Experts on Anglo-German Law

CrossChannelLawyers.co.uk and its German language counterpart Cross-Channel-Lawyers.de are law blogs (blawgs) dealing with Anglo-German legal issues. A network of international lawyers who are experienced in cross border legal problems and who give practical and reliable advice. The law blogs are run by the lawyers of Graf & Partners, a firm of English solicitors and German Rechtsanwälte with many years of professional experience in cross border legal proceedings, who provide legal advice in a comprehensive, understandable and user-oriented manner. Our litigation department provides forensic services all across Germany and runs the expert law blog German Civil Procedure. Graf & Partners, with its international expertise, is well equipped to advise and represent clients from the USA, the United Kingdom and other English speaking countries.

+49 (0) 941 – 463 70 70
mail@grafpartner.com
German LawGerman ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawGoing to courtInternational Probate

German Grant of Probate not always necessary

Since the 2016 landmark ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice, beneficiaries (heirs) to a German estate may be able to entirely avoid German probate proceedings. Even if there is just a handwritten will. If a decedent who owned assets in Germany died intestate, a German grant (ERbschein) is unavoidable. But if he or she has made any kind of German will, chances are that formal probate proceedings may not even be necessary to…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
December 17, 2018
Business in GermanyGerman Labor LawGerman Law

Relocate from UK to Germany

Thousands of German and Austrian Expats leave Great Britain and move back to Europe How do we know this? Because the enquiries from German and Austrian companies asking us about how to quickly relocate their employees from the United Kingdom back to Germany have skyrocketed. The two main reasons for the exodus are: (1) German and Austrian expats in England feel unwanted and do no longer see a good future for themselves and their family…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
December 10, 2018
Conveyancing GermanyGerman LawGerman ProbateGerman Tax LawProperty in Germany

How to find a Plot of Land in Germany

Practical tips on researching German property (real estate) online Many of our clients want to sell German property. Either because they move abroad or because they have inherited German real estate and decide not to keep it. Some of our clients in Anglo-German inheritance cases do not even know where exactly the German plot of land is located. They just have heard rumours that "granny, uncle or aunt so and so" had owned property in…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 27, 2018
Austrian Inheritance LawAustrian Probate

Probate in Austria: What is “Todesfallaufnahme”?

The first practical step when applying for an Austrian Grant of Probate is completing the Todesfallaufnahme questionnaire In the previous posts How to Access Assets in Austria? and How to deal with Assets in Austria we have already explained the relevant Austrian succession laws and probate regulations. In this new post, we show what practical step needs to be taken in order to start the Austrian probate procedure. Contact the competent Austrian probate court Under…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 24, 2018
German ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawInternational ProbateLitigation in GermanyWills and Succession Planning

How to speed up German Probate Applications

Avoid common mistakes in your application for a German grant of probate (Erbschein) The basics of the German non-contentious probate procedure are explained in the post How to apply for German Probate. There you can also find an example of what a genuine German grant, i.e. the “Erbschein” (certificate of inheritance) looks like. For those who want to dig deeper and get really technical about German probate, we now examine the central statutes of German…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
October 26, 2018
Civil action

Where to File a Lawsuit in Germany

This Chart explains Jurisdiction and Venue in German Civil and Commercial Court Cases. More information on litigation and legal fees in Germany is available on our expert law blog www.GERMANCIVILPROCEDURE.com The law firm Graf & Partners was established in 2003 and has many years of experience with British-German and US-German legal matters.The Anglo-German litigation lawyer team of GP Chambers is well equipped to advise and represent clients from the UK and other English speaking countries.…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
October 12, 2018
Family LawGerman Labor LawGerman LawStarting Business

What is a “polizeiliches Führungszeugnis”?

And when do you need it? The German “polizeiliches Führungszeugnis” is the equivalent of the British “enhanced criminal record certificate” as defined in sec. 115 Police Act 1997, sometimes also referred to as “certificate of conduct”, “good-conduct certificate” or “police clearance certificate”. The Führungszeugnis is an official document issued on special green paper by the German Bundesamt für Justiz (Federal Office of Justice) in Bonn. It lists criminal offences above a certain threshold, usually if someone…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
September 25, 2018
Business in GermanyCyberlawGerman Law

Abuse of your Web Shop?

What to do if your online shop is attacked by criminals: an IT lawyer’s view. In times of digitalization it is extremely attractive to offer your products online – this has several advantages. No sales room is needed, the offers are available around the clock and there are no annoying sales talks. Sounds good at first? Of course, it is! As long as there are no problems with the web shop… A real life example…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
August 31, 2018
Business in GermanyGerman LawLitigation in Germany

British Solicitors: better brace for a cliff-edge Brexit

“Brexit not the end of the world” Theresa May recently statedthat a no-deal Brexit ‘wouldn’t be the end of the world’. How reassuring! If you are an English or Scottish solicitor who specialises in international law, such a rock hard Brexit may, however, well be the end of your career as an internation lawyer. Because in case of an ever more likely no-deal scenario, English solicitors will no longer be able to provide legal services…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
August 30, 2018
German ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawInternational Probate

How to Limit the Personal Liability of Executors and Beneficiaries in German Probate Cases

Using "Public Creditor Notification" (Aufgebotsverfahren) to restrict liability to the funds available in the German estate Under German succession laws, a beneficiary (Erbe) is personally liable for the debts of the decedent, i.e. if the debts of the deceased exceed the value of the estate then the beneficiaries must pay the remaining debts out of their own pockets. More here.   Obviously, no beneficiary in his or her right mind wants that result (except for…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
August 9, 2018
Austrian ProbateGerman LawGerman ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawInternational ProbateWills and Succession Planning

German Probate: What to do if a beneficiary (co-heir) cannot be found?

