FAMILY · RESPONSIBILITY · FUTURE
Personal changes.
Clear legal perspectives.
Family combines personal closeness with legal responsibility. We assist you with separation, divorce and forward-looking agreements, taking account of children, assets and life afterwards.
Discuss your matterAdvice. Agreements. Representation.
YOUR MATTER
An agreement before marriage raises different questions from a separation involving children or a business interest. We clarify what needs to be decided and represent your interests with the necessary understanding of the wider context.
You wish to shape your shared future or put the legal arrangements for a separation in place. We assist with agreements before and during marriage, and with the dissolution of a partnership. Your personal circumstances and the financial consequences are our starting point.
Care, maintenance and important decisions for a child require reliable arrangements. We advise you as a parent on your legal position and sustainable agreements. The child's welfare remains a separate, central consideration throughout.
Where family and business are connected, private decisions can affect shareholdings and liquidity. We consider family law arrangements alongside company agreements and asset structures, and align the next steps with your responsibilities.
OUR SERVICES
From the first agreement to a court decision, we bring the individual family law issues together into an approach suited to your personal and financial circumstances.
Addressing a new situation step by step.
Separation often raises several questions at once: how will living arrangements be organised, which payments will continue and what needs to be clarified before filing for divorce? We assess the circumstances, develop priorities with you and represent your interests in negotiations and before the family court.
Bringing needs, income and responsibility together.
Child maintenance, maintenance during separation and post-divorce maintenance have different requirements. We clarify which claims may arise, what disclosure is needed and how income and financial commitments should be assessed. We also take account of fluctuating income, self-employment, existing enforceable maintenance orders and changed circumstances. We pursue justified claims and defend against unfounded demands.
Creating reliable arrangements for parental responsibility.
We advise parents on their respective decision-making powers and significant matters of parental responsibility. These include determining a child’s residence and decisions about schooling or medical treatment. We review existing arrangements and assist with agreements or court proceedings. The child’s circumstances and welfare remain central.
Seeing the financial consequences in context.
Property, savings, debts and retirement provision shape the financial consequences of divorce. We assess matrimonial property claims, establish initial and final assets and assist with dividing jointly held assets. We treat pension equalisation as a separate element. We agree with you on involving appropriate expertise for valuations and other specialist questions.
Arrangements that fit your plans for life.
An agreement should reflect the actual division of responsibilities, assets and career prospects. We develop and review marital contracts and separation and divorce settlement agreements in light of your interests. This includes their financial impact, legal limits and necessary formal steps. Any required notarisation is coordinated separately; our legal advice remains committed to your position.
Connecting personal interests with business continuity.
Shareholdings, business values and distributions can play a significant role in maintenance and asset equalisation. We examine how marital contracts, company agreements and personal obligations interact. In negotiations, we keep valuation issues, liquidity and practical implementation in view. This allows family interests and business requirements to be considered within a coordinated solution.
WORKING TOGETHER
A clear process – with jointly agreed objectives, steps and costs.
You explain your concerns and objectives. We clarify the parties involved, urgent issues and possible conflicts of interest before accepting the engagement.
We assess your options and the implications for your family and assets. Together we determine the next steps and clarify the scope of services and fees.
We advise, develop agreements and conduct the agreed negotiations or proceedings. We keep you informed of significant developments and decisions.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
These answers explain common questions about German family law. We assess your specific circumstances in a personal discussion.
Legal information: 31 October 2026
A marriage may be dissolved if it has broken down. After one year of living apart, this is presumed by law if both spouses petition for divorce or the other spouse agrees; after three years, the presumption applies regardless. Before one year has elapsed, divorce is only possible in cases meeting particular hardship requirements. We assess with you the start of the separation, the requirements and the appropriate approach.
We represent one party in divorce proceedings. Legal representation is required to submit your own divorce petition. Mere consent to the other party's petition can, however, be given without your own lawyer. This does not create joint representation: the legal advice remains committed to the interests of the person instructing us.
Parents who live separately and share parental responsibility generally need to decide jointly on matters of significant importance. Different rules apply to everyday decisions. We review existing agreements and court decisions and clarify the decision-making powers in the individual case.
Yes. The law requires notarisation of a marital contract. Legal review and negotiation cannot replace this formal requirement. We advise you on its content, effects and legal limits from your perspective. For separation and divorce settlement agreements, we also clarify which formal requirements apply to the individual provisions.
It concerns the equalisation of retirement and disability pension rights acquired during the marriage. Which rights are affected and how they are treated must be assessed in each case. For a marriage lasting up to three years, pension equalisation takes place only on the application of one spouse. We also review existing agreements and the requirements applicable to them.
In our initial discussion, we establish your concerns and the support you require. Before you instruct us, we clarify the scope of services and the basis of our fees. If proceedings are involved, we also discuss anticipated court fees and other costs. We assess whether legal aid for advice or proceedings may be available in light of your personal and financial circumstances.
