Legal help

What we do and what we do not

We are not a law firm and we do not appear in court ourselves. That is done by a licensed lawyer whom we choose for your case and with whom you sign the agreement.

Our role is different: stepping in quickly, translating, gathering documents and coordinating between the lawyer, the police, the insurer and the hire company. So that at every step you know what is happening.

When you need a lawyer

A minor accident settled by a police report and insurance rarely needs a lawyer. Translation and properly gathered documents are enough.

A lawyer is needed when someone is injured, when the other side blames you, when the car is impounded, or when the hire company demands more than the contract allows and will not back down.

An accident: the first steps

The first call is to 112. If anyone is hurt, the ambulance comes first and everything else after. Do not move the cars unless safety requires it.

Before the police arrive, take photos: the position of the cars, the damage, the plates, the signs and the state of the road. Those minutes later turn out to be the most valuable.

Then call us. We translate by phone, tell you what not to sign, and notify the hire company.

The police report

The police draw up a report at the scene describing what happened and who is responsible. For the insurer and the hire company this is the most important document.

The report is in Georgian. Before you sign, you have the right to know what it says. If you disagree with something, that can be noted in the report.

Be sure to take a copy or the number of the report. Without it an insurance claim is often impossible.

An accident with an injured person

If someone was hurt in the accident, the matter is far more serious than a fine. An investigation may open, and the driver will be called for questioning.

In this case a lawyer should be involved as early as possible - ideally before the first questioning. Early advice often shapes how the whole case goes.

Meanwhile, admit nothing and sign nothing without a lawyer. That is not obstruction - it is your legal right.

Your rights

A foreigner in Georgia has the right to an interpreter when their case is heard, and to a lawyer. You have the right to inform your country's consulate.

You have the right not to sign a document you do not understand. Ask for a translation - it is a normal request.

Knowing your rights is not about conflict. It is about acting calmly and correctly, so that no problem arises later.

The interpreter

In an official procedure - questioning, court - an interpreter is provided by the state or the court. But before that, at the scene and in the first hours, translation is up to you.

We fill that gap: by phone at the scene, then at the meeting with the lawyer and when reading documents. Language should never be the reason you fail to understand something.

When a document has to be submitted officially, we arrange a notarised translation. That is a separate service, and we tell you about it in advance.

The consulate and embassy

In a serious case - an injured person, a detention, lost documents - it is better to inform your country's consulate. It cannot replace a lawyer, but it helps with some things.

A consulate usually provides a list of local lawyers and helps with documents and with contacting family. It does not intervene legally in the case.

If needed, we find the consulate's contact and help you with the first call.

Insurance: who covers what

A hire car carries the hire company's insurance, but it has an excess and exclusions. What it covers and what it does not is written in the contract.

Your travel insurance often covers medical costs but not damage to the car. Some credit cards include hire-car cover - that is worth checking too.

When you enter Georgia in a foreign car, compulsory insurance is issued at the border. After an accident all these policies need to be looked at together so that nothing is missed.

The insurance claim

A claim needs the police report, photos, medical records if anyone was hurt, and receipts for costs. The more complete the package, the faster the decision.

We prepare the claim, translate the documents and handle communication with the insurer. It often takes weeks, and we keep track of the deadlines.

If the claim is refused, we check the reason and, if necessary, appeal with the lawyer.

A dispute with the hire company

The most common dispute is damage the company declares after the car is returned, or a deposit it does not give back. In both cases the main evidence is the handover report and the photos.

We read the contract and compare it with the claim: what the excess is, what the insurance covers and what counts as normal wear. Often the claim goes beyond the contract.

We dispute it in writing first - in most cases that is enough. If the company does not back down, we hand the matter to the lawyer.

Assessing the damage

If the damage bill seems inflated, an independent assessment is possible. An expert examines the damage and establishes the real cost of repair.

This matters especially when the company wants a part replaced where repair would do, or presents old damage as new.

The assessment must happen soon after the claim, before the car is repaired. Once it has been repaired, proving the damage is almost impossible.

An impounded car

After a serious accident the car may be held as evidence until the expert examination is finished. That takes from days to weeks.

With a hire car, the hire company often claims daily losses during that time. What is lawful and what is not, the lawyer checks against the contract.

