İzmir Law Office Practice Areas - Criminal, Divorce, Enforcement & Corporate Law
Yücesoy Avukatlık & Hukuk Bürosu (Av. Mehmet Yücesoy, İzmir Bar) provides legal representation and counsel to both individual and corporate clients in İzmir across criminal law, divorce and family law, custody and alimony, marital property, real estate and tenancy law, employment law and employee claims, compensation law, inheritance law, consumer law, execution and bankruptcy law, corporate and company law, and mediation. The central office is located in İzmir Konak, at İkbal-1 Business Center, close to the İzmir Courthouse (Bayraklı); services cover all of İzmir, primarily Konak, Bayraklı, Karşıyaka, Bornova, Buca, Gaziemir and Karabağlar. For appointments and information you can reach us via phone/WhatsApp at +90 553 935 71 24.
Which Areas of Law Do We Work In?
As Yücesoy Avukatlık & Hukuk Bürosu, we provide legal services to individual and corporate clients across İzmir from our central office in Konak, primarily in Konak, Bayraklı, Karşıyaka, Bornova and Buca. Across fourteen practice areas, from criminal law and divorce cases to real estate and tenancy disputes, employment law, inheritance and consumer files, corporate advisory and mediation, we develop solutions aimed at preventing loss of rights.
You can reach the detailed account of each process by selecting the area you are interested in from the panels below. Beneath the panels, sections summarise the scope of each practice area, the typical file types and the deadlines to watch; at the end of the page you will find how a file moves through the office and the districts we serve across İzmir.
Criminal Law: Defense From Investigation to Appeal
Criminal proceedings run from the moment the first statement is taken from a suspect or defendant until the judgment becomes final, and each stage is governed by its own procedural rules. The evidence gathered during the investigation, the statements taken and the protective measures applied (custody, arrest, judicial control, search and seizure) largely shape how the file develops afterwards. For that reason the defense should begin at the police station and the prosecutor’s office rather than waiting for the trial stage.
Our office represents clients in files heard before the criminal judgeships of peace, the criminal courts of first instance and the high criminal courts. Drug offenses, offenses against sexual inviolability, intentional injury, defamation and threats, fraud and cybercrime are the main file types we work on. Alongside acting as defense counsel, we also act as counsel for victims and participating parties with the same care.
Deadlines in criminal files are short and most of them are preclusive; objection, appeal and cassation remedies must be used within the period set by law. Hearings and interrogations at the İzmir Courthouse in Bayraklı, together with visits to penal institutions, are planned around that calendar.
Divorce & Family Law: Ending a Marriage and Its Consequences
Family law disputes carry personal as well as legal consequences. In an uncontested divorce the parties must reach full agreement on both the financial consequences of the divorce and the position of the children, and must repeat that agreement in person before the judge. In a contested divorce, the allegations put forward must be proven through witness statements, correspondence records, bank movements and official documents.
Interim, participation and poverty alimony, custody and the establishment of personal relations, pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages, and the liquidation of property acquired during the marriage are the most disputed headings of a divorce. Alimony and compensation amounts are not tied to a fixed tariff: the judge assesses them by weighing the economic and social situation of the parties, the distribution of fault and the needs of the child together. The income and expense documents submitted to the file therefore directly affect the outcome.
In cases of domestic violence, threats and persistent stalking, protective and preventive measure decisions may be requested without waiting for a divorce action to be filed. Throughout the process our aim is to prevent loss of rights and to contribute to an outcome that observes the best interests of the child.
Real Estate & Tenancy Law: Title, Eviction and Condominium
Disputes concerning immovable property often carry high economic value and arise from the gap between the land registry record and the actual situation. Title deed cancellation and registration, collusive transfers by the deceased, pre-emption, dissolution of joint ownership and unlawful occupation without expropriation are the main file types in this field. At the outset we examine the land registry record, the cadastral sheet, the zoning status and any inheritance relationship together.
In a tenancy relationship, eviction, determination and adaptation of the rent, and the tenant’s default are frequently encountered headings. The ground relied on for eviction (need, reconstruction and development, an eviction undertaking or default) and serving notices in the form and within the periods set by law directly affect the outcome. A notice served contrary to procedure can leave even a substantively well-founded claim without result.
Disputes arising from condominium ownership over common areas, dues, the management plan and departures from the project, as well as claims arising from promises to sell immovable property, are also handled within this scope. An examination carried out at the contract stage makes a significant portion of later litigation unnecessary.
Corporate & Company Law: From Contract to Dispute
A company’s legal need usually arises when the contract is signed, not when litigation begins. In drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, structuring the limits of liability, security, penalty clauses, confidentiality, termination and dispute resolution provisions correctly from the outset substantially limits future risk. Reviewing existing contract texts serves the same function.
