Expected time horizon when filing a suit(诉讼时间)

 Litigation is a time-consuming job. Even if you obviously have a proper right and the other side has obligation, you still need to go through a long way to get judgement from the court. Even in a simple case such as debt collecting case, where there is an obvious proof like a contract document, it still may take quite a long time, usually around half a year or even a full year or two.
 It is the delivery of documents by the court that usually takes much of the time used during legal procedure. If you don't know the defendant's address then you should make inquiries to other institutions through the court procedure and it may take a few months to get the answer. If the defendants' address is not correct, you will get the correction order from the court, and you need to visit government office to get the copy of resident registration of defendants, using the correction order from the court. Then finally, you can correct the defendants' address by using the address written in resident registration, and the court will deliver your pleading to the corrected address. Such procedures, which is not relevant to the merits of the case, consumes much of the time. It is also problematic if the defendant has no property. Even if you get the judgement from the court, it is no use if the defendant does not have any property where the judgement can be executed. Even if there exists a certain property, you need to start another execution procedure. You must seize that property, and proceed to compulsory auction or collection of receivables, etc.. All of these procedures are conducted using only Korean and it is hard for expats to understand what to do during the process. Sometimes I feel like to take over the right(credit) from my foreign friends so I can deal with legal matters by myself for them. But under the Korean law, such a delegation of litigation is prohibited unless there is an attorney-client relationship. In conclusion, you need to contemplate the time horizon and cost before starting a lawsuit. If you are planning to leave Korea soon, or if you cannot afford attorney fee, then you will find yourself being in a stressful situation.

  你决定提起民事诉讼的情况预想所需要的时间。

 

诉讼是一件花费很多时间的事情。虽然对你来说有明确的权利，对对方来说有义务，你仍然需要为了得到法院的判决而通过很长的路。就像债券托收（讨债）等简单的事件，甚至像合同文件一样即使有明确的证据的案件一般仍然需要半年或者1,2年左右还可能花费很长时间。

一般来说，法律手续中法院送达文件需要大部分时间。如果你不知道被告的地址得通过法院的程序向其他机关询问被告的地址，为了得到答案可能要等几个月。如果被告的地址不正确，你会收到法院的更正通知。你利用法院的更正通知，为了得到被告的户口本跟复印件需要访问官公署。然后利用身份证上记载的地址修正被告人的地址，法院按照修正的地址送达诉状。这样的程序虽然跟事件的实体没有关系但也需要花费很多时间。

 

对被告来说没有财产的情况也属于一种问题。对被告来说，如果没有能够执行判决的财产的话，即使法院判决也没有用。即使被告有财产，你也得开始其他的执行手续。你得进行扣押被告的财产，强制拍卖或者债券托收手续。

 

这些所有的程序都是只用韩语进行，外国人在整个过程中需要该做什么理解上有很大的难度。有时，我认为宁愿从外国人那里接受转让证券，代替他们接管法律手续执行。但是根据韩国法律 律师跟依赖人没有关系的话，禁止诉讼上的委任。

 

结论是，你在诉讼开始之前，有考虑预想时间和费用的必要。你如果有很快离开韩国的计划或者付不起律师费用的话，在法律程序上经历挫折的可能性很高。