Instant confirmationMe Usman Toseef
St. Gallen · Family law
CHF 10.–/h
No reviews yet
Lawyer in St. Gallen
Find a verified lawyer or legal adviser in St. Gallen – and see straight away which authority handles your case, from tenancy to criminal law.
- No practitioner registered in the canton
St. Gallen lies in the St. Gallen constituency, in the canton of St. Gallen.
St. Gallen lies in the St. Gallen constituency, in the canton of St. Gallen.
The local picture
St. Gallen
St. Gallen is the capital of the canton and the seat of its higher courts. For the city and the rest of the St. Gallen constituency, Gossau included, the court of first instance is the district court (Kreisgericht St.Gallen): it hears civil and family cases, employment disputes and criminal cases. Criminal investigations are led by the public prosecutor’s office (Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons St.Gallen). A tenancy dispute starts before the conciliation authority (Schlichtungsstelle für Miet- und Pachtverhältnisse), and administrative appeals end at the Verwaltungsgericht des Kantons St.Gallen.
On ora., every lawyer is checked against a cantonal bar register, and legal advisers hold a Swiss law degree. You filter by area of law and language – useful if proceedings will be in German but you would rather be advised in English – see the fee before you book and choose a meeting at the office or by video. Messages and documents are exchanged securely through the platform.
Practitioners
Lawyers in St. Gallen
No practitioner is registered in the canton of St. Gallen yet. Those below meet clients by video call, anywhere in Switzerland.
Nearest first: offices in St. Gallen, 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
St. Gallen · Commercial law
CHF 140.–/h
No reviews yet
- Instant confirmation
Yann Bevilacqua
Genève · Commercial law
CHF 350.–/h
No reviews yet
Justice in St. Gallen
Which authority for which dispute?
Before you consult, it helps to know who decides. These are the competent authorities for St. Gallen, 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 conciliation authority first
A dispute with your landlord – over rent, a defect, the deposit or a notice to quit – normally starts in the canton of St. Gallen before the conciliation authority for tenancies (Schlichtungsstelle für Miet- und Pachtverhältnisse). It tries to bring the parties to an agreement; if that fails, the case can then go to the district court. Time limits for challenging a notice are short, so a tenancy lawyer reviews your documents and helps with the application.
- Official website
Competent authority
Schlichtungsstelle für Miet- und Pachtverhältnisse
Serves: the whole canton
Related situations
Work
Employment: the district court
The canton has no separate employment tribunal: dismissal, unpaid wages, overtime or a work certificate are heard by the district court (Kreisgericht), as a rule the one where the defendant lives or where the work is usually done. Each constituency has its own court; only Werdenberg and Sarganserland share the Kreisgericht Werdenberg-Sarganserland. A practitioner checks the deadlines and the evidence before you act.
- Official website
Competent authority
Kreisgericht St.Gallen
Serves: St. Gallen constituency
Related situations
Family
Family: the district court as well
Separation, divorce, custody and maintenance are decided at first instance by the district court of your constituency, such as the Kreisgericht St.Gallen, the Kreisgericht Rheintal or the Kreisgericht See-Gaster. A first consultation clarifies your options, the documents you need and the prospects of an agreement before any proceedings start. Many practitioners also offer this meeting by video, some of them in English.
- Official website
Competent authority
Kreisgericht St.Gallen
Serves: St. Gallen constituency
Related situations
Criminal
Criminal law: the cantonal prosecutor
A complaint, a summons to an interview or a penalty order: the investigation is led by the public prosecutor’s office (Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons St.Gallen). If it brings charges, the district court decides at first instance. The time limit for objecting to a penalty order is very short, so seek advice without delay. A criminal lawyer can be at your side from the first interview.
- Official website
Competent authority
Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons St.Gallen
Serves: the whole canton
Related situations
Legal aid
Legal aid: an application 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 competent court, which in the canton of St. Gallen is usually the district court. Legal aid can exempt you from advances and court costs and allow a lawyer to be appointed for you. A practitioner can tell you whether your situation qualifies.
- Official website
Competent authority
Legal aid (application to the competent court)
Serves: the whole canton
Areas of law
Areas covered in St. Gallen
One panel for each area in which verified practitioners work in the canton of St. Gallen. Other areas remain available by video call.
No practitioner in the canton of St. Gallen 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 St. Gallen.
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 St. Gallen
Local answers, checked against official sources. A practitioner can look at your situation in detail.
See all questionsWhich court handles my case in St. Gallen?
At first instance, the Kreisgericht St.Gallen (district court) hears civil and family cases, employment disputes and criminal cases. Criminal investigations are led by the public prosecutor’s office (Staatsanwaltschaft des Kantons St.Gallen). A tenancy dispute starts before the conciliation authority (Schlichtungsstelle für Miet- und Pachtverhältnisse). Appeals against cantonal administrative decisions go to the Verwaltungsgericht des Kantons St.Gallen. A practitioner confirms where your matter belongs.
I live in Gossau or Rorschach: which court applies?
Gossau belongs to the St. Gallen constituency, so the Kreisgericht St.Gallen is competent there too. Rorschach, by contrast, forms its own constituency with the Kreisgericht Rorschach. What usually counts is where the defendant lives and, in an employment dispute, also where the work is usually done. If in doubt, a practitioner checks jurisdiction before you file.
How much does a lawyer cost in St. Gallen?
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 to the competent court for legal aid.
Can I instruct a legal adviser instead of a lawyer?
For advice, a contract review or a letter to the other side, a legal adviser with a Swiss law degree can be a good choice. Professional representation in court, however, is in principle reserved to lawyers entered in a cantonal bar register. Every profile on ora. states clearly whether the practitioner is a lawyer or a legal adviser.
Next step
Find your practitioner in St. Gallen
Choose an area of law: the directory opens on the practitioners who work near you.
- Video consultation
- Online booking