Company formation and conversion, capital increases, share transfers, general assembly and board procedures, mergers and acquisitions, and disputes among shareholders are handled within this scope. On the employer side, drafting employment contracts, managing termination processes and labour law compliance call for regular advice; preventing later claims for employment receivables is largely possible at this stage.
For a significant portion of commercial disputes, applying to mediation before filing suit is a condition of the action under the law. We therefore plan the period from the establishment of the commercial relationship to the resolution of the dispute as a single whole, running the contract, notice, mediation and litigation stages so that each supports the next.
Execution & Bankruptcy Law: Actually Collecting the Receivable
Holding a contract, invoice, cheque, promissory note or court judgment does not mean the receivable has been collected. Enforcement law is the field that turns a right existing on paper into a practical result. At the very outset of a file we examine the basis of the receivable, whether it has fallen due, its limitation status and the debtor’s assets; the route is then chosen according to that analysis.
Depending on the nature of the receivable, the route followed is execution without judgment, execution with judgment, proceedings specific to negotiable instruments, or liquidation of a pledge. If the payment order is objected to, either an action for annulment of objection or removal of objection is pursued, according to the nature of the document held. On the debtor’s side there are negative declaratory and restitution actions, together with the complaint remedy before the execution court against proceedings and attachments contrary to procedure.
Once the proceeding becomes final, attachment may be applied to real estate, vehicles, bank accounts, salary and rights and receivables held by third parties; attached goods are sold and the receivable is collected from the proceeds. For companies in payment difficulty, concordat and bankruptcy provide a separate procedure for restructuring the debt or for equal distribution among creditors.
Mediation: Mandatory and Voluntary Processes
Mediation is a structured, confidential negotiation method in which the parties produce the solution themselves, assisted by a mediator. In labour and employer disputes, commercial actions, consumer disputes and certain disputes arising from tenancy, dissolution of joint ownership and condominium ownership, applying to a mediator before filing suit is a condition of the action.
Att. Mehmet Yücesoy is a registered mediator, so the process is assessed from the perspective of both party counsel and mediation. In disputes outside the mandatory scope the parties may also use this route voluntarily. Coming to the sessions prepared, justifying the claim in figures and identifying the alternatives in advance determine how productive the process is.
When agreement is reached, the settlement document drawn up is treated as a document of the nature of a judgment once an enforceability annotation is obtained, and may be made the subject of execution with judgment directly. If no agreement is reached, the final minutes drawn up constitute the document evidencing the condition of the action that must be attached to the statement of claim; an action filed without it is dismissed on procedural grounds.
Employment Law: Validity of Termination and Employee Receivables
Most employment disputes turn on the question of how the employment contract came to an end. Who terminated it, on what ground and by what procedure directly affects every claim for severance and notice pay, reinstatement and bad faith compensation. At the outset of the file we therefore examine the termination notice, the request for a written defense, the minutes drawn up and any disciplinary board decision together.
In claims for overtime, weekly rest, national holiday and public holiday pay, and annual leave, the burden of proof and the structure of the evidence are decisive; timekeeping records, payslips, entry and exit data, bank movements and witness statements are assessed together. Compensation and receivable amounts are not tied to a fixed tariff: they are calculated over the length of service, the enhanced wage and the working pattern, and because the statutory ceilings used in the calculation are updated periodically they must be confirmed at the time of application.
For employee receivable and reinstatement claims, applying to a mediator before filing suit is a condition of the action, and the period set by law for that application must be observed. In occupational accident and occupational disease files, the claim for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages, the social security procedures and the criminal investigation often run at the same time, so the process is planned as a whole.
Compensation Law: Establishing the Loss and the Route for the Claim
The basis of a compensation claim varies with the legal character of the event causing the loss: traffic accidents, occupational accidents, medical malpractice, breach of contract and infringement of personal rights are subject to different liability regimes. At the outset of the file, fault, causation and the heads of loss are established separately; the accident report, expert reports, the medical board report and treatment records provide the basis for that assessment.
Heads of pecuniary damage include treatment costs, temporary and permanent incapacity loss, loss arising from the impairment of economic prospects, and loss of support. The amount is not read off a fixed schedule: it is determined by actuarial calculation over the life table, the degree of fault, income and the level of disability. For non-pecuniary damages, the judge weighs the gravity of the event and the situation of the parties together.
For claims within the scope of compulsory traffic insurance, a written application to the insurer before filing suit is mandatory; where there is no insurer or the insurer cannot be identified, the Guarantee Fund becomes involved. Limitation periods for claims arising from tort are set out in the law, and a different period may apply where the act also constitutes an offense, so assessing the deadline is the first step in the file.
