Expats often start by searching for “a lawyer in Tbilisi,” but the useful question is narrower: what kind of Georgian lawyer should handle this problem? A police interview, shareholder dispute, residence appeal and international surrogacy file require different experience, documents and urgency.
Recommended specialist legal resources
Broad legal practice
Lawyers.ge
Useful starting point for general Georgian legal matters including civil and administrative disputes, family law, immigration, property, corporate work, intellectual property and court representation.
Visit Lawyers.ge →Urgent & criminal
CriminalLawyers.ge
Focused on criminal defence, administrative offences, arrests, police interviews, searches, detention, financial crime, cross-border investigations, extradition and INTERPOL-related matters.
Visit CriminalLawyers.ge →Companies & investors
BusinessLawyers.ge
Focused on companies operating in Georgia: contracts, shareholders, employment, governance, regulation, transactions, market entry and business disputes.
Visit BusinessLawyers.ge →Surrogacy & medical law
SurrogacyLawyers.ge
Specialist Georgian legal support for international intended parents: program and contract review, clinic/agency documents, birth registration, exit documents and cross-border recognition planning.
Visit SurrogacyLawyers.ge →Which lawyer should an expat contact first?
Residence permit refusal or immigration dispute
Start with a lawyer who handles administrative and immigration proceedings in Georgia. The 1 September 2026 reform introduced a short 10-calendar-day court deadline for many Agency decisions, so this is not a situation to route through a general relocation agent.
Police, detention, search or criminal investigation
Use criminal defence counsel immediately. Do not wait for a formal charge if police want an interview or a search has occurred.
Shareholder, contract, employment or company problem
Use business/corporate counsel, particularly where company governance, director duties, regulatory compliance or a commercial dispute is involved.
Surrogacy or IVF-related legal planning
Use specialist counsel familiar with Georgian medical/family documentation and the destination country’s parentage, nationality and passport requirements. The commercial agency and fertility clinic should not be treated as substitutes for independent legal advice.
How to verify a Georgian lawyer
- ask who the responsible attorney is, not only the website or company name;
- verify Georgian Bar Association membership where representation requires an advocate;
- request a written scope and fee arrangement;
- confirm conflicts before sending sensitive documents;
- for cross-border matters, identify which lawyer advises on Georgian law and which adviser controls the foreign-law question.