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    Lawyer in the canton of Bern

    The canton of Bern is bilingual: German and French are both official languages. Find a verified practitioner who speaks your language – and the authority competent for your region.

    14 towns in the canton have their own page: pick one on the map.

    Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO), swisstopo

    Towns in the canton

    Towns in the canton of Bern

    14 town pages, each with its practitioners and authorities, listed by district.

    2. 021 town

      Biel/Bienne administrative district

    5. 051 town

      Emmental administrative district

    6. 061 town

      Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district

    7. 071 town

      Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district

    8. 081 town

      Seeland administrative district

    Practitioners

    Practitioners in the canton of Bern

    No practitioner is registered in the canton of Bern yet. Those below meet clients by video call, anywhere in Switzerland.

    First those who practise in the canton, then practitioners who consult by video in your language.

    See every practitioner in the canton

    • By video call, anywhere in Switzerland3 practitioners

      Instant confirmation

      Me Usman Toseef

      Bern · Family law

      CHF 10.–/h

      No reviews yet

    • Instant confirmation

      Paola Arcidiacono

      Bern · Commercial law

      CHF 140.–/h

      No reviews yet

    • Instant confirmation

      Yann Bevilacqua

      Genève · Commercial law

      CHF 350.–/h

      No reviews yet

    Justice in the canton of Bern

    Which authority for which dispute?

    Before you consult, it helps to know who decides. Here are the competent authorities for the whole canton and the districts they serve, each with its official website.

    1. Tenancy

      Tenancy: four regional conciliation boards

      A dispute over rent, defects or a notice to quit starts, in principle, before the conciliation board of your region: Bern-Mittelland, Emmental-Oberaargau, Oberland or Berner Jura-Seeland. The board where the flat is located is competent. It hears both sides and proposes an agreement. If conciliation fails, it authorises you to take the case to the regional court. A lawyer can help with the request and the deadlines.

      • Competent authority

        Schlichtungsbehörde Berner Jura-Seeland / Autorité de conciliation du Jura bernois-Seeland

        Serves: Bernese Jura administrative district, Biel/Bienne administrative district, Seeland administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Schlichtungsbehörde Emmental-Oberaargau

        Serves: Oberaargau administrative district, Emmental administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Schlichtungsbehörde Bern-Mittelland

        Serves: Bern-Mittelland administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Schlichtungsbehörde Oberland

        Serves: Thun administrative district, Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district, Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district, Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district

        Official website

      Related situations

    2. Work

      Employment: no separate tribunal

      Unlike some cantons, Bern has no separate employment tribunal. Disputes arising from employment – dismissal, unpaid wages, overtime, work references – go to the four regional courts, usually after an attempt at conciliation. What counts is the court region: Thun and Interlaken, for example, fall under the Regionalgericht Oberland, Langenthal and Burgdorf under the Regionalgericht Emmental-Oberaargau. A practitioner checks your documents and deadlines first.

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Berner Jura-Seeland / Tribunal régional du Jura bernois-Seeland

        Serves: Bernese Jura administrative district, Biel/Bienne administrative district, Seeland administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Emmental-Oberaargau

        Serves: Oberaargau administrative district, Emmental administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Bern-Mittelland

        Serves: Bern-Mittelland administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Oberland

        Serves: Thun administrative district, Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district, Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district, Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district

        Official website

      Related situations

    3. Family

      Family: the regional court of your region

      Separation, divorce, custody and child maintenance are decided at first instance by the regional court – Bern-Mittelland, Emmental-Oberaargau, Oberland or Berner Jura-Seeland. In the Bernese Jura administrative district, proceedings are held in French; in the Biel/Bienne district, in German or French. A first consultation clarifies your options, the documents you need and the chances of an agreement before any proceedings begin.

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Berner Jura-Seeland / Tribunal régional du Jura bernois-Seeland

        Serves: Bernese Jura administrative district, Biel/Bienne administrative district, Seeland administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Emmental-Oberaargau

        Serves: Oberaargau administrative district, Emmental administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Bern-Mittelland

        Serves: Bern-Mittelland administrative district

        Official website

      • Competent authority

        Regionalgericht Oberland

        Serves: Thun administrative district, Obersimmental-Saanen administrative district, Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district, Interlaken-Oberhasli administrative district

        Official website

      Related situations

    4. Criminal

      Criminal law: prosecutor first, then the regional court

      Criminal complaint, summons to an interview or summary penalty order: the investigation is led by the Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons Bern, the cantonal public prosecutor. If charges are brought, the regional court concerned tries the case at first instance. You can object to a summary penalty order, but the deadline is short. You may bring a lawyer to every interview – so get in touch early.