Tenancy Disputes: Grounds for Eviction and Determination of the Rent
In disputes arising from a tenancy, the first factor determining the outcome is which ground for eviction the claim rests on. The landlord’s need, reconstruction and development, a written eviction undertaking, default through non-payment of rent, and two justified notices within the same lease year are each subject to different procedures and different periods. Using these grounds interchangeably can leave even a substantively well-founded claim without result.
In actions for the determination and adaptation of rent, the judge weighs criteria such as the location of the property, comparable rents for similar properties and the term of the agreement. Because the statutory limits on increase rates change periodically, whether the increase clause in the contract can be applied must be checked against the legislation in force at the time of the application.
The form of the notice and termination declarations, and their service within the period set by law, directly affect the fate of the file. For part of the eviction claims in residential and roofed workplace leases, applying to mediation before filing suit is a condition of the action, so the notice, mediation and litigation stages are planned on a single calendar from the outset.
Marital Property: Liquidation of the Regime and Heads of Claim
The financial consequences of a divorce are heard in a separate action and, as a rule, are not decided before the divorce judgment becomes final. In liquidation, the applicable matrimonial property regime is determined first; if the parties have not concluded a property regime agreement before a notary, the statutory regime applies and assets are separated into personal property and acquired property.
The distinction between personal and acquired property directly determines the outcome: assets received through inheritance, values owned before the marriage and non-pecuniary damages are, as a rule, personal property. The participation claim, the value increase share and the contribution share rest on separate legal grounds; which one is to be claimed is decided by examining the date of acquisition and the source of financing. Land registry records, loan payments, bank movements and invoices are therefore the principal evidence in the file.
Where one spouse transfers an asset to a third party in order to avoid liquidation, claims for equalisation and for annulment of the disposition arise. Claims concerning the liquidation of the property regime must be raised within the period set by law, so preparing the liquidation while the divorce file is still running prevents loss of rights.
Custody: How Is the Best Interest of the Child Assessed?
In custody decisions the only criterion is the best interest of the child; the parents’ fault is taken into account only to the extent that it affects that interest. In most files the court requests a social investigation report, hears the view of a child capable of forming one, and where necessary appoints a pedagogue or psychologist. The expert opinion referred to here means the report of the court-appointed expert.
Personal contact is established between the child and the parent who does not hold custody; the arrangement for weekends, religious holidays, the mid-year break and the summer holiday is set with regard to the age of the child, the school calendar and the residences of the parties. When circumstances change, modification of custody or a fresh arrangement for personal contact may be requested; such a request depends on showing with concrete evidence that the change serves the child.
Where a personal contact decision is not complied with, the handing over of the child and the establishment of contact are carried out through the execution office, accompanied by the relevant institutions. In files where it is alleged that the child has been taken abroad or retained there, international child abduction legislation comes into play, so starting the process without delay is important.
Alimony: Its Types, Determination and Modification
Alimony is not a single institution. Interim alimony awarded while the action is pending, participation alimony paid for the care and education costs of the child, poverty alimony awarded for a spouse who would fall into poverty because of the divorce, and assistance alimony that may be claimed among descendants, ascendants and siblings are each subject to separate conditions. Which type the claim is built on changes both its conditions and the circumstances in which it ends.
The amount of alimony is not tied to a fixed tariff or percentage: the judge assesses it by weighing the income and assets of the obligor, the need of the recipient, the age and education of the child, and the living conditions of the parties. Income documents, rent and school expenses, health spending and bank movements are therefore the decisive evidence in the file.
When circumstances change, an increase, a reduction or the complete lifting of alimony may be requested; unless the agreement provides otherwise, alimony is updated each year on the criterion set out in the law. Enforcement proceedings may be initiated for unpaid alimony, and a complaint may be brought before the execution criminal court against a debtor who does not comply with the alimony obligation; the period set by law for that complaint must be observed.
Inheritance Law: From Determining the Estate to Distribution
Inheritance files often begin with uncertainty about what the estate consists of. The first step is obtaining the certificate of inheritance and determining the estate; immovables, bank accounts, vehicles and company shares are investigated together with the debts. Where the deceased may have been insolvent, renunciation of the inheritance is a declaration of intent that must be made within the period set by law and produces no effect once that period is missed.
Where transfers made by the deceased during their lifetime impair the reserved portion of the heirs, an action for abatement arises. The allegation that a transfer was a sale in appearance but a gift in reality is the subject of an action for title cancellation and registration based on collusion by the deceased. The reserved portion rates are set out in the law according to the status of the heir; because which heir is entitled to what share varies with the actual family structure, it is calculated file by file.
If the heirs cannot agree on the distribution, an action for the dissolution of joint ownership is filed; where the property cannot be divided in kind, distribution through sale is ordered. The opening, annulment and execution of a will, and the appointment of an executor, are also among the file types in this field.
