Civil law in Liberia

The LCLR contains subject-specific rules including the Civil Procedure Law, Property Law, Decedents Estates Law, Domestic Relations Law, Private Wrongs Law and Land Rights Act. Common law and equity supplement the statutes in matters such as legal capacity, agency, fraud, duress, mistake and estoppel. Liberia has 15 counties and 16 judicial circuits; no different civil-law framework is evidenced for particular counties or cities, although access and court administration can vary. Individuals, corporations, partnerships, registered cooperatives and unincorporated associations may hold civil rights and bring or defend claims. A child is generally under 18 under the Children's Law. A Probate Court can appoint a guardian for a child's person or property, and a guardian of property must file an inventory within 30 days. Guardians handle care, education, major decisions and property administration according to their legal duties and the child's best interests. Public-defender access is principally criminal and does not establish general civil representation, although paternity and child-protection matters may receive assistance. Liberia has no single general Contracts Law identified in the available research. Commercial transactions are mainly governed by chapters 1 and 2 of Title 7, including offer and acceptance, good faith, written and electronic records, warranties, breach remedies and specific performance. The Electronic Transactions Law 2002 affects electronic contracting and electronic agents. Written-contract claims generally have a seven-year limitation period under the relevant commercial rules. Chapter 7 provides for arbitration, while nonresident application can depend on statutory conditions or an express written choice of law. Public contracts and consumer matters may fall under separate rules. The Land Rights Act recognizes Public Land, Government Land, Customary Land and Private Land, with protected-area rules capable of adding another restriction. Real-property ownership is generally reserved to Liberian citizens. Noncitizens may usually hold nonownership interests such as leases, easements, licenses and concessions; a limited use-based exception applies to missionary, educational and benevolent institutions. Similar citizen-ownership rules affect sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations. Private title normally requires a legitimate deed, probate, registration and a traceable chain of title. Customary title can also rely on oral or other competent evidence and cannot be rejected solely because formal documents are missing. The Liberia Land Authority provides registration, surveying, valuation, document vetting, certified copies, investigative surveys, land-related deeds and alternative dispute resolution. Adverse possession of private land generally requires 15 years of open, exclusive, notorious, continuous and hostile possession supported by tax evidence; it does not apply to Customary, Government or Public Land. Title 9 regulates statutory marriage, customary marriage, marital rights and duties, custody, guardianship, adoption, legitimation, support, nullity, annulment and divorce. The Equal Rights of Customary Marriage Law 1998 extends statutory-wife rights and duties to customary marriages, and a customary spouse may have an inchoate dower interest of one-third of property. Child-support liability principally extends to children under 21. Circuit Courts handle paternity and support proceedings, while adoption requires a Probate Court petition and a case summary from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. Marriage registration channels reported in the research differ between western or faith-based marriages and traditional marriages. The statutory age rules require current verification because Title 9 and the Children's Law contain conflicting formulations, and the Children's Law prohibits child marriage. A Family Court framework was validated in April 2026, but its operational scope is not established by the available evidence. Title 8 and the Probate Court Procedure Code govern wills and intestate estates. Funeral and administration expenses, debts and taxes are paid before distribution. The stated intestate order gives priority to a spouse and lineal descendants, followed by parents and siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and finally the Republic. Adopted and illegitimate children are included. A surviving spouse has six months after letters are issued to give an election notice, and dwelling protection or occupancy may last up to seven months. Customary widows, children and collateral heirs may petition for Letters of Administration without an unrestricted exclusion based on customary status. Probate Courts operate across the counties, with Circuit Court involvement as a fallback. A probate decree is required for an estate's sale of real property, and a citation may remain returnable for up to four months after issuance. The Private Wrongs Law in Title 28 covers civil liability for matters such as negligence, medical negligence, wrongful withholding or interference with property and commercial wrongs. Remedies are primarily damages, with injunctions or specific relief available where authorized. Wrongful-death proceedings have been described in Supreme Court litigation as governed by an exclusive statutory remedy. Employment injuries belong principally to labor law rather than this civil-law coverage. Civil procedure normally begins with a complaint and writ of summons, followed by pleadings, verification, service, motions, evidence and judgment. Constitutional due process requires a fair opportunity to be heard before protected rights or property are taken. A court may grant attachment before or after summons without notice when the legal requirements are met; the applicant must provide an affidavit and a bond equal to one and a half times the demand. Circuit Courts have broad original jurisdiction, including title and ejectment cases and claims without another exclusive forum. Magisterial Courts generally handle civil money, chattel and debt claims below $15,000.01. Debt Court handles debt claims from $2,001 to $15,000 and may have concurrent jurisdiction with the Commercial Court at or above $15,000. The Commercial Court in Monrovia hears qualifying commercial claims, contracts, agency, partnership, corporation, negotiable-instrument, mortgage-foreclosure and arbitration-award matters. Subject-matter jurisdiction must be checked carefully because filing in the wrong court can delay or defeat a claim. Debt Court and Circuit Court appeals go to the Supreme Court; an appeal from Debt Court generally does not suspend enforcement, except in circumstances such as denial of a day in court or a disputed debt. A bill of exceptions generally must be filed within 10 days. After a final judgment, a sheriff may execute a writ by levying on, seizing and selling eligible lands, goods or chattels. Attachment, garnishment, mortgage foreclosure and ejectment or possession orders provide additional enforcement processes. Debt Court uses the Circuit Court enforcement procedure. Registration or documentation by the Liberia Land Authority does not replace a judicial title judgment, and arbitration awards are enforced through the Commercial Court. Court fees follow an official schedule whose current uniform amounts were not reliably extracted. Land Authority services may carry fees, and private counsel or Liberia National Bar Association assistance adds cost. Court funding, transport, infrastructure, information technology and staffing constraints can affect timing and access.