Civil disputes concern rights and relationships between private individuals and often have a direct effect on their personal or financial lives. They may involve an injury to honour and reputation, a disagreement over the ownership or use of a property, a dispute between co-owners, a private transaction that caused a loss, or a disagreement between heirs. Each category carries different legal and evidential requirements. In a defamation case, for example, the content and context of the statement complained of, the injury to personality and its relationship with freedom of expression all have to be examined. In a property dispute, the title, the actual condition of the property, how the parties have used it and the existence of rights in rem or easements may all be decisive. In a claim arising from a private transaction, the legal basis of the claim and the evidence available largely determine whether it can be pursued in court
Contested inheritance disputes are a category of their own. Where heirs disagree — over the validity of a will, over the size or distribution of an estate, over whether an heir has been unfairly excluded — the matter becomes litigation, not planning. That is a different process from the uncontested succession planning and estate administration handled by our Civil Law team on the Inheritance page: drafting a will, structuring an estate, or guiding an uncontested acceptance of an inheritance. Where a family situation touches both — a will is drafted while a related dispute is already emerging, or an acceptance of an inheritance becomes contested along the way — our litigation and civil law teams coordinate directly, so the matter is handled as a single strategy rather than two unconnected instructions. Bring the documents and we will tell you where the claim belongs.
A personal dispute demands the same legal rigour, but often far greater attention to what the person behind the case actually needs
In every civil dispute, we look first at what the client is actually trying to achieve and at the legal route that can deliver that outcome. Where there is a realistic prospect of agreement, we explore settlement out of court. Where judicial protection is required, we act before the Greek civil courts, from first instance through to the Areios Pagos.