Private clients
Family law
Divorce, parental responsibility, maintenance and division of property, handled with care and with the children first.
Law firm · Vračar, Belgrade
A lawyer you can actually talk to
Hartwell & Co. helps families, individuals and small firms: with divorce and inheritance, buying a flat, work, compensation and court proceedings. Calmly, clearly and all the way through.
- Family and inheritance
- Home and contracts
- Work and defence
The firm
A small firm, close attention
We work in an old Vračar apartment, with four lawyers and time for every client. People come to us with questions that matter to them and are personal: about family, home and work.
So we listen first, explain plainly and stay with the client until the matter is done.
- Practice areas
- 10
- Wednesdays until 7 pm
- 7 pm
- First conversation
- Free
How we help
The questions you bring us
Ten areas in which we help individuals, families and small firms.
Private clients
Inheritance law
Wills, probate and lifetime property agreements, so heirs know what to expect.
Private clients
Property
Buying and selling a flat or house, cadastre registration, co-ownership and leases, with checks before every payment.
Disputes
Criminal defence
Defence from the first call by the police or prosecutor, and representation of victims in criminal proceedings.
Private clients
Contracts and claims
Everyday contracts, loans, home renovation and debt recovery, from drafting to enforcement.
Private clients
Employment law
For employees: dismissal, unpaid wages, workplace harassment and contracts, with a clear assessment before every step.
People
Meet us
Profiles are illustrative: the firm is fictional and serves as a demonstration.
- Sample profile
- Sample profile
- Sample profile
- Sample profile
Testimonials
In our clients' words
The divorce went more calmly than I thought possible. The children stayed out of it all.
ClientDivorce by consentIllustrative example They explained the probate so that all of us understood it, my brothers and my mother too.
HeirProbateIllustrative example
The testimonials on this page are illustrative examples written to demonstrate the website, not statements by real clients.
Working together
What working with us looks like
- 1.
By phone or message
You describe the situation briefly and we agree a time.
- 2.
Meeting
Over coffee we go through the documents and your questions.
- 3.
Written summary
You receive the options, steps and estimated cost, written simply.
- 4.
Together to the end
We handle the matter and update you after each important step.
The office
Come by for a coffee
Reception 
Office 
Meeting room 
Library 
Kitchen
Questions
You often ask us
Yes, a marriage is dissolved by a court, but divorce by consent is a simple procedure: a joint petition is filed with a written agreement on children and property, and the court usually decides at a single hearing.
Most of the time goes into writing a good agreement. We can help both spouses together only where there is no conflict of interest between them; otherwise each needs their own lawyer.
When all heirs are known and agree, and the property is properly registered, probate before a notary usually ends within a few months. It takes longer when the property isn't properly registered or the heirs disagree.
We start by checking the property in the cadastre, because that is where delays most often hide.
Signing the delivery slip only confirms that you received the decision, not that you agree with it. Refusing it doesn't stop the dismissal and can make the deadline harder to establish.
Accept the decision, note the date and contact a lawyer straight away, because the deadline for a claim runs from delivery.
If you are summoned as a suspect, the summons shouldn't be ignored, but you have the right to remain silent and to speak to a lawyer before questioning. If you are summoned to give information, ask in what capacity you are being called.
It is best to call a lawyer before you go and bring the summons with you.
At the first meeting we listen to what happened and what you want to achieve, review the documents you've brought and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.
Afterwards you receive a short written summary: the open questions, the possible steps and an estimate of the costs.
A short introductory call, in which we assess whether the question is within our practice, is free of charge. Consultations in which legal advice is given are charged under the tariff, and we tell you before booking.
Guides
Good to know
Family5 min read
Divorce by consent: what the agreement should contain
Divorce by consent is faster and easier, but only if the agreement is well written. Five things that mustn't be missing.
Ivana Kostić
Inheritance5 min read
Who inherits when there is no will
Without a will, the law decides who inherits and how much. A short guide to statutory heirs.
Ivana Kostić
Home and neighbours6 min read
Buying a flat? Six checks before you pay a deposit
Most problems with buying a flat could have been seen before the deposit. A checklist worth going through.
Milica Jovanović
Get in touch
Let's talk about what's worrying you
Write a few sentences or call us. The short first conversation is free of charge.