When Do You Need a Lawyer in Hungary?

There are situations in which the involvement of a lawyer admitted in Hungary cannot be avoided. In other cases, instructing a lawyer may not be mandatory, but is highly advisable.

1. Where is legal representation mandatory in Hungary?

• Lawyer in Hungary: before the regional courts, courts of appeal and the Supreme Court
With very few exceptions, legal representation is mandatory before the higher courts in Hungary. If you attempt to communicate with the court without a lawyer in Hungary, such communication will be ineffective; in other words, the court will not “hear” you. Owing to the strict rules applicable in Hungary, even foreign lawyers — for example from Germany, Austria or Hungarian-speaking regions of neighbouring countries — may not act before these courts without a Hungarian lawyer acting in cooperation with them.
• Lawyer in Hungary: before the land registry office
Although you may obtain land register extracts yourself, in most cases the land registry office communicates only with notaries or lawyers. This is always the case, for example, where a new right, such as ownership, is to be registered on the basis of a new document, such as a sale and purchase agreement. The same applies to the deletion of relevant entries, such as usufruct rights.
• Lawyer in Hungary: for certifications and countersignatures
In most cases where, in German-speaking jurisdictions, the involvement of a notary would be required, Hungarian law requires only the involvement of an attorney. Of course, you may also instruct a notary in such matters, for example when establishing a new company or disposing of real estate. In practice, however, a lawyer in Hungary is generally more flexible and more cost-effective.
• Lawyer in Hungary: company and commercial register filings
In Hungary, company and commercial register filings are made exclusively by electronic means, after the lawyer in Hungary or the notary has certified and converted the relevant documents into electronic form. Since communication with the registry courts requires a special qualified electronic signature available only to these professional groups, you will need a lawyer in Hungary for this purpose.

2. When is instructing a Hungarian lawyer not mandatory, but advisable?

• Lawyer in Hungary: before the district court
Before a district court, you could theoretically represent yourself up to a value in dispute of approximately EUR 100,000.00 (by comparison, the corresponding threshold in Germany is EUR 5,000.00). We would, however, strongly advise against doing so.
• Lawyer in Hungary: drafting wills
In theory, you may also make a testamentary disposition in a document with full evidentiary force. Nevertheless, it is advisable to instruct a lawyer in Hungary in this context as well. Taking account of further aspects, such as forced-heirship entitlements, will generally require the involvement of a specialist.
• Lawyer in Hungary: drafting contracts
Not every declaration requires formal certification. Nevertheless, even in such cases, it is advisable to seek advice from a specialist.
Do you have a legal matter in Hungary? We would be pleased to advise you if you need a lawyer in Hungary.