Company Liquidation & Insolvency · Poland
Liquidation lawyers in Poland for wind-downs and creditor claims
Poland’s commercial and bankruptcy cases go through the ordinary courts, and only a qualified Polish practitioner can represent you there. Tell us what has happened — in English or another language — and we will match you with liquidation lawyers in Poland who handle this kind of work. Matching is free and carries no obligation to instruct.
- Adwokaci and radcowie prawni with rights of audience in every Polish court
- Experience of commercial, bankruptcy and creditor-claim matters
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Liquidation in Poland: what your lawyer will look at
If your Polish company, branch or joint venture has stopped trading, or a counterparty has, you need advice on how the entity is wound up, what creditors can still claim and where the proceedings will be heard. Poland follows the continental civil-law model, and commercial and bankruptcy matters fall within the ordinary courts. Choosing liquidation lawyers in Poland means working with an adwokat or radca prawny who knows the local procedure, the Polish language of the courts and the limitation periods that govern the claims around a failed business. Describe your situation once and we match you with a lawyer who handles company wind-downs and insolvency-related disputes in the city where your case belongs.
Poland in practice
How liquidation proceedings work in Poland
Liquidation work in Poland is handled by the ordinary courts and by two legal professions that enjoy equal rights of audience. The framework is statutory, the language of the proceedings is Polish, and the deadlines that surround a wind-down come from the Civil Code and the procedural codes.
Commercial and bankruptcy cases go to the ordinary courts
Commercial, civil and bankruptcy cases fall within Poland’s ordinary courts (sądy powszechne), organised in three tiers: district courts as first-instance courts, regional courts as first- and second-instance courts for more serious or higher-value matters, and appellate courts as second-instance courts. The Supreme Court exercises cassation jurisdiction and unifies case law.
Two professions, identical rights of audience
Since 1 July 2015 the adwokat (advocate) and the radca prawny (attorney-at-law) have identical rights of audience before all courts, including the Supreme Court. The practical difference is the form of practice: a radca prawny may be employed under a contract of employment, while an adwokat practises as a sole practitioner or in a partnership. Both belong compulsorily to their self-government.
How fees are agreed and what can be recovered
Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between lawyer and client, and there are no binding official tariffs. Where a court awards costs, the recoverable amount is calculated by reference to rates fixed by a regulation of the Minister of Justice, so what can be recovered in litigation is capped. Court fees in civil cases follow the Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases of 28 July 2005.
The working language is Polish
Polish is the language of the courts. Correspondence, pleadings and the case file will be in Polish, and the procedure rests on comprehensive codified statutes — the Civil Code, the Commercial Companies Code and the procedural codes — rather than on judicial precedent. For a foreign shareholder, director or creditor, instructing counsel on the ground is usually the practical starting point.
Cost exemptions and court-appointed counsel
Two mechanisms protect parties of limited means: free legal aid (nieodpłatna pomoc prawna) under the Act of 5 August 2015, delivered through non-governmental legal aid points, and exemption from court costs together with a court-appointed lawyer (adwokat or radca prawny z urzędu) granted under the Civil Procedure Code and the Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases. The appointed lawyer is paid from public funds.
Where EU law and cross-border elements fit
EU law applies directly in Poland and takes precedence over conflicting national legislation. That matters when a liquidation touches creditors, parent companies or assets in other Member States, or when a contract points to Polish courts. Because Poland is a civil-law jurisdiction, the answer to most questions is found in the statute rather than in earlier judgments.
All country data on this page is taken from official Polish and European Union sources (Sejm ISAP, the European e-Justice Portal and the cited Polish statutes), reviewed in 2025.
- National justice systems — Poland (European e-Justice Portal)
- Types of legal professions — Poland (European e-Justice Portal)
- Prawo o adwokaturze (Act on the Bar), 26 May 1982 — Sejm ISAP
- Act on Court Costs in Civil Cases, 28 July 2005 — Sejm ISAP
- Civil Code, 23 April 1964 (limitation periods) — Sejm ISAP
- Labour Code, 26 June 1974 — Sejm ISAP
- Code of Administrative Procedure, 14 June 1960 — Sejm ISAP
Common problems
What makes a Polish liquidation hard to run from abroad
Most clients arrive with the same three worries, and each of them has a practical answer.
