Instant confirmationMe Usman Toseef
Ticino · Family law
CHF 10.–/h
No reviews yet
Lawyer in Locarno
Verified lawyers and legal advisers for Locarno – including advice in English – and which of the two preture is competent.
- No practitioner registered in the canton
Locarno lies in the Locarno District, in the canton of Ticino.
Locarno lies in the Locarno District, in the canton of Ticino.
The local picture
Locarno
Locarno lies on Lake Maggiore and is the centre of the district of the same name. Unlike most Ticino districts, Locarno has two preture: the Pretura di Locarno-Città and the Pretura di Locarno-Campagna. Which one is competent for your civil or family matter depends on the municipality. Criminal investigations are led by the Ministero pubblico, a tenancy dispute starts before the Uffici di conciliazione in materia di locazione, and all proceedings are conducted in Italian.
Many people from elsewhere in Switzerland and abroad live on Lake Maggiore, some all year round, others in a second home. Buying, letting, inheriting or paying tax on a property in Ticino raises questions you would rather discuss in your own language. On ora. every practitioner lists the languages they speak, and every lawyer is checked against a cantonal bar register. You book at the office or by video.
Practitioners
Lawyers in Locarno
No practitioner is registered in the canton of Ticino yet. Those below meet clients by video call, anywhere in Switzerland.
Nearest first: offices in Locarno, then the district and the canton, then those who meet by video call in your language.
See all practitionersBy video call, anywhere in Switzerland3 practitioners
Instant confirmation- Instant confirmation
Paola Arcidiacono
Ticino · Commercial law
CHF 140.–/h
No reviews yet
- Instant confirmation
Yann Bevilacqua
Genève · Commercial law
CHF 350.–/h
No reviews yet
Justice in Locarno
Which authority for which dispute?
Before you consult, it helps to know who decides. These are the competent authorities for Locarno, each with its official website.
Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO), swisstopo
- Tenancy
- Work
- Family
- Criminal
- Legal aid
Source: Federal Statistical Office (FSO), swisstopo
Tenancy
Tenancy: the Uffici di conciliazione
A dispute over rent, a defect, the deposit or a notice to quit normally starts in Ticino before the Uffici di conciliazione in materia di locazione, the tenancy conciliation offices. They try to bring the parties to an agreement. If that fails, the case can go to the district pretura. Proceedings are conducted in Italian, and time limits for challenging a notice are short, so a tenancy lawyer helps with the application.
- Official website
Competent authority
Uffici di conciliazione in materia di locazione
Serves: the whole canton
Related situations
Work
Employment: justice of the peace or pretura
Ticino has no separate employment tribunal. Small employment claims are decided by the justice of the peace (giudice di pace); above that limit, the ordinary district pretura is competent, such as the Pretura di Lugano or the Pretura di Bellinzona. Locarno and Mendrisio each have two preture. An employment lawyer checks the dismissal, your wages and the deadlines before you act.
- Official website
Competent authority
Pretura di Locarno-Città
Serves: Locarno District
- Official website
Competent authority
Pretura di Locarno-Campagna
Related situations
Family
Family: the district pretura
Protective measures, separation, divorce, custody and maintenance are decided at first instance by the pretura of your district, in Italian. Often an agreement can be reached that the court then only has to approve. If you do not speak Italian, you can look for a practitioner who advises you in your language and conducts the proceedings in Italian; on ora. every profile lists the languages spoken.
- Official website
Competent authority
Pretura di Locarno-Città
Serves: Locarno District
- Official website
Competent authority
Pretura di Locarno-Campagna
Related situations
Criminal
Criminal law: the Ministero pubblico
A complaint, a summons to an interview or a penalty order: the investigation is led by the Ministero pubblico, Ticino’s public prosecutor. Depending on the seriousness of the charge, the case is then decided by the Pretura penale or the Tribunale penale cantonale. The time limit for objecting to a penalty order is very short, so consult a criminal lawyer without delay; they can be at your side from the first interview.
- Official website
Competent authority
Ministero pubblico
Serves: the whole canton
Related situations
Legal aid
Legal aid
If you cannot afford proceedings and your case is not without prospects, you can apply in Ticino for Assistenza giudiziaria e gratuito patrocinio – legal aid. It can exempt you from advances and court costs and allow a lawyer to be appointed for you. The application is made in Italian. A practitioner can tell you whether your situation qualifies and help you with the form.
- Official website
Competent authority
Assistenza giudiziaria e gratuito patrocinio
Serves: the whole canton
Areas of law
Areas covered in Locarno
One panel for each area in which verified practitioners work in the canton of Ticino. Other areas remain available by video call.
No practitioner in the canton of Ticino 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
Common situations
The questions that come up most
Six common situations in the areas where most practitioners work in the canton of Ticino.
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.
- You choose an appointment
- You pay ora., which collects for the practitioner
- The work takes place
- 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 Locarno
Local answers, checked against official sources. A practitioner can look at your situation in detail.
See all questionsWhich pretura is competent for Locarno?
The Locarno district has two preture, the Pretura di Locarno-Città and the Pretura di Locarno-Campagna. Which one is competent depends on the municipality where the defendant lives or where the matter arises. A practitioner checks this before the first filing. Criminal cases go to the Pretura penale or the Tribunale penale cantonale.
I own a second home near Locarno: where would a dispute be heard?
For a dispute over rights in land, the competent court is usually the one where the property lies, so a Ticino pretura, even if you live in Zurich or London. A dispute with a tenant starts before the Uffici di conciliazione in materia di locazione. Proceedings are in Italian; a bilingual practitioner advises you in English and represents you locally.
How much does a lawyer cost in Locarno?
Each practitioner sets their own fees, and the rates of the lawyers available are shown live on this page and on every profile before you book. ora.’s service fee appears on a separate line and is never added into the fee, and you pay the practitioner directly. If your means are insufficient, you can apply for Assistenza giudiziaria e gratuito patrocinio, the canton’s legal aid.
Can I be advised in English in Locarno?
Yes, if the practitioner speaks English; every profile on ora. says so. Before Ticino courts and authorities, however, the language is Italian, and written submissions are drafted in Italian. Your lawyer does not just translate: they conduct the proceedings for you in Italian.
Next step
Find your practitioner in Locarno
Choose an area of law: the directory opens on the practitioners who work near you.
- Video consultation
- Online booking