Family Law

German family law – mostly codified in the German civil code (BGB) – encompasses prescriptions regulating legal relationships among family members as well as such to third parties. This includes rights and obligations arising from marriage, legal relationships between parents and their descendants, and questions of tutelage.

Family law is particularly complex and binding consequences can hardly be foreseen by laypersons. Therefore, obtaining advice from an expert is essential in this field of law. It is even required under German law for selected actions, e.g. for filing a divorce.

Closing a matrimonial agreement can facilitate procedures in the case of seperation or divorce. Wife and husband can e.g. define who shall obtain which funds and/or goods. Hence, an agreement may guard against claims, long-lasting arguments, and even legal actions. Matrimonial contracts have to be notarized under German law.

Marriages between Germans and non-Germans as well as between two non-Germans residing in Germany have become common during recent years. However, specific jucidial problems may arise from such a marriage, and in the case of divorce. They include the essential question under which law (German law and/or law of the spouse’s citizenship) marriage and divorce have to be executed. The legal consequences vary respectively.

Selected F.A.Q.s and respective answers on this topic will be available for your information and can be browsed in the navigation bar on the left. Please keep in mind that this is introductory information only, not taking into account individual aspects. Although preparing and updating carefully, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, and quality of the information provided, nor that it is up-to-date. If you face a legal problem, we strongly suggest you consider our firm or any other attorney’s office in order to obtain appropriate legal advice.