Maja
Lawyer · Blato Korčula, Croatia
- 233 cases handled · 7 in this service
- 5+ years in practice
- Speaks: English
- Law, University of Split
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5.00(8 reviews)
Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract in Croatia
A breach of contract in Croatia, when the other side delivers late, badly or not at all, can lead to a demand to perform, termination of the contract and a claim for damages. English-speaking lawyers explain the options under Croatian law and take the dispute to negotiation, mediation or court.
About Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract in Croatia
Breach of contract in Croatia (also a contract dispute or contractual dispute; in Croatian povreda ugovora, with termination called raskid ugovora and damages naknada štete) covers any disagreement about whether a contract was kept: work left unfinished, goods not delivered, a price not paid in full, a deadline missed. Croatian contract law is set out mainly in the Civil Obligations Act (Zakon o obveznim odnosima). Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Contractual Disputes”.
Typical cases for foreigners
- A contractor renovating a house or building a villa leaves the work unfinished or poorly done.
- The seller of a car, a boat or equipment does not deliver what was agreed.
- A company managing a holiday apartment or chartering a yacht does not keep its side of the agreement.
- A Croatian supplier, distributor or business partner breaks a commercial contract.
How a contract dispute usually goes
- Reading the contract and the evidence: what was promised, what happened, and what the contract says about penalties (ugovorna kazna), notices and termination.
- A formal written demand in Croatian, giving the other side a fair chance to put things right.
- Negotiation or mediation (mirenje).
- A claim before the municipal court or, between companies, the commercial court (trgovački sud).
Points to watch
- A contract written in English is valid, but Croatian courts work in Croatian, so documents are translated by a court interpreter (sudski tumač).
- Claims expire after limitation periods that differ by type of contract; a lawyer confirms which one applies.
- A contract with a party in another country may name a court or a governing law; EU rules decide whether that choice holds.
- When the only problem is an invoice nobody disputes, debt collection is often the faster route.
What a lawyer does
A lawyer assesses the claim and its risks, writes the demand, negotiates a settlement, files or defends the claim and later enforces the judgment. A judgment obtained in another country takes its own step: enforcement of foreign judgments. Many disputes start with an unclear text, which is why contract review before signing pays off.
Questions and answers
Can a contract be ended because the other side broke it?
Croatian law allows termination for breach, often after the other side was given a chance to perform. Ending it the wrong way can turn the claim around, so the steps matter.
What compensation can be claimed?
Usually the loss actually caused and, in some cases, the profit lost, plus any penalty the contract sets. The amount depends on what can be proved.
Can a foreign company sue in Croatia?
Yes. A foreign party can sue and be sued in Croatian courts, normally represented by a Croatian lawyer.
Is a spoken agreement enforceable?
Many contracts are valid without writing, but some, such as contracts on real estate, need written form. Proving a spoken deal is harder.
4 lawyers who provide Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract in Croatia
Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.
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Luka
Lawyer · Zagreb, Croatia
- 44 cases handled · 2 in this service
- 15+ years in practice
- Speaks: English
- Law, University of Split
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5.00(2 reviews)
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Krešimir
Lawyer · Zagreb, Croatia
- 54 cases handled · 1 in this service
- 5+ years in practice
- Speaks: English
- Degree in law, Faculty of Law in Zagreb
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5.00(1 review)
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Pavao
Lawyer · Zagreb, Croatia
- 8 cases handled
- 8+ years in practice
- Speaks: English
- Law, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law
Contact form · a chat with a lawyer
Talk to a lawyer about Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract
4 registered lawyers provide this service in Croatia. Describe your situation in a short chat — what happened, where, and how to reach you. Your enquiry is reviewed and passed to a lawyer who handles exactly this kind of case, with no obligation.
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Enquiries are answered by lawyers of AdvocateAbroad. This site provides legal information, not legal advice.
What our clients say about our service in Croatia
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The lawyer did a great job for us in dealing with a difficult service provider. Her approach was suitably forceful and got the result we needed. Communication was excellent and timely, and we are very grateful. Highly recommended.
— Paul20 Jul 2022 -
The lawyer was excellent and efficient in every way.
— Tracey04 Nov 2025Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
The lawyer is calm, savvy and highly skilled, with excellent English. She helped us settle a tricky legal problem involving a Portuguese-based removal company, guiding us through the legal, technical and cultural complexities of our claim. For us it was priceless to have such peace of mind in a stressful period. We recommend her to anyone dealing with an international or complex legal claim.
— Krista15 Jul 2025Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
The lawyer was very helpful, spoke good English and was there when needed. My small case was taken seriously.
— Jan19 Feb 2025Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
Working with the lawyer was a pleasure, and her professionalism showed throughout. We are very thankful for her expertise and for the clear, well-articulated plan of action she set out. She made the effort to understand our situation and was always on hand to answer questions. We needed her because our wedding venue had charged us extra "overage" fees after the wedding and was keeping our wedding photos as collateral. She got to the bottom of it and resolved our case.
— Panayota12 Dec 2024Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
I am very happy with the lawyer, who is personable and supportive, and I am still working with her.
— Claire08 Nov 2024Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
The lawyer gave us very helpful support on the company matter we approached him with. We will certainly use him for any future legal needs.
— Aimee07 Nov 2024Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
The lawyer was very committed and, most importantly, successful.
— Nathalie04 Nov 2024Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
The lawyer was a great help. He replied quickly, understood our problem and was easy to work with.
— Jonny27 May 2024Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
I needed a lawyer after trouble getting a refund for a car reservation I had cancelled because of fraudulent information the car dealer had posted online. I contacted the service and my case was handled by one of its lawyers. Thanks to her action I got a relevant part of the money back within a few days, which I consider an absolute success. Dealing with her, I became firmly convinced that she is smart, excellent and reliable, a professional who comes quickly to the point. I would absolutely recommend her and the service to friends who may need legal support in Spain, and I would contact them again myself if the need arose.
— Marco03 May 2023Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
This summer a client of mine had a problem with a Catalan bank, Caixa, which had blocked his mortgage account so that he could not pay his instalments. Being a lawyer from Russia, I was unable to resolve it myself and turned to the lawyers of this service. One of them answered first, and I signed an agreement with her for legal assistance to my client. Thanks to her outstanding perseverance and the highest professionalism, the problem was solved. My client and I are entirely satisfied with her work and deeply grateful. Should I need legal help in Spain again, I will certainly turn to her.
— Ruslan08 Nov 2022Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract -
Our lawyer did a great job helping us resolve a purchase we made from a dishonest car dealer in Spain. She was honest with us from the beginning, always replied on time, and dealt with a very difficult person on the other side, closing the case successfully. We highly recommend this service!
— Anna27 Jun 2022