Giovanni
Lawyer · Turin, Italy
- 286 cases handled · 10 in this service
- 16+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, French
- Law, University of Turin
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4.99(23 reviews)
Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract in Italy
A breach of contract in Italy, inadempimento contrattuale, is when one side does not do what it agreed: a builder leaves the works unfinished, a seller backs out of a compromesso, a supplier delivers defective goods. English-speaking lawyers send the formal demand, handle the mediation the law often requires and take the claim to court.
About Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract in Italy
A breach of contract in Italy — people also call it a contract dispute or a contractual dispute, or search for how to sue for breach of contract under Italian law — concerns a party that failed to perform what was agreed, performed late or performed badly. The Italian term is inadempimento contrattuale. The injured party can ask either for the contract to be performed or for it to be terminated (risoluzione), and in both cases for compensation (risarcimento del danno). Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Contractual Disputes”.
Who it concerns
Homeowners whose builder or renovation company abandoned the job or left defects, buyers and sellers of property when the other side walks away from the compromesso, foreign companies with an Italian distributor, supplier or customer, freelancers whose client ended the contract without reason, and expats in a dispute with a school or a service provider over a signed agreement.
Steps of a contract dispute in Italy
- Assessment: the contract, the correspondence, invoices, photos, technical reports. Italian courts rely heavily on documents and, for technical questions, on a court-appointed expert (CTU).
- A formal demand: a letter putting the other side on notice (messa in mora), or one giving it a final deadline to perform, after which the contract is treated as terminated (diffida ad adempiere).
- A compulsory attempt to settle. For many types of contract — building works, supply, franchising, leases, insurance and banking among them — the law requires mediation before a court case; for some money claims, an assisted negotiation between the parties' lawyers (negoziazione assistita) instead.
- Court: the justice of the peace (giudice di pace) for smaller claims, otherwise the ordinary court (tribunale); or an arbitrator when the contract contains an arbitration clause. For a sum of money backed by documents, a payment order (decreto ingiuntivo) can be faster.
- Enforcing the judgment if the losing side does not pay or perform of its own accord.
Points to watch
- Claims are lost after a limitation period that differs by type of contract and claim; defects in building works and in goods have short reporting deadlines of their own.
- A deposit paid on signing (caparra confirmatoria) follows its own rules when one side withdraws; see property purchase.
- English-language contracts are fully valid in Italy; Italian courts, however, work in Italian, and the clauses on governing law and jurisdiction decide where the case can be heard.
- Civil cases in Italy can take a long time, which makes a well-prepared settlement attempt worth more.
What a lawyer does
Weighs up the claim and the proof, writes the formal demand, represents you in mediation or negotiation, runs the case in Italian on either side and follows the enforcement. If the other side has simply not paid and raises no objection, see debt collection. A foreign judgment first needs recognition, see enforcement of foreign judgments; many disputes are avoided by a contract review before signing.
Questions and answers
What can be claimed when an Italian contract is broken?
Italian law lets the injured party insist on performance or end the contract and recover what it paid, and in either case claim damages for the loss caused; a penalty clause, where there is one, fixes the amount in advance.
Is mediation compulsory in Italy?
For many types of contract it is a condition for going to court, and a judge can also send a case to mediation. A lawyer checks which rule applies.
Can the case be handled from abroad?
Yes. With a power of attorney signed abroad, the Italian lawyer handles the mediation and the court case; a personal appearance is rarely needed.
When is it a contract dispute and when a debt to collect?
Debt collection is the route when the only question is an unpaid sum. A contract dispute arises when the parties disagree about what was owed or delivered, about the quality of the work, or about whether the contract still stands.
2 lawyers who provide Contract Disputes & Breach of Contract in Italy
Sorted by experience in this service. Write to any of them — the reply comes from the lawyer, without obligation.
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Alfredo
Lawyer · Naples, Italy
- 30 cases handled · 3 in this service
- 5+ years in practice
- Speaks: English, Spanish, Italian
- Masters Degree in Law, Università Federico II di Napoli
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5.00(1 review)
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What our clients say about our service in Italy
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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 -
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 -
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