You cannot tell which court is the right one
Poland’s ordinary courts are split into district, regional and appellate tiers, and commercial and bankruptcy matters travel through them. Filed in the wrong place, or on the wrong procedural footing, a case can lose months before anyone argues the merits.
The clock on creditor claims is already running
General contractual debts are limited after six years, business-activity claims and periodic payments after three. Directors, liquidators and creditors who wait risk discovering that part of the claim can no longer be enforced.
You are working in a second legal language
The courts work in Polish, the file will be in Polish, and the framework is codified statute rather than case law. A locally qualified adwokat or radca prawny reads that file the way the judge will.
Our service
How our free matching works
We do not practise law. We find the practitioner who does, in the place and field your matter requires.
Specialised counsel, not generalists
We match you with liquidation lawyers in Poland — adwokaci and radcowie prawni — whose practice covers company wind-downs, insolvency-related disputes and the enforcement of creditor claims.
One description, several options
You explain the situation once, in the language you prefer. We compare it with our network of specialised legal services and come back with practitioners who fit the jurisdiction, the subject matter and the working language.
Fees explained before you commit
We set out how Polish lawyers structure their fees — freely agreed, with no binding official tariffs — and where court fees and recoverable costs come from, so you can judge the budget realistically.
A free, no-obligation first step
Being matched costs you nothing and does not create a lawyer–client relationship. You speak to the lawyer, weigh the options and decide for yourself whether to instruct.
Cross-border
Where our clients come from
Liquidation files rarely stop at one border. Companies registered in Poland but managed elsewhere, and creditors pursuing Polish assets, reach us from right across Europe. We match counsel in Poland and, where needed, in:
FAQ
Questions clients ask about liquidation lawyers in Poland
Do I need liquidation lawyers in Poland, or can my own lawyer handle it?
Only practitioners admitted in Poland — an adwokat or a radca prawny entered on the list of a regional bar or chamber of legal advisers — may act before the Polish courts. A lawyer from your own country can coordinate strategy and liaise, but the filings, hearings and correspondence with the Polish court are handled by Polish-qualified counsel.
Which Polish court deals with a company wind-down or bankruptcy?
Commercial and bankruptcy cases fall within the ordinary courts, which are organised in three tiers: district courts as first-instance courts, regional courts as first- and second-instance courts for more serious or higher-value cases, and appellate courts as second-instance courts. The Supreme Court exercises cassation jurisdiction and unifies case law.
How are lawyers’ fees for liquidation work calculated in Poland?
Fees are freely agreed between the lawyer and the client; there are no binding official tariffs. If a court later awards costs, the recoverable sum is calculated by reference to rates fixed by a regulation of the Minister of Justice, so recovery may be lower than the fee you agreed. Court fees in civil cases are calculated separately.
What limitation periods apply to claims connected with a failed company?
General contractual debt claims are limited after six years, while claims arising from business activity and periodic payments such as rent or interest are limited after three years. Tort damages run for three years, with a maximum of ten years from the event, and a claim confirmed by a final judgment can be enforced for six years.
Is there financial support if a party cannot pay a Polish lawyer?
Yes. Free legal aid under the Act of 5 August 2015 is delivered through non-governmental legal aid points, and a court may exempt a party from court costs and appoint an adwokat or radca prawny z urzędu. The appointed lawyer’s remuneration is paid from public funds.
In what language will the Polish proceedings be conducted?
Polish is the language of the Polish courts, so pleadings, evidence and correspondence will be in Polish. Plan for a Polish-speaking lawyer on the ground even if your own team works in another language; the governing statutes — the Civil Code, the Commercial Companies Code and the procedural codes — are drafted in Polish.
Next step
Tell us about your Polish liquidation once
Describe the company, the city and what has happened so far. We will come back with liquidation lawyers in Poland who handle this kind of work and can act in the court where your matter belongs.