Insolvency & Debt · Greece
Working with a bankruptcy lawyer in Greece
Greek insolvency files move through a codified civil-law system where written argument and complete documentation set the pace. Tell us what has happened, and we match you with a lawyer admitted to a Greek Bar Association whose practice covers debt and restructuring work. The first step is free and places you under no obligation.
- Insolvency, debt and restructuring files
- Lawyers admitted to Greek Bar Associations
- Free, no-obligation matching
We are a matching service, not a law firm, and we do not provide legal advice.
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Before you instruct
What a Greek insolvency lawyer actually does for you
Insolvency problems rarely arrive alone: unpaid suppliers, bank loans, tax and social-security liabilities and personal guarantees tend to accumulate until a business or a household reaches the point where something has to be restructured. Greek insolvency matters sit inside the civil branch of a continental court system built on codified statutes, so the strength of your file depends on written legal argument and on the documents that support it. A bankruptcy lawyer in Greece will assess what you own and what you owe, explain the options that exist under Greek law and represent you before the competent bodies. Through this platform you describe your situation once, free of charge, and we match you with a lawyer whose practice covers insolvency work in the city or region where your case belongs.
Greece in practice
How insolvency-related work fits the Greek legal system
Greece is a continental civil-law jurisdiction, and its rules on obligations, property, succession and procedure are laid down in codes rather than developed case by case. That shapes how an insolvency file is built: what matters is the statute, the contract and the paper trail. Below are the structural points that most often come up when a client asks about debt and restructuring in Greece.
Codified statutes, not binding precedent
Greece follows the continental civil-law model, and the Civil Code (Astikós Kódikas) has been in force since 23 February 1946, currently codified by Presidential Decree 456/1984. Statutory law and the Constitution are the primary sources of law. The Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) promotes uniform interpretation, but its rulings are not formally binding, so a carefully drafted written argument carries real weight.
Who may represent you in Greece
Only members of a Greek Bar Association may practise law. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 (the Code of Lawyers) a lawyer is admitted after nationwide bar examinations, an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice published in the Government Gazette, the statutory oath and entry in a Bar register. Article 1 frames the lawyer as a public functionary exercising a non-commercial office.
What litigation costs look like
Court fees are set by statute and include a proportional judicial stamp duty on the value of civil claims — 4 or 8 per mille depending on the type of claim — plus a 30% surcharge allocated to the TAXDIK fund. Lawyers’ fees are agreed in writing; where there is no written agreement the statutory scale applies, and fees carry 24% VAT.
Legal aid for lower-income clients
Free legal aid in criminal, civil and commercial cases is provided by Law 3226/2004. Applicants whose annual family income does not exceed two thirds of the minimum annual personal income under the National General Collective Labour Agreement may qualify, as may people with a disability of 67% or more regardless of income, and EU citizens lawfully resident in the EU.
Property, transfers and registration
In Greece the transfer or encumbrance of immovable property requires a notarial deed, and ownership passes only once that deed is registered with the competent Land Registry or Cadastral Office; registration is constitutive, not merely declarative. A transfer that ignores the notarial form is incurably void, and Real Estate Transfer Tax at 3% must be paid before signing.
The limitation clocks a file carries
A creditor’s claim does not stay open forever. The general limitation period for civil claims in Greece is 20 years, commercial, professional-fee and periodic claims are limited after 5 years, and tort claims after 5 years with a 20-year absolute longstop. Knowing which clock applies to each debt is part of building a realistic picture.
The country information on this page is drawn from official Greek bodies (Hellenic Ministry of Justice, AADE, Hellenic Ministry of Labour, the Greek Bar Associations) and from the European e-Justice Portal, verified in 2025.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Greece
- European e-Justice Portal — Costs of legal proceedings in Greece
- Greek Civil Code — Hellenic Ministry of Justice
- Plenary of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations
- Hellenic Ministry of Labour — Individual employment relations
- AADE — Inheritance tax for Greeks abroad and non-residents
Common situations
Why clients contact us about debt in Greece
Most people arrive here after months of trying to manage a difficult file alone.
Debts that never stop growing
Interest, penalties and mounting correspondence can make a difficult year feel permanent. The longer a file stays unopened, the harder any reconstruction becomes, and the less room there is to negotiate with the people you owe.
Not knowing which route applies
Greek insolvency rules are codified and technical. Without a lawyer who works in this field, it is easy to misread which procedure fits your situation, to overlook a limitation date or to sign an arrangement you later regret.
Pressure from creditors and family
Enforcement steps, calls and the strain on a household or a business partnership often arrive at once. You need someone who can take that correspondence off your desk, explain your position clearly and speak for you.
How matching helps
What you get from europeanlawyerfinder.com
A short, structured route from a stressful situation to a lawyer who works in this area.
Matched on practice area
We look for lawyers whose day-to-day work covers insolvency, debt restructuring and commercial litigation, so you are not explaining basic concepts to a general practitioner.
One description, several options
You describe your situation once. We then present it to suitable lawyers so you can compare how each of them would approach your matter before deciding whom to instruct.
Locality matters
Cases are handled in the courts and offices of a specific district. We take account of where your business, property or creditors are located, from Athens and Thessaloniki to Patras, Heraklion or Ioannina.
No cost to be matched
Using the matching service costs you nothing and creates no obligation. You decide whether to instruct a lawyer and on what terms, with fees agreed in writing as Greek practice requires.
Cross-border
Also relevant if your case touches another country
If your debts, contracts or property cross a border, it can help to speak to a practitioner who is used to working with more than one legal system.
Questions
Frequently asked questions about insolvency in Greece
How do I find a bankruptcy lawyer in Greece?
Describe your situation in a short form and we match you, free of charge, with a bankruptcy lawyer in Greece whose practice covers insolvency work. You can compare approaches, ask how fees are set and decide whether to instruct. Anyone appearing before the Greek courts must be a member of a Greek Bar Association.
Must my lawyer be a member of a Greek Bar Association?
Yes. Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise law in Greece. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013, a lawyer is admitted after passing the nationwide bar examinations, obtaining an appointment decision of the Minister of Justice published in the Government Gazette, taking the statutory oath and being entered in a Bar register.
How are lawyers’ fees set in Greece, and can legal aid help?
Fees are freely determined by written agreement between lawyer and client, whether for the whole proceedings or specific acts; where there is no written agreement the statutory scale applies, and fees carry 24% VAT. Free legal aid under Law 3226/2004 is available to lower-income applicants and to people with a disability of 67% or more.
Which Greek court will deal with an insolvency matter?
Greece has three jurisdictions: civil, criminal and administrative. Commercial and insolvency work falls within the civil branch, heard at first instance by the Courts of First Instance and on appeal by the Courts of Appeal, while the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) reviews only the legal correctness of decisions, not the facts.
Can I instruct a Greek lawyer if I live abroad?
Yes. Clients based outside Greece regularly instruct Greek counsel and much of the correspondence can be handled remotely. Where a real-estate transaction is involved, a party may act through a lawyer holding a notarised special power of attorney, since transfers of immovable property in Greece require a notarial deed and registration.
Do decisions of the Greek Supreme Court bind the lower courts?
Not formally. Greece follows the continental civil-law model, in which statutory law and the Constitution are the primary sources of law and judicial decisions are not binding precedent. The Areios Pagos ensures the uniform interpretation and application of the law, so its case law is highly persuasive and worth addressing carefully in written submissions.
Next step
Ready to speak to someone about your debts in Greece?
Write a few lines about what has happened, where your business or property is located and what you would like to achieve. We will match you with a lawyer who works in this field, and you decide freely whether to go further.