General Practice Law at Finland
General practice law in Finland encompasses a broad range of legal areas that serve the general public and businesses. Finland operates under a civil law tradition, where written laws are the primary source of law, though customary law still holds influence, particularly in contract law. Finland is also a member of the European Union, so EU laws, regulations, and directives are binding.
Here's an overview of general practice law in Finland:
Common Areas of General Practice Law:
General practice lawyers in Finland often advise on and handle cases related to:
Business and Corporate Law:
Setting up businesses (limited liability companies are common).
Contracts, including various types of agreements.
Startup legal matters.
Public procurement.
Tax law and tax relief for foreign key employees.
Employment Law: Finnish legislation provides strong employee protection rights, and collective agreements are common.
Real Estate Law: Acquisition and registration of real estate, liens, and specific form requirements for sales agreements. Note that there are restrictions on ownership in the province of Åland for non-residents.
Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): Protection and enforcement of IPR, with litigation often handled by the Market Court.
Consumer Protection: Finland has developed consumer protection legislation.
Dispute Resolution:
Primarily through independent state courts (District Courts, Courts of Appeal, Supreme Court).
Special courts exist for specific areas (e.g., Market Court for market law, competition law, public procurement, and civil IPR cases; Labor Court for labor disputes; Insurance Court for social insurance).
Arbitration is also a common method for dispute resolution.
Family Law and Inheritance Law: Includes matters like divorce, property division, child custody, visitation, alimony, estate settlement, and declaration of inheritance.
Criminal Litigation: Assisting both victims and suspects in a wide range of criminal cases.
Administrative Law: Dealing with disputes between public authorities and private individuals, including tax, municipal, construction, social welfare, health care, and alien cases.
Immigration and Asylum: Assisting clients with immigration and asylum services, including appeals to administrative courts.
Finnish Legal System Structure:
Courts:
General Courts: Handle civil suits and criminal cases. This hierarchy includes:
District Courts (käräjäoikeus)
Courts of Appeal (hovioikeus)
Supreme Court (Korkein oikeus)
Administrative Courts: Handle disputes between individuals/corporate bodies and public authorities. This hierarchy includes:
Regional Administrative Courts
Supreme Administrative Court (Korkein hallinto-oikeus)
Special Courts: Examples include the Market Court, Labor Court, and Insurance Court.
Legal Professionals:
Attorneys-at-law (Asianajaja / Advokat): Members of the Finnish Bar Association (FBA). They are highly regulated and supervised.
Public Legal Aid Attorneys: Lawyers employed by Public Legal Aid Offices, providing legal aid (often means-tested). Many are also members of the FBA.
Licensed Legal Counsel (Luvan saanut oikeudenkäyntiavustaja): Lawyers who are not FBA members but have a license to practice before courts, subject to similar ethical rules.
Prosecutors: Handle criminal matters from pre-trial investigation to court proceedings.
Becoming a General Practice Lawyer in Finland (Attorney-at-law):
To become an attorney-at-law and a member of the Finnish Bar Association (FBA), aspiring lawyers generally need to meet the following requirements:
Education: Hold a Master's degree in law from Finland (other than a Master of International and Comparative Law) or an equivalent law degree from another country recognized by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Age: Be at least 25 years old.
Work Experience: Have a minimum of four years of legal work experience, with at least two years specifically in advocacy (working in a law office).
Bar Examination: Pass the Finnish Bar Examination, which is administered by the Finnish Bar Association and conducted in Finnish or Swedish. It consists of a written exam and ethical and trial parts.
Suitability: Be known to be honest, have a lifestyle and character fit for an attorney-at-law, and be independent and impartial.
Full-time Work: Work full-time as a lawyer.
No Bankruptcy/Restrictions: Not be bankrupt or subject to restrictions on legal capacity.
Continuing Education: Attorneys-at-law are obligated to undertake 18 hours of continuing education annually.
Foreign Qualifications:
If you have an attorney's qualification from another EU country, you can apply to be added to the Finnish Bar Association's EU list. After practicing as an EU-list attorney for three years, you may apply to join the FBA. If your law degree is from a non-Finnish country, it generally needs to be recognized as comparable to a Finnish Master of Laws degree by the Finnish National Agency for Education before you can take the bar examination.
Finding General Practice Law Firms in Finland:
Many law firms in Finland offer general practice services. Some firms, like those listed on legal directories, cater to both individuals and businesses across various legal needs. Larger firms might have specialized departments, while smaller or boutique firms often provide more comprehensive general services. Websites like HG.org and Nordiclex can be starting points for finding law firms in Finland.
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