A handheld electrosurgical instrument for cutting, cauterizing, or coagulating tissue, the instrument comprising: - a housing forming a fixed grip; - a handle movable relative to the fixed grip; - a shaft extending in a longitudinal direction from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end being attached to the housing; - a jaw assembly comprising first and second jaw members attached to the distal end of the shaft at least one of the jaw members being movable relative to the other jaw member between an open position where tissue can be received between the jaw members and a closed position where the tissue can be fixed between the jaw members, the jaw assembly further comprising a rod movably arranged in the shaft and configured for moving the jaws between the open and closed positions; and - a linkage structure for transferring force from the handle to the rod; wherein the linkage structure comprises at least a first, a second, and a third floating pivots (12, 13, 17) each being movable relative to the housing, and at least one fixed pivot (15, 18) being attached to the housing; where: - the first pivot is connected to the second pivot by a first element; - the first pivot is connected to one of the at least one fixed pivots (15, 18) by a second element; - the handle connects the second pivot and the third pivot; and - the third pivot is connected to a primary one of the fixed pivots by an actuator element which is arranged to move the rod in the shaft upon rotation about the primary fixed pivot, the instrument further comprising a constraint structure limiting movement of the first pivot such that the jaws, during movement of the handle while the jaws are free to move relative to each other, moves to the closed position before the first pivot moves. - a housing forming a fixed grip; - a handle movable relative to the fixed grip; - a shaft extending in a longitudinal direction from a proximal end to a distal end, the proximal end being attached to the housing; - a jaw assembly comprising first and second jaw members attached to the distal end of the shaft at least one of the jaw members being movable relative to the other jaw member between an open position where tissue can be received between the jaw members and a closed position where the tissue can be fixed between the jaw members, the jaw assembly further comprising a rod movably arranged in the shaft and configured for moving the jaws between the open and closed positions; and - a linkage structure for transferring force from the handle to the rod; wherein the linkage structure comprises at least a first, a second, and a third floating pivots (12, 13, 17) each being movable relative to the housing, and at least one fixed pivot (15, 18) being attached to the housing; where: - the first pivot is connected to the second pivot by a first element; - the first pivot is connected to one of the at least one fixed pivots (15, 18) by a second element; - the handle connects the second pivot and the third pivot; and - the third pivot is connected to a primary one of the fixed pivots by an actuator element which is arranged to move the rod in the shaft upon rotation about the primary fixed pivot, the instrument further comprising a constraint structure limiting movement of the first pivot such that the jaws, during movement of the handle while the jaws are free to move relative to each other, moves to the closed position before the first pivot moves. - the first pivot is connected to the second pivot by a first element; - the first pivot is connected to one of the at least one fixed pivots (15, 18) by a second element; - the handle connects the second pivot and the third pivot; and - the third pivot is connected to a primary one of the fixed pivots by an actuator element which is arranged to move the rod in the shaft upon rotation about the primary fixed pivot, the instrument