Does anyone know where Great-Granduncle Fritz lives? In some probate cases (Nachlassverfahren), especially if a decedent had no children, no surviving spouse and no surviving siblings, the next of kin cannot be located, either because the relevant persons have died so long ago that the closest living relatives of the testator can’t be identified (e.g. died in the war) or because they have moved to another country and nobody knows their whereabouts. Even if only…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
August 7, 2018
German LawGerman ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawInternational Probate

Entangled in German Probate Proceedings?

Renounce Inheritance against Compensation Payment In this post, we reveal a simple trick how to be released from the duties and obligations of being a German co-heir while still obtaining a portion of the German estate. The buzzwords are "Verpflichtung zur Ausschlagung gegen Abfindung", i.e. contract to renounce a German inheritance against compensatory payment (make-up pay). Background: The Basics of German Probate and Estate Administration In previous posts, we have explained German succession rules, the…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
August 7, 2018
German LawGerman ProbateInternational ProbateWills and Succession Planning

Does anyone know about Great-Granduncle Fritz?

What to do in Germany when an Heir (Beneficiary) cannot be found In Germany, due to the principle of universal succession (which is governed by  §§ 1922, 1937 BGB of the German Civil Code), it is the heir´s duty to look after the estate. Under German inheritance law, there is no personal representative to take possession of the estate. The German Probate Court (“Nachlassgericht”) will also not interfere with the administration of the estate. The…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
July 23, 2018
German ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawInternational Probate

Indebted Estate: How to avoid inheriting your German Relatives’ Debts

Make sure to renounce (disclaim) an Inheritance from Germany if you fear that the Decedent had severe Debts For English lawyers it is a rather shocking concept: The relatives of a deceased person or the beneficiaries mentioned in a Will can be fully personally liable for the debts of the deceased. Without any limitation.For details see here. Hard to understand from the perspective of Common Law jurisdictions, but this is exactly what the German legal…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
July 3, 2018
Austrian Inheritance LawAustrian ProbateGerman ProbateInternational Probate

Austrian Probate: How to Access Assets in Austria?

British Testator owned a Bank Account in Austria: Will an English Grant be accepted in Austria? No, unfortunately, it will not. If a British person who owns assets in Austria dies, the personal representative needs to obtain a separate Austrian grant of probate. The English grant is rather worthless in Austria, just as an Austrian (or German or French etc) grant of probate is not being accepted within the United Kingdom, because the UK has…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
July 2, 2018
Business in GermanyCivil actionGerman Corporate LawGerman Tort LawStarting BusinessStarting or Expanding Business

Director’s Duties and Liabilities under German Law

What are the Duties of Directors of German Companies (GmbH) and Corporations (Aktiengesellschaft)? Obviously, pretty much all over the world, company directors and CEO’s have a general duty to be loyal, diligent and conscientious in managing the affairs of their company. This is also the case under German law. Directors and CEOs have to bear in mind what is best for the business and act accordingly. In this regard, German courts do apply an objective…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
June 22, 2018
Criminal Law

Prosecuted in Germany?

German defense lawyer Alexander Greithaner specialises in international criminal cases and represents foreign clients in all areas of criminal law. Due to his international family background he is fluent in English, Spanish and, of course, German. First things first: If accused of a crime or misdemeanor in Germany, never make any kind of statement to the German police, German customs (Zoll) or any other German prosecution authority. This piece of advice sounds commonplace but many…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
June 11, 2018
Austrian Inheritance LawAustrian Probate

How to deal with Estates in Austria

Probate Proceedings in Austria are very different from those in Germany If a decedent who was not resident in Austria owned any assets in Austria at the time of his or her death, this Austrian Estate can only be accessed after going through formal Austrian Probate. Neither an English Grant of Probate nor a German Certificate of Inheritance will enable the executors or beneficiaries to access the Austrian assets, because Austrian banks, brokers, insurance companies…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
June 11, 2018
Business in GermanyCyberlawGeneralGerman Corporate Law

Google Analytics vs. GDPR – is that even possible?

We are currently receiving many inquiries from uncertain clients regarding the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). During an initial analysis of the homepage, it immediately becomes apparent that most clients use an analysis tool - mostly Google Analytics or Matomo (formerly Piwik). Such tools are useful and indispensable for good online marketing. But now the question arises: to what extent can these tools still be used to be compliant with the GDPR? Admittedly, we…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
May 20, 2018
Business in GermanyCyberlawGeneralGerman Corporate Law

Data Protection and German Businesses: New GDPR 2018 will cause a Flood of Lawsuits

Company Managers and British Parent Companies of German Subsidiaries better take this issue very seriously, because the German version of the GDPR is much stricter than the GDPR rules as applied in the UK. So if you are running a business in Germany, you should ensure that your German company is in full compliance. For instance in accounting and human resources. Because the German business mentality is to torture competitors with costly cease and desist…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
May 6, 2018