Ireland is a common-law jurisdiction (like the UK, US, Canada and Australia) with the Irish Constitution as supreme law and EU law applying alongside domestic statutes. The practical map for newcomers: most everyday disputes (rent, employment, consumer, small claims) are handled by specialised statutory bodies rather than the courts, and those bodies are deliberately cheap and self-service. Solicitors are your first point of contact for anything that does need lawyered help; barristers come in only for higher-court advocacy and are engaged via your solicitor.
Which body handles what
| Issue | Where to start | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Employment dispute (unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, discrimination, hours/holidays) | Workplace Relations Commission (workplacerelations.ie) | Free to file; no lawyer needed initially |
| Tenancy dispute (deposit, rent increase, notice, repairs, eviction) | Residential Tenancies Board (rtb.ie) | Mediation free, adjudication €30 |
| Consumer dispute (faulty goods, refund, misleading advert) | Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (ccpc.ie); for €2,000 or under, Small Claims Court | CCPC free; Small Claims €25 |
| Discrimination outside employment (services, education) | Workplace Relations Commission under the Equal Status Acts | Free |
| Debt / financial difficulty | MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service, mabs.ie) | Free |
| Garda misconduct complaint | Fiosrú Office of the Police Ombudsman (formerly GSOC) | Free |
| Small civil claim (≤ €2,000) | Small Claims Court via courts.ie | €25, no solicitor needed |
| Civil claim €2,000–€15,000 | District Court | Higher fees; solicitor recommended |
| Civil claim €15,000–€75,000 | Circuit Court | Solicitor recommended |
| Civil claim €75,000+ / judicial review / constitutional | High Court | Solicitor + barrister |
| Family law (separation, divorce, custody, maintenance) | District/Circuit Court; mediation first | Family Mediation Service free |
| Domestic violence — protection, safety or barring orders | District Court, Garda enforcement | Free; emergency available |
| Personal injury claim | Personal Injuries Resolution Board (piab.ie) | Initial assessment fee modest |
The vast majority of newcomer legal issues are handled by the WRC, RTB, CCPC, MABS or Citizens Information without ever involving the courts.
Court hierarchy at a glance
| Court | Civil jurisdiction | What it handles |
|---|---|---|
| District Court | Up to €15,000 | Minor criminal offences, family law (separation/maintenance), most everyday civil matters, some licensing |
| Circuit Court | €15,000–€75,000 | Serious criminal cases (with jury), family law/divorce, personal injury, appeals from District |
| High Court | Over €75,000 | Constitutional cases, judicial review, serious criminal trials, complex commercial |
| Court of Appeal | n/a | Civil and criminal appeals from High Court (and certain Circuit) |
| Supreme Court | n/a | Final appeal — only on points of exceptional public importance or constitutional issue |
The Constitution sits above all of these; EU law applies directly under the European Communities Act 1972.
Your rights as a resident
Constitutional rights apply to everyone resident in Ireland regardless of nationality: personal liberty, fair procedures, protection from discrimination, access to courts, privacy, freedom of expression and association.
Discrimination is unlawful on nine grounds: gender, civil status, family status, age, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and membership of the Traveller community. Discrimination at work goes to the WRC; in services and education it falls under the Equal Status Acts (also WRC); at constitutional level the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (ihrec.ie) provides advice and can support strategic cases.
Employment rights in 2026 include:
- Minimum wage: €14.15/hour from 1 January 2026 for workers aged 20 and over. Sub-minimum youth rates apply: €12.74 at 19, €11.32 at 18, €9.91 under 18
- Working time: 48-hour weekly maximum (averaged), 11-hour daily rest
- Annual leave: 4 weeks (20 days) statutory minimum
- Public holidays: 10 (Brigid’s Day added in 2023)
- Statutory sick pay: 5 days a year, paid by your employer at 70% of normal pay up to a maximum of €110 a day. The scheme was legislated to rise to 7 days and then 10, but the Government decided in April 2025 to leave it at 5 — so ignore older articles quoting 7 or 10
- Maternity leave: 26 weeks paid at €299/week State benefit + 16 weeks unpaid optional
- Paternity leave: 2 weeks at €299/week
- Parent’s leave: 9 weeks per parent at €299/week
- Unfair dismissal protection: after 12 months continuous service
- Right to a written contract within 1 month of starting
Tenancy rights under the Residential Tenancies Acts:
- Limits on rent increases (Rent Pressure Zones cap rises at 2% per year or HICP inflation, whichever is lower)
- Tenancy of unlimited duration after 6 months unless valid termination ground exists
- Notice periods scaled to length of tenancy (minimum 90 days after 6 months, up to 224 days for 8+ year tenancies)
- Deposit protection — landlord can only retain for actual loss
- Mandatory written tenancy agreement
- Protection against retaliatory eviction
For housing detail, see renting in Ireland.
