Fewer Courts, Greater Expertise: Reform of Swedish Insolvency Jurisdiction

On 1 July 2026, significant changes to Sweden’s insolvency framework will enter into force pursuant to Government Bill 2024/25:135. From that date, only 12 district courts will be authorised to handle bankruptcy proceedings, while restructuring proceedings will be concentrated to just 4 district courts.

The reform aims to strengthen specialised expertise within the judiciary, improve consistency in decision-making and increase the efficiency of insolvency proceedings. At the same time, certain less complex matters will be transferred to the Swedish Enforcement Authority (Sw. Kronofogdemyndigheten), allowing the designated courts to focus on more advanced and legally demanding cases.

By concentrating insolvency matters to a limited number of courts, the reform provides better conditions for the development of specialised judicial competence. A larger and more sophisticated caseload should also facilitate more efficient procedures and contribute to greater predictability for market participants.

As restructurings and bankruptcies continue to increase in complexity, we view the reform as a welcome step towards a more modern and effective insolvency regime. For lenders, investors, sponsors and other stakeholders active in the Swedish restructuring and distressed market, greater specialisation and consistency should enhance predictability and contribute to a more developed body of insolvency case law over time.

Designated courts from 1 July 2026

Bankruptcy proceedings (Sw. konkurser): Attunda, Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Jönköping, Malmö, Stockholm, Sundsvall, Umeå, Uppsala, Västerås, Växjö and Örebro District Courts.

Restructuring proceedings (Sw. företagsrekonstruktioner): Attunda, Gothenburg, Malmö and Stockholm District Courts.