What family and inheritance cases cost in Tbilisi
State fees are paid on top of the lawyer’s fee. A mutual-consent divorce registered at the Public Service Hall costs 60 GEL with the certificate, and the divorce is registered 5 working days after you apply. A contested divorce goes to court, where the judge can refer it to court mediation without the parties’ consent. Property claims in family and inheritance disputes, such as dividing matrimonial property or an estate dispute, go to court mediation. The filing fee is 1% of the value in dispute with a minimum of 50 GEL, a further 2% (again at least 50 GEL) is due if mediation ends without a settlement, and the fee is capped at 3,000 GEL for a private individual at first instance. A settlement reached in mediation before the main hearing frees the parties from the state fee altogether. Alimony claimants pay no court costs, and neither do the parties to a claim for the return of a wrongfully removed or retained child or for access to that child.
The Public Service Development Agency apostilles a Georgian divorce certificate for 30 GEL on the 8th working day and 150 GEL on the same day, or 55 GEL within 3 working days when you apply remotely from abroad, and translates documents for 30 GEL a page.
Nomos Georgia charges 200 EUR for a 60-minute consultation with its founder, paid in advance. For family or inheritance work at another firm on the list, describe your case and ask for a written quote. ASSIO LEX and GCLO both offer a free consultation.
What to check before hiring a family lawyer in Tbilisi
- Registry or court. Spouses who agree can divorce at the Public Service Hall. When they disagree, the case goes to court, which can adjourn for up to 6 months to try to reconcile them and sets custody and alimony if the parents have not agreed them.
- Power of attorney. A representative can register your divorce on a duly certified power of attorney. Confirm who drafts and certifies it, and who collects, apostilles and translates the certificate afterwards.
- Inheritance deadline. Heirs have 6 months from the opening of the estate to accept it, and a court can extend that for a valid reason. Nakashidze & Partners and Nemsitsveridze Law Firm both list restoring a missed acceptance deadline among their services.
- Mediation. Family and inheritance disputes can go to judicial mediation, apart from cases on adoption, restricting or removing parental rights, and domestic violence. David Asatiani of Asatiani Law Partners and Natia Nakashidze of Nakashidze & Partners are both accredited mediators.
- Who runs your case. Get the name of the lawyer who will handle it, check their Georgian Bar Association membership, and confirm they work in your language.
Types of family and inheritance law firms in Tbilisi
Divorce specialists make up one part of the market. ASSIO LEX takes custody, visitation and property disputes, and Divorce.ge concentrates on remote divorce for couples living outside Georgia. JUST Advisors, LTA, Metreveli & Partners and Nemsitsveridze Law Firm handle family and inheritance cases as one practice among several, next to corporate, tax or criminal work. For wills and estates, Nomos Georgia runs a separate trusts and estate planning service, GCLO has its own inheritance practice covering probate and will drafting, and Asatiani Law Partners plans inheritances within its personal law practice. Nakashidze & Partners takes both divorce and inheritance cases and has a branch in Bari for Georgia-Italy matters.
