Insolvency law · Poland
Find a bankruptcy lawyer in Poland who can take on your file
Debt pressure, enforcement letters and unpaid invoices are stressful enough without having to guess which court, which documents and which procedure apply. Tell us briefly what has happened, and we match you with a Polish-qualified lawyer who deals with insolvency and debt matters every day.
- Free, no-obligation matching in 24–48 hours
- Lawyers admitted in Poland: adwokat or radca prawny
- One short form, then a clear next step
Matching is free. You agree fees directly with the lawyer you choose.
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Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Before you instruct anyone
What a bankruptcy lawyer in Poland actually does
Insolvency touches contracts, employees, secured creditors and often the family home, so the first question is rarely a simple one. A bankruptcy lawyer in Poland looks at the whole picture: which debts exist, which creditors have already started enforcement, whether the business can still be restructured, and what realistic options remain. Because Polish insolvency matters are heard by the ordinary courts, your representative needs to know the local procedure, the documents the court expects and the way creditors are treated in practice. Polish law recognises two legal professions — the adwokat and the radca prawny — and both may appear before every court. Tell us what has happened, and we match you with a lawyer who already handles this kind of file, usually within 24–48 hours.
Poland in practice
How insolvency and debt matters work in Poland
Poland is a continental, civil law jurisdiction in which insolvency, debt enforcement and commercial disputes are dealt with by the ordinary courts and governed by codified statutes. These are the practical points clients raise most often before instructing a representative.
Insolvency files sit with the ordinary courts
Under the Constitution of 1997, justice is administered by the Supreme Court, the ordinary courts, the administrative courts and the military courts. Civil, commercial, bankruptcy and criminal cases all fall within the ordinary courts: district courts (sądy rejonowe) as first-instance courts, regional courts (sądy okręgowe) for more serious or higher-value matters, and appellate courts (sądy apelacyjne) hearing appeals.
Codified rules rather than binding precedent
Poland follows the continental model: the courts apply comprehensive codified statutes and are not bound by earlier judgments in the way common law systems are. The Civil Code of 1964 and the procedural codes set the framework, while European Union law applies directly and takes precedence over conflicting national legislation. Precise statutory wording therefore matters when a file is prepared and argued.
Who may sign and argue your case
Poland has two legal professions — the adwokat and the radca prawny — with equal rights of audience before every court since 1 July 2015, including the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Constitutional Tribunal. Each must complete a three-year professional training (aplikacja) and pass the relevant examination before being entered on the list kept by the regional bar or chamber of legal advisers.
What you pay, and what can be recovered
Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client; Poland has no binding official tariff. Court fees follow the Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases of 28 July 2005, and for a pecuniary claim the fee is in principle 5% of the amount in dispute, subject to a minimum and a statutory cap. A losing party may be ordered to reimburse costs, but recoverable representation fees are capped by ministerial rates.
Help when money is short
Two mechanisms protect access to justice. Free legal aid (nieodpłatna pomoc prawna) under the Act of 5 August 2015 is delivered through non-governmental legal aid points. Separately, the court may exempt a party from court costs and appoint an adwokat or radca prawny z urzędu under the Civil Procedure Code and the Court Costs Act; that lawyer’s remuneration is paid from public funds.
Deadlines that can decide a file
Polish practice is unforgiving about time. The Civil Code sets a general six-year limitation period for contractual claims, three years for claims arising from business activity, periodic payments and torts (with a ten-year ceiling counted from the event), and six months for a declaration accepting or rejecting an inheritance. A dismissal claim must be brought within 21 days.
The Polish country data on this page is drawn from official sources — the Polish Internet System of Legal Acts (ISAP) and the European e-Justice Portal — consulted in 2025.
- National justice systems – Poland (e-Justice)
- Legal professions – Poland (e-Justice)
- Prawo o adwokaturze of 1982 (Internet System of Legal Acts, ISAP)
- Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases of 28 July 2005 (ISAP)
- Civil Code of 1964 – limitation periods (ISAP)
- Code of Administrative Procedure of 1960 (ISAP)
- Labour Code of 1974 – dismissal claim period (ISAP)
Where clients get stuck
The problems we hear most often about Polish insolvency matters
Most people do not arrive with a legal question. They arrive with a letter, a frozen account or a business that can no longer pay its staff.
