Category

German Law

Business in GermanyConveyancing GermanyGerman Citizenship and ImmigrationGerman Corporate LawGerman Labor LawGerman LawGerman ProbateInternational Divorce CasesInternational LitigationInternational Probate

A Bigger Stage for Anglo-German Law

Specialist Anglo-German Legal Practice Meets Full-Service German Law Firm Strategic alliance brings together specialist Anglo-German expertise and the resources of a full-service German law firm We are delighted to announce that Bernhard Schmeilzl, founder of Graf & Partner and a long-standing specialist in English and Anglo-German law, has joined Schlun & Elseven Rechtsanwälte as Of Counsel. This strategic alliance brings together two complementary strengths: the specialist expertise and personal approach of an established boutique practice,…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 12, 2026
German Corporate LawGerman LawGerman Tax LawGerman Tort Law

German Legal Expert Witness Services — CPR Part 35 Compliant

Instruction of Experts on German Law for UK Court Proceedings When English litigation involves cross-border elements, proving German law as a question of fact requires an expert who not only possesses authoritative knowledge of the German legal system but also fully appreciates the rigorous procedural demands of the jurisdiction of England and Wales.   The German law firm Schlun & Elseven (www.SE-Legal.de) specializes in providing Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) Part 35 compliant expert reports on…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 2, 2026
Civil actionGerman LawGoing to courtProfessional Regulations

Hiring a Lawyer in Germany: Everything UK Clients Need to Know

If you are a UK business or individual facing a legal dispute in Germany, your first instinct might be to brace yourself for mountains of paperwork, extensive "know your client" (KYC) checks, and lengthy engagement letters. Fortunately, the German legal system works quite differently. In Germany, civil law is a highly codified system, meaning that almost every aspect of the client-lawyer relationship is already regulated by federal black-letter law. Because these statutory protections are already…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
October 20, 2026
Civil actionGerman Corporate LawGerman Labor LawGerman LawGerman ProbateInternational Litigation

SJE Reports on German Law for English Courts

Experienced German Lawyers provide Expert Reports in Matters of German Law for Litigation in the UK In many legal disputes before the courts in England and Wales – ranging from cross-border commercial litigation, international family law cases, to inheritance and probate matters – the way in which German law governs certain facts of a case may become relevant at one point or another. From the perspective of an English judge, this foreign law aspect of…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
October 2, 2026
Civil actionDebt collectionGerman LawGoing to courtInternational LitigationLitigation in Germany

German Court Files are Confidential

Even German Court Judgments are not being fully published German Civil Court Case Files are not Public Record American and British lawyers naturally assume that court files are public record and can be easily accessed and inspected by anyone. Not in Germany! Germany is rather secretive when it comes to legal documents. Under German law, there is no general right to access court records in order to inspect and copy them. Instead, the written documents…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
August 24, 2026
Civil actionCriminal LawGerman LawGerman Tort LawGoing to courtInternational Litigation

Covert Audio Recordings are illegal in Germany

Recording phone or video calls without all-party consent is a criminal offence Journalists from common law jurisdictions are often surprised or even shocked when they learn that any kind of audio recording - whether covert or open - is illegal under German law, unless the speaker who is being recorded addresses "the public", for example makes a political speech. Such an audio recording without all party consent is even a criminal offence in Germany, see…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
February 9, 2024
European ProbateGerman LawGerman Tort LawGoing to courtLitigation in Germany

EU Court: Patients entitled to a full copy of their medical file free of cost

German law which stated that physicians / hospitals can demand reimbursement for costs no longer applicable Right to obtain the full patient records under German law Under German law, every patient is entitled to obtain a full copy of the patient file kept by their physician or the hospital (defined as "the treating party", see section 630g German Civil Code, titled "Inspection of Medical Records". However, this was subject to the patient being willing to…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
February 6, 2024
Business in GermanyGerman Labor LawGerman Law

Termination of Employees during Parental Leave in Germany

Can an Employee in Germany be let off while in parental leave? German labour law is very protective of employees. Every business with more than 10 full time employees on the payroll must be aware of the specific German employee protention rules (Kündigungsschutzgesetz). For details see this post: https://www.crosschannellawyers.co.uk/german-labor-law-the-basics-of-employee-protection-against-dismissal/   Special protection of employees during parental leave Regardless of the number of employees, there are additional special German laws protecting all parents who are on…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 17, 2023