Consumer Law: Defective Goods, Withdrawal and the Route for Application
In consumer disputes the first question is whether the relationship counts as a consumer transaction; purchases made for commercial or professional purposes fall outside this protection. For defective goods and services the consumer’s elective rights are listed in the law: withdrawal from the contract, a reduction in price, free repair, and replacement with a defect-free equivalent. Which right is exercised determines the form of the notification and the steps that follow.
In distance sales the right of withdrawal may be exercised within the period set by law and without giving a reason; exceptions such as goods produced to the consumer’s specification are separately regulated in the law. Where the seller has concealed the defect or is grossly at fault, the general limitation periods for defects do not apply, so when and how the defect was noticed is also established in the file.
The body to be applied to is determined by the value of the dispute: for disputes below a certain monetary threshold, application to the consumer arbitration committee is mandatory, while those above it are heard in the consumer court. Because these thresholds are updated each year in line with the revaluation rate, the amount in force at the time of application must be confirmed. For part of the disputes to be heard in the consumer court, applying to a mediator before filing suit is a condition of the action.
How Does a File Progress at the Office?
Whatever the field, every file progresses in a similar order. At the first meeting the events are described, the documents you hold are examined and the legal character of the dispute is identified. At this stage the position on deadlines is checked first, namely limitation periods, preclusive periods and objection deadlines; every later step depends on that calendar.
At the second stage the route is chosen: filing suit directly, initiating enforcement proceedings, applying to mediation, or attempting a solution through a formal notice. The expected duration, litigation costs and the state of the evidence are weighed together, and the possible outcomes are explained plainly. No undertaking as to result is given; the assessment rests only on the concrete data in the file.
During execution of the plan, pleadings are drafted, the hearing and inspection calendar is followed, objections to expert reports are filed in time, and developments are reported to the client regularly. After judgment, the appeal assessment and the enforcement of the decision are handled within the same file.
The Districts We Serve Across İzmir
Our central office is in İkbal-1 Business Center, İsmet Kaptan neighbourhood, Konak, close to the İzmir Courthouse in Bayraklı. That location makes it easier to follow hearings, case allocation and execution office procedures mostly within the same day. All fourteen practice areas above are conducted across İzmir.
You can reach our district pages, which include courthouse, execution office and transport information, below:
- Konak law office: the district where our central office is located, the administrative and commercial centre of İzmir.
- Bayraklı attorney: the district hosting the İzmir Courthouse.
- Karşıyaka legal services: a densely populated residential area north of the bay.
- Bornova attorney: a district marked by industry and commerce.
- Buca legal support: a fast-growing district with a large university population.
- Gaziemir legal services: a commercial zone hosting the airport and the free zone.
- Karabağlar attorney: one of İzmir’s most populous districts.
You can find all of the district pages, together with directions prepared for each one, on our İzmir service areas page. If you are contacting us from a district not listed, you may still send a meeting request; files are followed at courthouses across İzmir.
Frequently Asked Questions
In which areas of law does Yücesoy Avukatlık & Hukuk Bürosu provide services?
Yücesoy Avukatlık & Hukuk Bürosu, led by Av. Mehmet Yücesoy (İzmir Bar), provides legal representation and counsel in criminal law, divorce and family law, custody and alimony, marital property, real estate and tenancy law, employment law and employee claims, compensation law, inheritance law, consumer law, execution and bankruptcy law, corporate and company law, and mediation.
Which parts of İzmir do you serve?
Our central office is located in İzmir Konak, at İkbal-1 Business Center, close to the İzmir Courthouse (Bayraklı). We serve all of İzmir, primarily Konak, Bayraklı, Karşıyaka, Bornova, Buca, Gaziemir and Karabağlar.
Can I receive both individual and corporate legal counsel?
Yes. We offer individual clients services in areas such as criminal law, divorce, custody and alimony, inheritance, tenancy, compensation, consumer law, execution and mediation; and provide corporate advisory to companies on matters such as commercial contracts, company formation, M&A and labor law compliance.
My problem touches on more than one area; which page should I start from?
Disputes rarely fit under a single heading: a divorce file may extend into real estate through the property regime, and an employment claim may lead to enforcement through mediation. In such cases it is enough to start from the practice area page closest to the main issue; at the first meeting the file is assessed as a whole and the order of steps is decided together.
How can I book an appointment?
To schedule an appointment and get information, you can reach us via phone/WhatsApp at +90 553 935 71 24 or fill out the form on our contact page. Preparing your documents related to the dispute before the meeting speeds up the process.
Where can I find detailed information for a specific type of case?
We have a dedicated practice-area page for each of criminal, divorce and family, custody, alimony, marital property, real estate, tenancy, employment, compensation, inheritance, consumer, execution and bankruptcy, corporate law and mediation. By selecting the area of interest from the panels on this page, you can access the legal details of the process and regional support.
Do You Need Legal Support?
Contact us for detailed information about our practice areas and to schedule an appointment.
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