We find out where the car is, why it is being held and when it will be released. Meanwhile we arrange another car or a driver so that the trip does not stop.

Losing your driving licence

For some offences - alcohol, dangerous driving - the right to drive can be suspended. With a foreign licence this concerns your right to drive in Georgia.

Such cases are often heard by a court, and a lawyer's involvement matters a great deal here. The deadlines are short, and delay harms the case.

Until the matter is decided, we continue the trip with a driver. It is a simple detail but an important one.

When you are a passenger or pedestrian

It is not only drivers who need legal help. If you were in an accident as a passenger in a taxi or someone else's car, or a car hit you as a pedestrian, you are the injured party.

In that case the medical records, the police report and witnesses' contact details matter. They are the basis for compensation.

The lawyer helps you claim compensation - from the party at fault and from its insurer. We translate and gather the documents.

When the other side is uninsured

Not every driver has insurance that will cover your damage. In that case compensation has to be claimed directly from the party at fault, and that is a slower route.

Here a report that clearly states who was at fault matters especially, along with the other driver's full details - name, document, phone, plate number.

The lawyer assesses how realistic it is to recover the money and tells you whether court is worth it. Sometimes your own insurance is the quicker way out.

An accident during our transfer

If the accident happened in our driver's car, the legal and insurance matters are ours. You are a passenger, and the case does not pass to you.

First we see to your safety and medical care, then we send a replacement car so that the trip can continue.

If you were hurt, we gather the medical records and discuss compensation openly. We do not hide it and we do not drag it out.

Settlement or court

Many disputes end in a settlement, without court. That is usually faster and cheaper, especially if you are not staying in the country for long.

A settlement is good when it is in writing and the lawyer has checked it. A verbal agreement at the scene, in cash, often turns into a problem later.

Court is worth it when the sum is large or the other side is plainly unfair. You make that decision with the lawyer, with figures in front of you.

Leaving the country while a case is open

In most civil disputes and insurance cases leaving the country is no problem - the matter continues remotely.

In a criminal case there may be a travel restriction. The lawyer checks this, and it is better to know before buying a ticket.

If the case continues after you leave, the lawyer acts under a power of attorney, and we keep you informed of every step in your language.

Power of attorney and remote representation

To act in your name, the lawyer needs a power of attorney. In Georgia it is drawn up at a notary, with an interpreter present if you do not speak Georgian.

If you are already abroad, the power of attorney is drawn up in your country and often needs an apostille or consular legalisation. We tell you in advance what you need.

The power of attorney states exactly what the lawyer may do. We do not recommend one that is broader than necessary.

Staged damage and cash on the spot

It happens that after a minor bump the other driver suggests settling on the spot in cash, without the police. It sounds attractive, but it is risky.

Without a report you cannot prove what happened, and the hire company will still charge you for the damage. Sometimes the other side goes to the police later anyway.

Our advice: with a hire car, always the police and a report. If the other side keeps insisting on money, call us.

Deadlines

Deadlines in legal matters are strict: the insurer must be told about an accident within a short time, and an appeal has its own deadline. Missing a deadline often means losing the case.

So on the very first day we set out every deadline and send you the list. Before each one we remind you and check that the document is ready.

If you need a lawyer, we bring one in as early as possible. Early involvement is almost always cheaper than late.

Keeping the trip going

A legal matter does not mean the trip has to stop. While the lawyer works, we take care of the practical side: a new car, a driver, an extra night at the hotel.

If you need to return to Tbilisi for questioning or a meeting, we rearrange the route so that the planned days are not lost.

Often it is exactly these details that decide how you remember the trip - as a ruined one, or as one where an unpleasant incident was calmly resolved.

What we need from you

A short description of what happened, where and when. Photos, video and every document you have: the report, the hire contract, the insurance policy.

Your language and how you prefer to be contacted - phone, messenger or email. In a serious case one contact person is better.

And honest information. The lawyer can only help if they know fully what happened - that information is confidential.

What it costs

Our coordination and translation are a separate service agreed in advance. The lawyer sets their own fee, and you learn it before signing the agreement.

We take no commission from lawyers. So we choose the one who knows your kind of case best, not the one who is most profitable for us.

If the matter does not need a lawyer, we tell you so directly. Sometimes the right letter and a translation are enough.