      • Competent authority

        Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons Bern

        Serves: the whole canton

        Official website

      Related situations

    5. Legal aid

      Legal aid: apply to the court

      If you cannot afford proceedings and your case is not without prospects, you can apply for legal aid. The application goes to the court where the case is pending or is to be brought – in the canton of Bern, usually the regional court. Legal aid can waive court costs and include the appointment of a lawyer. A practitioner can tell you whether your situation qualifies.

      • Competent authority

        Legal aid (application to the competent court)

        Serves: the whole canton

        Official website
    Areas of law

    Areas covered in the canton of Bern

    One panel for each area in which verified practitioners work in the canton of Bern. Other areas remain available by video call.

    No practitioner in the canton of Bern yet

    Nobody in the canton is registered for these areas yet. Practitioners from elsewhere can meet you by video call.

    • Family law
    • Employment law
    • Commercial law
    • Contract law
    • Property law
    • Landlord and tenant law
    • Criminal law
    • Immigration law
    • Succession law
    • Intellectual property law
    • Insurance law
    • Tax law
    • Debt enforcement law
    • Administrative law
    • Data protection law
    • Arbitration

    Pricing on ora.

    Two lines, never one total

    Each practitioner sets their own fees and shows them on their profile before you book. You pay ora., which collects on the practitioner’s behalf; ora. charges its service fee on a separate line.

    • Practitioner's feeSet by the practitioner, paid out to the practitioner
    • ora. service fee (non-refundable)A separate line, paid to ora.
    Payment, step by step
    1. You choose an appointment
    2. You pay ora., which collects for the practitioner
    3. The work takes place
    4. If you disagree, ora. mediates

    Cantonal registers checked by hand

    • Geneva
    • Vaud
    • Neuchâtel
    • Fribourg
    • Valais
    • Jura

    We keep the name of the register and the date of every check.

    Frequently asked questions

    Your questions in the canton of Bern

    Local answers, checked against official sources. A practitioner can look at your situation in detail.

    See all questions
    How do I find a verified lawyer in the canton of Bern?

    On ora., every lawyer is checked against a cantonal bar register, and every legal adviser proves a Swiss law degree. You filter by area of law, language and place, from Bern and Biel/Bienne to Thun and Langenthal, and compare profiles and fees. You book online, at the law firm or by video.

    Which regional court is competent for my municipality?

    The canton’s ten administrative districts form four court regions. Bern-Mittelland covers the district of the same name. Emmental-Oberaargau covers the Emmental and Oberaargau districts. Berner Jura-Seeland covers the Bernese Jura, Biel/Bienne and Seeland. Oberland covers Thun, Frutigen-Niedersimmental, Interlaken-Oberhasli and Obersimmental-Saanen. Each region has its own regional court and conciliation board.

    Can I get legal advice in French in the canton of Bern?

    Yes. French is an official language of the canton alongside German. In the Bernese Jura, proceedings are held in French; in Biel/Bienne, in German or French. On ora., every profile shows the languages a lawyer or legal adviser works in, and you can filter by language – including English and other languages.

    How much does a lawyer cost in the canton of Bern?

    Every lawyer and legal adviser sets their own fee; it depends on the area of law, the work involved and their experience. You can see the fees of practitioners advising in the canton of Bern live on this page and in each profile before you book. ora.’s service fee is shown on a separate line and is never added into the practitioner’s fee.

    How do I challenge an administrative decision in the canton of Bern?

    Against a decision of a cantonal or municipal authority – a building permit or a decision of the municipality, for example – an internal administrative appeal is often available first. After that, an appeal usually goes to the Verwaltungsgericht des Kantons Bern (administrative court). The deadline and the remedy are stated at the end of the decision. An administrative lawyer checks which route applies in your case and whether the deadline is still running.

    What does the Bernischer Anwaltsverband do?

    The Bernischer Anwaltsverband is the professional association of lawyers in Bern. Membership is not the same as being entered in the cantonal bar register, which is what entitles a lawyer to represent clients in court. ora. checks that register entry before a lawyer’s profile is published.

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    Find your practitioner in the canton of Bern

    Choose an area of law: the directory opens on the practitioners who work near you.

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