Duration of legal activities before German Courts

Where a matter is undefended and clear, in favourable cases a judgement can be obtained within 2 to 3 months. With defended actions and unclear facts this time period can raise up to one year and more.

Follow-up

Once a final court summons to pay or a decision has been obtained, the client will be able to execute for thirty years, so even unfruitful cases can sometimes be brought to a successful completion.

Enforcement options will have to be taken into consideration. Enforcement procedures can be carried out by attachment of property, bank accounts or other assets.

If all other enforcement measures have been fruitless, it is possible to file a petition for bankruptcy. This is very costly and dividend payments are not common, so generally this is only used to put pressure on the debtor.