Creditors have already started moving
Enforcement letters, bailiff contact or a blocked account can feel like the end of the road. A lawyer reviews the file, checks how the claims and the enforcement are documented, and explains which routes remain open to you.
A business that still has a pulse
Insolvency is not only about hopeless cases. Your lawyer examines contracts, employees and secured assets, then sets out whether creditor negotiation, a formal restructuring route or an orderly exit fits your company’s position.
Personal exposure behind a company
Directors, spouses and family members often carry the consequences of a company’s failure. Polish law treats personal and business liability separately, and a lawyer maps out who is actually exposed, on what basis and to what extent.
Why use the matching service
How we connect you with the right Polish lawyer
We are not a law firm and we do not give legal advice. We do the searching, so you can speak to a specialist instead of a generalist.
Matched, not advertised
You describe your situation once, in plain language. We read it and identify lawyers whose daily work covers insolvency, restructuring and debt enforcement in Poland.
Professionals admitted in Poland
The lawyers we match you with are adwokaci or radcowie prawni, entered on a regional bar or chamber list and bound by their professional self-government’s ethical rules.
Local knowledge of the courts
Polish cases run through district, regional and appellate courts under codified procedure. A lawyer who works in that system knows the filings, the hearings and the practical pace of a file.
Free, with no obligation
Using the matching service costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. Fees are agreed directly with the lawyer, and you decide whether to instruct them.
Also available across Europe
Insolvency and debt lawyers in other European countries
If your case, your company or your creditors sit outside Poland, we can also look for representation in the countries below.
Questions clients ask
Bankruptcy and insolvency in Poland: common questions
Do I really need a bankruptcy lawyer in Poland, or can I handle the file myself?
In civil proceedings a party may in principle act in person, but in practice representation by an adwokat or radca prawny is required in many matters, particularly before the appellate courts and the Supreme Court. Insolvency files involve creditor lists, court filings and hearings, so a lawyer who handles them regularly is usually worth instructing early.
Which Polish courts deal with bankruptcy, restructuring and debt cases?
Civil, commercial, bankruptcy and criminal cases all fall within the ordinary courts. These are organised in three tiers: district courts (sądy rejonowe) as first-instance courts, regional courts (sądy okręgowe) for more serious or higher-value matters, and appellate courts (sądy apelacyjne) hearing appeals. The Supreme Court exercises cassation jurisdiction and unifies case law.
Who is legally entitled to represent me before a Polish court?
Poland has two legal professions, the adwokat and the radca prawny, with equal rights of audience before all courts since 1 July 2015, including the Supreme Court, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Constitutional Tribunal. Each completes a three-year professional training, passes a professional examination and is entered on a regional bar or chamber list.
How are lawyers’ fees and court costs handled in Poland?
Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client, as there are no binding official tariffs. Court fees are set by the Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases of 28 July 2005; for a pecuniary claim the fee is in principle 5% of the amount in dispute, with a minimum and a statutory cap. The losing party may be ordered to reimburse costs.
Can I get legal help in Poland if I cannot afford a lawyer?
Yes. Free legal aid (nieodpłatna pomoc prawna), regulated by the Act of 5 August 2015, is delivered through non-governmental legal aid points. In addition, a court may exempt a party from court costs and appoint an adwokat or radca prawny z urzędu under the Civil Procedure Code and the Court Costs Act, with that lawyer’s remuneration paid from public funds.
Why do limitation periods matter so much in Polish insolvency and debt cases?
Limitation periods decide whether a claim can still be enforced or defended. The Civil Code sets a general six-year period for contractual claims, three years for claims arising from business activity, periodic payments and torts (capped at ten years from the event), six years for claims confirmed by a final judgment, and six months for an inheritance declaration. Employment dismissal claims must be brought within 21 days.
Next step
Tell us what happened and we will look for the right lawyer
Describe your situation in a few lines — what the debt is, who is pursuing it and where you stand. We review it and match you with a Polish-qualified lawyer who handles insolvency and debt matters, at no cost to you.