Practice area · Property and estates
Civil law.
Disputes that can be resolved.
Debt claims, contract disputes, protection of personal rights and property cases. We handle them before proceedings and in court - starting with an assessment of whether litigation is worth it at all.
§01Types of case
What we handle
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Debt claims
Recovering sums due under contracts and invoices - from the letter before action to enforcement by the bailiff.
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Contract disputes
Non-performance or defective performance of a contract, contractual penalties, rescission.
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Protection of personal rights
Damage to reputation, image and privacy - including online.
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Property cases
Adverse possession, easements, dissolution of co-ownership, boundary determination.
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Contracts
Drafting and reviewing contracts before they become the subject of a dispute.
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Consumer cases
Complaints, statutory warranty claims and disputes with businesses.
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Unjust enrichment
Recovering payments made without a legal basis.
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Enforcement proceedings
Complaints against a bailiff's actions and actions to oppose enforcement.
Law as at: September 2026. This content is general information and does not constitute legal advice - assessing a particular case always requires reviewing the documents.
§02Limitation
How long you have to bring a claim
A time-barred claim still exists, but the debtor can refuse to pay and the court will uphold that refusal. This is why the limitation period is usually the first thing we check.
| Type of claim | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General rule | 6 years | the period ends on the last day of the calendar year |
| Periodic claims | 3 years | e.g. rent, interest |
| Claims arising from business activity | 3 years | counted from the day the claim falls due |
| Claims established by a judgment | 6 years | counted from the day the judgment becomes final |
| Claims in tort | 3 years from learning of the damage | no more than 10 years from the event |
| Against a consumer | special periods apply | the court applies limitation of its own motion |
These are the basic periods - special provisions create many exceptions, and the running of time can be interrupted, for instance by filing a claim. It is always worth checking the period in the individual case.
§03Before you file
Winning a case is not the same as getting paid
A judgment is a means, not an end. It happens that a client wins after two years, only for it to turn out that the debtor has no assets from which the sum can be enforced.
That is why, before filing, we check the debtor's financial position and how realistic enforcement is. Sometimes a settlement with payment by instalments is a better outcome than a judgment that remains nothing more than a piece of paper.
It is also worth considering interim security for the claim while the case runs - an underrated tool that can determine whether the whole exercise succeeds.
§04How we work
How we handle civil cases
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Assessment before filing
We say plainly when a case has poor prospects or does not make economic sense.
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Before proceedings
A letter before action and negotiation are often quicker than litigation.
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Interim security for the claim
An application that guards against assets being moved away while the case runs.
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Evidence
Contracts, correspondence, witnesses - gathered before they scatter.
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Conducting the litigation
Representation before the courts at every level.
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Enforcement
An application to the bailiff and oversight of how the process runs.
§05How we work together
How a civil case unfolds
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Analysis of the case
We assess the evidence, the limitation period and the prospects of success.
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Letter before action
An attempt to close the matter without litigation.
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The claim form
We prepare the claim and, where justified, an application for interim security.
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Court proceedings
Representation at hearings, applications for evidence.
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Enforcement
Once an enforceable title is obtained, we take the matter to the bailiff.
§06Questions and answers
Questions about civil cases
Cannot find your question here? Call us on +48 883 406 792 or write to us using the contact form.
It depends on the evidence and on whether the debtor has any assets. For straightforward debt claims there are simplified and order-for-payment procedures that can be quick and inexpensive. We always weigh the costs against the value in dispute and how realistic enforcement is.
Once an enforcement clause is obtained, the matter goes to the bailiff. Before that it is worth establishing where the debtor's assets are - the bailiff can also search for them at the creditor's request.
It does not cease to exist, but the debtor can refuse to pay by relying on limitation. In cases against consumers the court applies limitation of its own motion. In practice that means the case is lost.
You can demand that the material be removed, that an apology be published and that damages be paid. Securing the evidence is crucial - screenshots showing the date and the web address, before the content disappears.
It is not always compulsory, but it usually pays off. The court asks whether an out-of-court resolution was attempted, and the absence of any such attempt can affect the costs order.
As a rule the losing party reimburses the winner's costs, including part of the legal representation costs at the official rates. Where each side wins in part, the court apportions them accordingly.
The first step
Let us talk about your situation
You do not need your documents in order, and you do not need to know the law. Just tell us what is happening - we will plan the way forward together.
§07Contact
Book a legal consultation
