If you have a legal dispute with an Estonian company or individual, Erovik Law Office provides practical legal assistance with contract disputes, monetary claims and civil court proceedings in Estonia.

We assist foreign companies and individuals who need local legal assistance in Estonia to assess a claim, communicate with the other party, prepare court documents or represent them in Estonian civil proceedings.

Our focus is on disputes with a clear connection to Estonia and matters that can be handled under Estonian law.

Legal assistance with legal disputes in Estonia

A dispute involving an Estonian company does not necessarily require a large international law firm.

In many cases, the first step is to establish:

• whether you have an enforceable claim;
• which law applies to the dispute;
• whether Estonian courts have jurisdiction;
• what evidence is available;
• what the likely costs of proceedings are;
• whether legal action is commercially reasonable.

We can review the circumstances and key documents and recommend an appropriate course of action before substantial legal costs are incurred.

Types of disputes we handle

Erovik Law Office primarily assists with civil and commercial disputes, including:

Contract disputes

Disputes arising from the performance, breach, termination or cancellation of contracts with Estonian companies or individuals.

Unpaid invoices, loans and other monetary claims

Legal assistance with unpaid invoices, loans, contractual payments and other monetary obligations involving an Estonian debtor or counterparty.

For matters focused specifically on recovering an unpaid debt, see our Debt Collection in Estonia service page.

Disputed debts and claims

Assistance where the other party disputes liability, the amount of the claim or its legal basis and the matter can no longer be treated as straightforward debt collection.

Claims for damages

Claims arising from breach of contract, damage caused by another party or other circumstances giving rise to compensation under Estonian law.

Civil court proceedings and defence against claims

Preparation of statements of claim, responses, applications and other procedural documents, as well as representation in Estonian civil courts where appropriate.

We also assist foreign companies and individuals who have received a claim, payment order or other court documents from Estonia and need to understand how to respond.

Resolving a dispute before court

Not every dispute needs to result in full court proceedings.

Depending on the circumstances, the first step may be a formal demand, a response to the other party, settlement negotiations or another attempt to resolve the matter before litigation.

Where the dispute concerns straightforward recovery of an unpaid debt, payment order proceedings may also be available.

Our aim is to identify a proportionate and commercially reasonable way to deal with the dispute, taking into account the value of the claim, available evidence and likely legal costs.

Court proceedings in Estonia

When an out-of-court solution is not possible, we can assist with bringing or defending a claim before an Estonian court.

Before recommending litigation, we consider the value of the claim, available evidence, procedural costs and the practical prospects of recovery.

Legal assistance may include:

• preparation of a statement of claim or response;
• written submissions to the court;
• procedural applications;
• analysis of the other party’s submissions;
• settlement negotiations;
• representation during court proceedings.

The objective is not simply to start proceedings, but to determine whether litigation is a reasonable and proportionate way to resolve the dispute.

General information about the Estonian court system is available on the official website of Estonian courts.

When we can help

We primarily accept international matters where the dispute has a clear and substantial connection to Estonia.

Typical examples include:

• a dispute with an Estonian company or individual;
• a contract governed by Estonian law;
• a claim that can be heard by an Estonian court;
• a monetary obligation involving an Estonian debtor;
• a foreign company or individual that needs to respond to proceedings brought in Estonia.

The fact that the client is located outside Estonia is not a problem. Most initial communication and document exchange can be handled electronically.

When we typically cannot help

We generally do not accept matters where the main legal issues are governed by foreign law or where the dispute would primarily need to be litigated outside Estonia.

We may therefore decline matters involving:

• contracts governed exclusively by foreign law;
• proceedings that must be brought in another country;
• complex multi-jurisdictional disputes requiring coordinated legal representation in several countries;
• matters with no meaningful legal connection to Estonia.

If the applicable law or jurisdiction is unclear, this can be considered as part of the initial assessment.

Initial case assessment

Before accepting a dispute for full representation, we normally carry out an initial assessment of the matter.

Initial written case assessment: from €300.

Depending on the case, the assessment may include:

• review of the main documents;
• identification of the parties and legal basis of the claim;
• preliminary assessment under Estonian law;
• jurisdiction and procedural options;
• assessment of the available evidence;
• estimated court fees and other procedural costs;
• recommendation for the next step.

The exact scope and price are agreed before work begins.

If further legal assistance is required, we normally provide a fixed-fee quotation for the next stage whenever the scope of work can reasonably be determined in advance.

What to send us

To determine whether we can assist, please provide:

• the names and countries of the parties;
• the name and registry code of the Estonian company involved, if applicable;
• the approximate amount of the claim;
• a short chronological description of what happened;
• the relevant contract, invoices and other key documents;
• information about previous demands, negotiations or court proceedings;
• the outcome you are seeking.

Documents may be submitted in English or Estonian.

Providing the essential information at the outset allows us to determine whether the matter falls within our practice and what the appropriate next step would be.

Why use local legal assistance in Estonia?

For a foreign company or individual, even a relatively straightforward dispute can become difficult when the counterparty, applicable law and court proceedings are in another country.

Local legal assistance allows the Estonian aspects of the matter to be handled directly without the client having to navigate Estonian legal procedure independently.

Erovik Law Office focuses on practical dispute resolution, contract disputes, monetary claims and civil proceedings in Estonia.

We aim to keep the scope of work and legal costs proportionate to the value and complexity of the dispute.

Ongoing legal assistance for companies

Foreign companies doing business with Estonian partners may also contact us for ongoing assistance with contracts, payment disputes and other legal issues arising from their activities in Estonia.

Where possible, the scope and price of each assignment are agreed in advance.

Contact Erovik Law Office

If you have a dispute involving an Estonian company, a contract governed by Estonian law or court proceedings in Estonia, send us a short description of the matter together with the main documents.

We will first determine whether the matter falls within our practice. If it does, we will provide information about the proposed scope of work and price before substantive legal work begins.

Erovik Õigusbüroo OÜ (Erovik Law Office)
Registry code: 14787558
Tallinn, Estonia
info@erovik.ee
+372 50 64 330