Beratungs- und Prozesskostenhilfe beantragen

Every citizen is entitled to help exercise his or her rights. Those who are unable to raise the necessary financial resources for personal and economic reasons have the option of applying for legal aid and, if necessary, legal aid.

The advisory assistance provided by the district court is provided by the judicial officer. However, the prerequisite for the advisory assistance provided by the district court is that the request of the litigant must be met either by

• immediate information,
• a reference to other ways of helping, or by
• the inclusion of an application or a declaration

can be complied with. The immediate information must be indications of the content of the law as such, of rules of jurisdiction or of general legal aspects (limited advisory assistance). A specific recommendation for conduct, such as the advice to lodge an objection against a default judgment served, cannot be made by the district court.

The counselling assistance provided by the district court is free of charge for the litigant, a lawyer can demand 10.00 euros from the litigant for his advice.

Advisory assistance under the Advisory Assistance Act (BerHG) is provided by

• lawyers and legal advisers,
• legal advice centres in accordance with § 3 para. 1 BerHG and
• restricted by the local courts pursuant to § 3 para. 2 BerHG.