Civil Law and Civil Procedure
Core concepts
Understand the general part of civil law: legal capacity, natural and legal persons, and the rules on representation. Focus on the general theory of obligations - formation, performance, breach, and remedies - and the limitation periods (five years general, three years for periodic claims). In civil procedure, know the types of proceedings (claim, special, enforcement), the requirements for a statement of claim, the rules on evidence and burden of proof, and the appellate system: first instance, appeal (въззивно), and cassation (касационно).
Traps in questions
- Do not confuse the general five-year limitation period with the three-year period for periodic payments.
- The cassation appeal is admissible only for the grounds and value thresholds set in the Civil Procedure Code, not as a second full review.
- A claim must be dismissed when the plaintiff lacks standing; standing is a procedural precondition, distinct from the merits.
- Distinguish nullity from voidability: a void act produces no effects, while a voidable act stands until annulled.
Worked example
A creditor sues five years and six months after the debt matured. Rule of thumb: the claim is time-barred only if the debtor raises the limitation as a defence; the court does not apply it ex officio. If the debtor remains silent, the court grants the claim on the merits.