Employment Disputes
- Representation of employees or employers in court.
- Preparation of procedural documents: claims, objections, appeals.
- Pre-litigation advice to prevent disputes.
Administrative Law
- Preparation of administrative statements, complaints, claims, and counterclaims.
- Representation before administrative bodies and agencies.
- Advocacy in administrative misconduct cases.
- Challenging government decisions in court.
Intellectual Property
- Protection of trademark, copyright, and other IP rights before administrative bodies and in court.
Banking and Finance
- Legal opinions on disputed transactions.
- Support in disputes with banks and financial institutions.
Court fees
State fees in civil cases are set by Article 39 of the Civil Procedure Code of Georgia.
| Instance | Property dispute | Non-property dispute |
|---|---|---|
| First instance | 3% of the claim value, at least GEL 100 | GEL 100 |
| Appeal | 4% of the claim value, at least GEL 150 | GEL 150 |
| Cassation | 5% of the claim value, at least GEL 300 | GEL 300 |
The fee is capped. At first instance it may not exceed GEL 3,000 for a natural person and GEL 5,000 for a legal entity, on appeal GEL 5,000 and GEL 7,000, and in cassation GEL 6,000 and GEL 8,000. An application for provisional measures costs GEL 50. In cases heard by a magistrate judge, the fee is half. Magistrate judges hear, among other cases, property disputes with a claim value of up to GEL 5,000 (Article 14).
Appeal deadlines
- Appeal: 14 days from the day the reasoned judgment is served on the party. If the party was present when the reasoned judgment was announced, the period runs from the announcement (Article 369).
- Cassation appeal: 21 days from service of the judgment (Article 397).
Neither period can be extended or restored. A missed deadline closes the route of appeal, so we start work on the appeal as soon as the judgment is received.
Court mediation
Under Article 187³ of the Civil Procedure Code, the judge refers a case to a mediator without the parties' consent in:
- family disputes, except cases on adoption, restriction or deprivation of parental rights, and violence against women or domestic violence
- inheritance and neighbour disputes
- employment disputes, except collective ones
- disputes over co-ownership
- property disputes with a claim value of up to GEL 20,000
- disputes under loan agreements of banks, microfinance organisations and non-bank deposit institutions with a claim value of up to GEL 10,000
- non-property disputes
Other disputes go to a mediator only with the parties' consent. For cases subject to court mediation, the filing fee is 1% of the claim value, at least GEL 50. If the parties do not settle and the proceedings resume, the claimant pays a further 2%, at least GEL 50.
Deadlines in employment disputes
The Labour Code of Georgia sets short deadlines for challenging a dismissal (Article 48):
- Within 30 calendar days of the dismissal notice, the employee may request written reasons.
- The employer must provide written reasons within 7 calendar days.
- The dismissal can be challenged in court within 30 calendar days of receiving the reasons.
If the employer does not give reasons in time, the employee goes to court within 30 days after the 7-day period expires, and the burden of proof shifts to the employer. If no reasons were requested, the 30 days run from receipt of the notice. If a dismissal is found unlawful, the court orders reinstatement, an equivalent job or compensation, and the employee may also claim lost earnings.
For other individual employment disputes, the Code provides for pre-trial negotiation: one party notifies the other in writing, the other replies within 10 calendar days, and if no agreement is reached within 14 days the dispute may go to court (Article 62).
Deadlines in administrative disputes
Under Article 22 of the Administrative Procedure Code of Georgia, a claim to annul an individual administrative act is filed within one month after the act is made available, or after a decision on an administrative complaint or the expiry of the time for deciding it. A normative act is challenged within three months. A claim requiring the authority to issue an act is filed within one month after the refusal (Article 23).
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file a lawsuit in Georgia?
For a property dispute the first-instance fee is 3% of the claim value, at least GEL 100 and no more than GEL 3,000 for a natural person or GEL 5,000 for a company. A non-property claim costs GEL 100. In cases heard by a magistrate judge the fee is half (Article 39 of the Civil Procedure Code).
How long do I have to appeal?
14 days from service of the reasoned first-instance judgment. For a cassation appeal the period is 21 days. These periods cannot be extended or restored, so the appeal should be prepared as soon as the judgment is received.
How long do I have to challenge a dismissal?
30 calendar days. If the employee requested written reasons from the employer, the period runs from receiving them. If the employer does not reply within 7 days, the 30 days run after that period expires, and the burden of proof shifts to the employer.
Is mediation mandatory in Georgian courts?
For some disputes the judge refers the case to a mediator without the parties' consent: family, inheritance, neighbour and employment disputes, property disputes up to GEL 20,000, and some others. All other disputes go to a mediator only with the parties' consent (Article 187³ of the Civil Procedure Code).