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There are currently about 128.000 attorneys in Germany. In order to find the right attorney for you is very difficult, especially if you never - until now - had to look for an attorney. How are you able to recognize a good attorney?

First of all, every legal matter is unique. No German divorce case, not German probate administration, no child custody matter and no business law matter is like a previously handled matter.

This is the reason, why it is so challenging to find the right attorney for your matter. The World Wide Web provides a lot of resources nowadays because there are a lot of search engines and attorney lists who provide you upon entering attorney and the city many attorneys to choose from. However, now it is again your turn to click through the many websites that were provided to you. Furthermore, you will find many academic titles and degrees and other specializations. The question however remains, what conclusions can you make based on that?

What do degrees that are most common mean and what criteria should you base your decision on and what questions should you ask your potential attorney?

Master Degree

A Master Degree for instance a Master of Law degree, abbreviated as LL.M. is generally obtained based on a 1 to 2 year study after regular law school in the United States. Since a few years a Master of Law can also be obtained in Germany. Significant is that the Master of Law can be obtained in various area and upon completion of the program; the person is highly specialized in the area he obtained the master of law in. Masters of Law can be obtained in the following areas:

• LL.M. Taxation,
• LL.M. Labor Law,
• LL.M. Corporate & Finance Law,
• LL.M. Comparative Law

This addition to the LL.M. indicates the ability to speak and understand the legal English and the area of specialization in the areas of law annexed to the LL.M. Such an additional qualification can be important for you as the client, if you face international legal problems or if you are in need of legal expert witnesses.

Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctor of Philosophy or if the doctor degree is obtained in Germany, Doctor Juris, can only be obtained upon completion of law school and if obtained in Germany only, by persons who had significantly great grades in law school and upon submission of the doctor thesis. The doctor thesis usually examines legal problems and doctrines, which have not been analyzed by other legal experts. Consequently, a German attorney with a Ph.D. (German Juris Doctor) should be considered as your choice if you need an expert opinion in subsidiary areas of law.

Attorney at Law, specializing in .... "Fachanwaltstitel"

Attorney at Law, specializing in .... "Fachanwalt" is an attorney who in addition to the regular continuing education has completed a theoretical part of usually 120 bis 180 hours (60 minutes), a written exam and proof of practical experience based on having handled a certain number of difficult cases in that particular area of law within the last few years. After having obtained the degree of specialization in a particular area of law, the attorney must continue to take part in additional seminars and course to retain his or her specialization.

Here is a Check- List on
"How to find the RIGHT German Attorney for your German law related matter"

When trying to locate the right attorney for your German law related matter, ask the following questions before you retain the attorney for your matter and save yourself a lot of headache down the road:

Are you licensed in Germany as well as in the United States?
How long have you been a member of the German Bar Association as a fully licensed German attorney?
What is the area of law you are specializing in and since when?
What additional qualifications do you have that make me choose you over any of the other attorneys that might be available?
Do you speak English and German fluently?
Which communication devices are used in your office to ensure overcoming the problem of the time difference and different business hours? Do you use email and do you provide access to up- and download files through your company server that provides the adequate security features?
Do you provide a German and a U.S. postal address for my convenience so I do not have to send documents overseas?
Do you provide German and U.S. phone and fax numbers so I do not have to make an international call?
What billing method do you use? Do you bill based upon the German Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsordnung, on an hourly basis or can a fixed price be negotiated?
Will I get a retainer letter in the language I speak in order to know what the terms are?
How can I best reach you and who will be the attorney assigned to my case?

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us and click HERE.

IF YOU would like an overview of how the German legal profession is regulated, click HERE.