On paper, the path from a commercial dispute to a binding resolution looks manageable. In practice, Polish procedural rules impose tight deadlines, mandatory pre-trial steps, and threshold-based court fees that can catch even experienced in-house teams off guard. Missing a single filing window can forfeit a claim entirely – an irreversible consequence that no subsequent appeal can cure.

Polish companies facing commercial disputes have three primary channels: litigation before the common courts, arbitration before a recognised tribunal, and – for public procurement matters – an appeal to the National Appeals Chamber (Krajowa Izba Odwoławcza, KIO). Each channel carries its own deadlines, cost structures, and enforcement implications. The choice of forum made at the outset largely determines the speed, cost, and finality of the outcome. Selecting the wrong channel precludes access to interim measures available in another.

This alert identifies the key procedural changes affecting Polish-domiciled companies, the thresholds that determine which forum applies, and the immediate steps your legal team should take before the next dispute arises.

What has changed in Polish dispute resolution recently?

Polish civil procedure has undergone significant reform over the past two years. The district courts (sądy rejonowe) and regional courts (sądy okręgowe) now apply stricter rules on the concentration of evidence. A party that fails to submit all evidence in its first pleading risks having later submissions excluded – a rule that effectively penalises any delay in case preparation.

The threshold separating district-court jurisdiction from regional-court jurisdiction currently sits at PLN 100,000. Claims at or above that figure go directly to the regional court, where procedural requirements are more demanding and court fees are proportionally higher. For a PLN 500,000 claim, the filing fee alone reaches PLN 25,000. Budgeting for litigation without accounting for this cost is a common oversight.

The National Court Register (Krajowy Rejestr Sądowy, KRS) now feeds directly into court systems, meaning that procedural notices are served to the registered address on file. A company that has not updated its KRS address risks missing service entirely – and a judgment issued in absentia carries full legal force. We assisted a manufacturing client in Mazowieckie (autumn 2025) in overturning a default judgment worth over PLN 800,000 after the company's registered address had lapsed. The process took four months and required a separate reopening application.

The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (Komisja Nadzoru Finansowego, KNF) has also tightened sanctions compliance requirements for financial-sector entities involved in disputes touching regulated instruments. Any litigation strategy in that space must account for parallel regulatory exposure.

Who is affected and what should you do now?

Every Polish-domiciled company with active commercial contracts is potentially affected. The practical impact is sharpest for three groups: companies with contract values above PLN 100,000 (regional-court jurisdiction applies), companies participating in public procurement (KIO appeal deadlines run from 10 days of notice), and companies with cross-border counterparties where enforcement will span multiple jurisdictions.

For public procurement disputes, the KIO appeal window is unforgiving. A tenderer that misses the 10-day deadline from the date of the contracting authority's act loses standing permanently. There is no discretion to extend. Our team secured a reversal of a procurement exclusion for a technology client in Lower Silesia (spring 2026) by filing within seven days and presenting a complete evidence bundle on day one – precisely because the new concentration-of-evidence rules left no room for supplementation later.

For arbitration, the key change is that the Sąd Arbitrażowy przy KIG (Court of Arbitration at the Polish Chamber of Commerce, SA KIG) revised its fee schedule in 2024. Registration fees for claims above EUR 500,000 now exceed EUR 10,000. Arbitration clauses drafted before that revision may create cost expectations that no longer match reality. Review your standard contract templates now, before a dispute crystallises.

Immediate action items for your legal team:

  • Verify that your KRS registered address is current and that correspondence reaches the right person within 24 hours.
  • Audit all commercial contracts for dispute-resolution clauses – identify whether litigation, arbitration, or KIO is the designated forum.
  • Map any cross-border enforcement needs against the recognition framework discussed in our guide on enforcing a France judgment in Poland.
  • Check sanctions compliance exposure for any dispute involving a counterparty on EU or US designation lists – see our analysis of DORA ICT risk management for Polish entities for the regulatory overlap.
  • If your counterparty is US-domiciled, review the procedural considerations covered in our alert on dispute resolution for United States companies doing business in Poland.

Waiting until a dispute has already been filed is the single most expensive mistake a company can make. Procedural rights that exist before filing – including interim injunctions and asset-freezing orders – are far harder to obtain once proceedings are underway. Personal liability of directors for failing to protect company assets through timely legal action is a real risk under Polish corporate legislation.

Your specific situation requires a tailored assessment before a dispute arises. Delay forfeits procedural options that cannot be recovered once deadlines pass.

To receive an expert assessment of your dispute resolution exposure in Poland, contact info@kordeckipartners.com. Our disputes team will map your contracts, identify forum risks, and prepare a response-ready litigation file within an agreed timeframe.

KORDECKI & Partners is a law firm based in Warsaw and Krakow, advising business clients across 30 jurisdictions. Our team combines expertise in Polish and international law with a practical approach to commercial litigation, arbitration Poland, and sanctions compliance. We work with Polish entrepreneurs, foreign investors, and in-house legal teams. To discuss your situation, contact info@kordeckipartners.com.

Disclaimer: This publication is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information herein should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal counsel tailored to your specific circumstances. KORDECKI & Partners assumes no liability for actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this material. For advice regarding your particular situation, please contact info@kordeckipartners.com.