Frequently Asked Questions

In the Turkish legal system, retaining a lawyer is not mandatory for most case types; individuals may represent themselves in court. However, legal representation by a defence counsel is compulsory in cases tried before heavy criminal courts, and representation may also be required in certain civil proceedings.

Even where legal representation is not mandatory, professional assistance — covering the correct preparation of petitions, presentation of evidence, observance of deadlines and management of hearings — contributes significantly to the proper conduct of proceedings. It is advisable to assess the legal nature of your matter and make your choice accordingly so as to avoid any loss of rights.

Legal fees are assessed by reference to the legal nature of the file, the anticipated proceedings, the work required and the applicable legislation. The Attorney Minimum Fee Schedule published annually by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations serves as the basis.

For fee information specific to your matter, you need only contact our office; once an assessment has been made, the terms will be set out in a written retainer agreement. Fees may be structured as fixed, contingency-based or graduated, depending on the characteristics of your matter.

Our office provides legal consultancy and litigation services in criminal law, family and personal law, labour law, commercial and corporate law, contract law, administrative and tax law, enforcement and bankruptcy law, intellectual property law, and data protection and IT law.

Each dispute is assessed on a case-by-case basis in light of the relevant legislation and case law. Further information on our practice areas is available in the 'Practice Areas' section of the website.

Under Turkish law, mediation is prescribed as a pre-condition to filing a lawsuit in certain types of dispute. Labour disputes — such as severance pay, notice pay and reinstatement — along with a significant portion of commercial disputes and consumer disputes fall within the scope of mandatory mediation.

Cases filed without first applying to a mediator may be dismissed on procedural grounds. Whether your matter falls within mandatory mediation depends on the nature of the dispute; it is advisable to contact us for the process to be managed correctly.

The duration of proceedings varies depending on the type of dispute, court workload, the state of the evidence and the conduct of the parties during the trial. In Turkey, labour and family cases average 1–2 years, commercial disputes 1–3 years, and criminal cases 1–4 years depending on the nature of the file.

If regional court of appeal and Court of Cassation stages are included, the total duration may be longer. A case-specific time estimate requires an assessment of the nature of your claim.

Yes. We handle cases nationwide across all provinces and districts throughout Turkey. Throughout the process, client communication is conducted by telephone, video call and secure digital file sharing, so geographical distance is not an obstacle.

On hearing days and whenever physical attendance at a courthouse is required, we travel to the relevant city so that your file is represented in person. For city-specific information, please see the 'Service Regions' page of the website.

Yes. Consultations can be conducted by telephone, video conference or in writing. Documents are shared via secure digital methods and you are kept informed at every stage of the process.

For matters that normally require an in-person visit to our office — such as the execution of a power of attorney — remote solutions via a notary can be arranged. This means clients based outside Ankara can also conduct the entire process without any difficulty.

In criminal proceedings, a defence counsel is the lawyer who takes on the defence of the suspect or accused. Attending the taking of statements during the investigation phase, conducting the defence at hearings during the prosecution phase, presenting evidence and pursuing legal remedies are among the core duties of defence counsel.

For certain offences falling within the jurisdiction of heavy criminal courts, the appointment of defence counsel for the accused is compulsory. The assistance of defence counsel is critically important for the effective exercise of the accused's constitutional right to a defence.