If you are involved in litigation in Kuwait, we recommend seeking specialized legal assistance. Our dispute resolution lawyers in Kuwait have extensive experience and can represent you in various courts of law. But first of all, read this article to understand how conflicts in the business environment or related to Family Law can be resolved.
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In which courts are legal disputes resolved in Kuwait?
There are courts specialized in civil, labor, and commercial disputes in Kuwait, such as:
- Court of First Instance,
- Court of Appeal,
- Court of Cassation.
The Civil Law System is based on the French one, but with influences and clear principles from Sharia related to family matters. In addition, public courts in Kuwait offer information accessible to the public, compared to certain types of proceedings (arbitration, for example) where full confidentiality applies.
Arbitration & mediation in Kuwait
Arbitration in Kuwait is carried out in accordance with:
- Civil and Commercial Procedure Law (No. 38/1980),
- Law No. 11/1995 on Judicial Arbitration.
Arbitration needs a written agreement that must be signed by the parties involved in a commercial dispute, following their agreement. As for mediation as a dispute resolution in Kuwait, there is no specific legislation, but it is often the optimal solution for resolving conflicts, where a third party will play the role of mediator.
In the case of arbitration, the decision is legally binding and can be enforced by the court of law. In both cases, mediation and arbitration, we recommend that you discuss with our dispute resolution lawyers in Kuwaitto understand the legislation and its applicability.
About the courts in Kuwait
Here is some information about the court hierarchy in Kuwait:
- the Courts of First Instance are in charge of commercial, criminal, and civil matters & disputes. This is called “Kulya Court”,
- the Court of Appeal in Kuwait is in charge of reviewing judgments sent by the Court of First Instance,
- the Court of Cassation reviews the appeals from the Court of Appeal, and it is the biggest judicial authority in Kuwait.
There are also specialized courts, such as:
- Commercial Court, where business disputes are resolved,
- Family Court, where personal family cases are resolved,
- Court for Minister Liability, where government ministers’ cases are heard,
- The Court of State Security, which deals with national security cases.
You can get specialized legal support from our dispute resolution attorneys in Kuwait in any important court in this country, depending on the situation you are facing.
How to resolve a commercial dispute in Kuwait?
Our dispute resolution lawyers in Kuwaitcan guide and represent you in a commercial disagreement. In the first phase, the case will be analyzed, followed by mediation, arbitration, or amicable settlement. Professional legal counseling is highly recommended, regardless of the seriousness of the case presented. Mediation can involve, from the start, a negotiation of new terms and signing a settlement if all parties agree. Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR) is also an optimal solution for resolving commercial conflicts. However, in the event that ADR cannot be implemented, the competent court will issue a decision to conclude the commercial dispute.
Trends & statistics about dispute resolution in Kuwait
In Kuwait, commercial disputes were mostly resolved through litigation in 2025. Here are some other interesting facts:
- soft commercial disputes are concluded in a maximum of 6 months, while the complex ones are concluded in about 5 years,
- there are around 324 pending cases involving international investment disputes with Kuwait,
- the Family Court in Kuwait dissolved around 2,600 divorces in the first 6 months of 2025.
In addition to the services offered by our dispute resolution lawyers in Kuwait, we can also offer support in other matters. You can count on us for immigration in Kuwait. In fact, if you are interested in company formation in Kuwait, we are at your disposal. So, whether it’s litigation or other legal situations, contact our law firm in Kuwait for representation and assistance.