Process
1. Contact us
Call us or send us an email. Our office will take down your matter and agree the next steps and an appointment with you. Meetings at our office take place by prior appointment only. Please also tell us the name of the opposing party so that we can check in advance whether we are able to act and whether there is any conflict of interest.
2. Send us the details and documents
Once we have spoken, please send us the further details and your documents, most easily via the online intake, or alternatively by email or at your appointment. The documents we need depend on the area of law; you will find an overview below. Copies are sufficient initially; originals are needed only if we ask for them.
3. Acceptance, engagement letter and power of attorney
After checking for conflicts of interest, we decide whether to take on the matter. The engagement is formed when we accept your instructions, either expressly or by acting for you, for example in an advisory meeting. If we have arranged an appointment at our office, the engagement and power of attorney are signed there. Without an appointment at our office, you instruct us by email using our form engagement and power of attorney (PDF in German, 3 pages): print it or complete it on screen, sign both the engagement and the power of attorney and send it to us as a scan or clear photo by email to info@kanzleipetermann.de. For consumers, the form contains the information on the right of withdrawal and a model withdrawal form. If you would like us to begin work before the withdrawal period has expired, please tick the relevant box in the form. If we have arranged an appointment, you may also bring the completed form with you.
The engagement document records what has been agreed. We need the power of attorney on the reverse to act externally on your behalf, for example towards the opposing party, insurers or courts. If a signature is missing, this does not affect instructions already given or fees for work already carried out; however, we cannot act externally on your behalf.
On a computer, the form opens in your browser, where you can fill it in and save or print it. On iPhone and iPad the share menu opens: choose “Save to Files”, then open the form in the Files app and fill it in.
4. First meeting
At the first meeting we assess your situation from a legal perspective, discuss the available options and likely costs, and agree on the next steps. Depending on the matter, the discussion takes place by appointment in person at our office or by telephone.
5. Handling the matter
We keep you informed of material developments and send you copies of important correspondence. Please forward any new letters from the opposing party or the court to us immediately.
Online intake
The online intake is intended for the stage after your first contact with us: once you have discussed your matter with our office by telephone or email, you can use it to send us your contact information, the details of your matter and your documents in one go. The submission does not create an engagement; an engagement is formed only when we accept it. Until then we do not monitor any deadlines. If a deadline is running, please call us.
The form is provided by RA-MICRO Software AG and is loaded only after you click the button. Further information is available in our client privacy information (German).
Documents
For every matter
- identity card or passport
- if you have legal expenses insurance: insurer and policy number
- all correspondence relating to the matter, preferably including envelopes and the date of receipt
- a short chronological summary of the key events, bullet points are sufficient
Family law
- marriage certificate and children's birth certificates
- date of separation
- income records for the last twelve months and the most recent tax assessment
- marriage contract or divorce settlement agreement, if any
- overview of assets and debts; for real estate, land register extract and loan agreements
- existing maintenance titles, Youth Welfare Office certificates and previous court documents
Employment law for employees
- notice of dismissal including envelope and date of receipt
- employment contract including amendments and supplementary agreements
- salary statements for the last three months
- warnings, references and relevant correspondence
- approximate number of employees and whether a works council exists
- information on special protection against dismissal, for example pregnancy, parental leave or severe disability
Employment law for companies
- employment contract and relevant parts of the personnel file
- applicable collective agreements and works agreements
- documentation of the facts, for example warnings, meeting notes or absence records
- planned measure and desired timetable
Traffic law
- accident report and photographs of the scene and damage
- name, address, registration number and insurer of the other party
- names and contact details of witnesses and police file number
- expert report, repair estimate or repair invoice
- vehicle registration document and, in case of injury, medical certificates
- for administrative offence proceedings: hearing form or penalty notice including envelope
Classic car law
- purchase contract, advertisement or offer and correspondence with the seller or buyer
- valuation reports, condition reports and photographs of the vehicle
- vehicle history: registration documents, invoices, restoration records
- in disputes with a workshop: order, estimate and invoices
- after an accident, also the documents listed under traffic law
If something is still missing, that is not a problem. We will tell you what else is required.
Costs
Our fees are generally governed by the German Lawyers' Fees Act (RVG) and depend on the value in dispute, meaning the economic value of the matter. In suitable cases we agree a separate fee arrangement. We discuss the expected costs openly with you at the outset.
Legal expenses insurance: If you have legal expenses insurance, we can submit a coverage request on your behalf. Any agreed deductible remains payable by you.
Advisory assistance and legal aid: If you have a low income, advisory assistance may be available for out-of-court advice. The eligibility certificate is obtained from the local court at your place of residence. For court proceedings, legal aid or procedural cost assistance may be available; we can apply for this on request.
Labour court proceedings: In first-instance labour court proceedings, each party bears its own lawyers' fees even if it wins the case.
Data protection in the engagement
Everything you entrust to us is subject to the lawyer's duty of confidentiality. Our client privacy information explains how we process data in connection with an engagement, to whom data may be disclosed and which rights you have.
Frequently asked questions
When is an engagement formed?
As soon as we accept your instructions, either expressly or by acting for you, for example in an advisory meeting. A telephone call, email or online enquiry on its own does not create an engagement. The power of attorney is usually signed at the first meeting; we need it to act externally on your behalf.
Do I have to come to the office in person?
No. An in-person meeting is often useful, but it is not required in every matter. Depending on the case, the first discussion may also take place by telephone. Meetings at our office take place by prior appointment only. Where a consumer engagement is concluded exclusively by means of distance communication, the engagement documents include the applicable information on the right of withdrawal.
What if a deadline is running?
Please call us immediately. Do not wait for a reply to an email or online enquiry.
Will my legal expenses insurance cover the costs?
That depends on your policy and the area of law. We can submit a coverage request and inform you of the insurer's response.
Do you also represent companies?
Yes. In addition to private clients, we also advise and represent companies, particularly small and medium-sized businesses in the region – above all in employment law, for example on dismissals, formal warnings and employment contracts, and in reviewing and drafting contracts.