Finding legal help
| Need | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| General information on rights and processes | Citizens Information citizensinformation.ie / 0818 07 4000 | Free |
| Free legal advice clinic | FLAC flac.ie — evening clinics, no means test | Free, advice only (not representation) |
| Civil legal aid (family, housing, debt, etc.) | Legal Aid Board legalaidboard.ie — means tested | Advice from €30 (up to €150); court representation from €130. €10 flat for asylum/subsidiary-protection cases, and the contribution can be waived for hardship |
| Tenant advice | Threshold threshold.ie | Free |
| Employment advice | Trade union (if member); WRC Customer Service | Free |
| Debt advice | MABS mabs.ie | Free |
| Domestic violence | Women’s Aid 1800 341 900 / Men’s Aid 01 554 3811 | Free |
| Sexual violence | Dublin Rape Crisis Centre 1800 778 888 | Free |
| Crime victim support | V-Support (crimevictimshelpline.ie) 116 006 | Free |
| Immigration legal help | Immigrant Council of Ireland immigrantcouncil.ie | Free advice line; some casework |
| Find a solicitor | Law Society of Ireland directory lawsociety.ie | Many offer free initial consultation |
Solicitor cost ballpark:
- Standard hourly rate: €150–€400+ (Dublin higher)
- Simple letter or one-off advice: €100–€300
- Contract review: €300–€1,000
- Court appearance (lower courts): €1,000–€3,000+
- Complex litigation: €10,000+
Always get the fee structure in writing before instructing a solicitor. Many serious matters justify the cost; many everyday matters are better handled through the statutory bodies above.
Common scenarios
Deposit not returned. Apply to the RTB at rtb.ie. Mediation is free and is usually the faster route — it is phone-based and the agreement is legally binding. Adjudication costs €30 and takes longer. If either side is unhappy with the outcome, they can appeal to a tribunal. Online application; the landlord must be RTB-registered. Decisions are binding. Most cases resolve in favour of tenants where evidence supports it.
Unpaid wages or unfair dismissal. File a complaint with the Workplace Relations Commission via workplacerelations.ie within 6 months. Free. Adjudication hearings are informal — you can self-represent; many do. Awards can include compensation up to 2 years’ salary for unfair dismissal.
Faulty goods. Try the trader first (in writing). If unresolved, the Small Claims Court (courts.ie/small-claims-procedure) handles claims up to €2,000 for €25; no solicitor needed. The CCPC (ccpc.ie) provides advice but doesn’t take individual cases.
Stopped or arrested by Gardaí. You must give your name and address; you don’t have to answer further questions. If arrested you have the right to a solicitor (use it), the right to inform someone, the right to an interpreter, and time-limited detention. Don’t sign anything you don’t understand. To complain about Garda conduct, the new Office of the Police Ombudsman (Fiosrú) replaced GSOC in early 2025.
Domestic violence. Apply to the District Court for a Safety Order, Barring Order or emergency Protection Order. Court staff will help with the forms; no solicitor required for the application; free. Gardaí enforce orders — breach is a criminal offence. Women’s Aid (1800 341 900) and Men’s Aid (01 554 3811) operate 24/7 helplines and can support the application process.
Family law (separation, divorce, custody). Free Family Mediation Service is the recommended first step (mediation.ie). Divorce in Ireland requires 2 years’ living apart in the previous 3 years (reduced from 4-of-5 by the 2019 referendum). Family law is heard in the District or Circuit Court. Legal Aid is available means-tested.
Personal injury. Don’t go straight to court. The Personal Injuries Resolution Board (piab.ie) handles assessment for most claims first — that’s a statutory step. Solicitor still recommended throughout.
Practical tips
- Document everything. Save written communications, photograph property condition at move-in, screenshot relevant exchanges, keep receipts.
- Mind time limits. Most statutory complaints have 6-month windows. WRC, RTB and Equal Status complaints lapse if you wait too long.
- Get things in writing. Verbal promises in employment, tenancy or consumer contexts are hard to enforce. Always confirm by email.
- Don’t ignore court papers. Default judgments happen. If you receive anything from a court, respond — even just to acknowledge.
- Consider mediation first. RTB, WRC, Family Mediation Service, the Mediators’ Institute of Ireland — all have mediation as a faster, cheaper, less destructive option than full hearings.
Verification
Re-verified 3 August 2026. The €14.15 minimum wage and the youth sub-minimum rates, and the 5-day statutory sick pay entitlement at 70% capped at €110/day, are per Citizens Information and DETE’s April 2025 decision to leave sick leave at 5 days. RTB dispute costs are from the RTB’s own disputes page and Legal Aid contributions from the Legal Aid Board. Maternity, paternity and parent’s benefit rates were each checked at gov.ie. Small claims limit and fee per courts.ie. Court jurisdiction thresholds and the nine discrimination grounds were not re-verified this pass. Statutory rates and thresholds change with each Budget — confirm specific figures on the relevant body’s site before relying on them.
For related: renting in Ireland, finding jobs in Ireland, emergency services, immigration stamps, driving in Ireland.