will tell you which court is competent for your particular file.
How are lawyers’ fees and court costs set in Greece?
Court fees are statutory: a proportional judicial stamp duty of 4 or 8 per mille on the value of the claim, plus a 30% surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. A lawyer’s fee is freely agreed in writing under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers; where no written agreement exists, the statutory scale applies. Fees carry 24% VAT.
Can we apply for free legal aid in Greece?
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is provided by Law 3226/2004. Applicants whose family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income under the National General Collective Labour Agreement qualify, and a disability of 67% or more qualifies regardless of income. EU citizens and lawfully resident third-country nationals may also qualify.
We live outside Greece. Can you still match us with a lawyer there?
Yes. Matching is done remotely and is free, and many Greek lawyers correspond with clients abroad while a file is being prepared. Bear in mind that Greece applies codified statutes and that court business is conducted in Greek, so written submissions must fit those requirements. Your lawyer will tell you which documents are needed and in what form.
How is the legal profession regulated in Greece?
Practising law requires membership of a Bar Association. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 a lawyer must pass the nationwide bar examinations, receive the Minister of Justice’s appointment published in the Government Gazette, take the statutory oath and be entered in a Bar register. The Athens Bar Association alone has roughly 22,000 members.
Start here
Tell us about your family’s situation
Describe your file in a few lines and we will introduce you to adoption lawyers in Greece whose practice covers it. The matching is free, there is no obligation to instruct anyone, and you decide together with the lawyer how to proceed.