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All Posts By

Bernhard Schmeilzl

Business in GermanyCivil actionGerman LawGoing to court

German Limitation Periods are much shorter than in England

When do civil claims become statute barred in Germany? British enterprises doing business within Germany should be aware of the fact that the limitation periods differ hugely between the two jurisdictions. In regards to England, the Limitation Act 1980 states: Time limit for actions founded on simple contract: An action founded on simple contract shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued. This…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
January 23, 2015
Conveyancing GermanyCriminal Law

How to obtain German Documentary Evidence for a Criminal Case in England

What information is public record in Germany? We are sometimes approached by English criminal defense lawyers asking us to provide them with official extracts from the German Commercial Register, the German Land Registry or other German Registry (e.g. birth or death certificates, marriage certificates, car ownership registry, wills register etc). The former usually does not create any difficulties, since the Commercial Register is meant to provide publicly accesible information (see the posting: How to read…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
January 9, 2015
German ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance Law

Tracing Overseas Assets

Are you dealing with a deceased relative or other person’s estate and are unsure if they have any assets in Germany? After a death, it’s often the case that the deceased may have spent many years in another country, perhaps with the services or through a holiday home or extended family ties. They may potentially have assets there that are not immediately obvious. Tracking down potential bank accounts, property and other assets can be difficult…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 28, 2014
Business in GermanyConveyancing GermanyDebt collectionGerman LawGoing to court

English Lawyers in Germany

Solicitor Jelowicki von Grafenstein in Munich Whether you have been involved in a car accident in Germany, need advice on German labour law or other contract matters, plan to start a German business, want to buy a house in Germany or need to swear an oath before an English solicitor, the Munich based law firm Graf & Partners can provide the necessary legal advice and representation. The firm was established in 2003 and speciales in British-German…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
November 7, 2014
Business in GermanyBusiness Tax & Fiscal ObligationsGerman Corporate LawGerman Labor LawGerman Tax LawStarting BusinessStarting or Expanding Business

When starting a Business in Germany: Don’t Forget the Trade Register Notification (Gewerbeanmeldung)

Your new German company is finally registered? Gratulations! But you are far from being done. Under German law (see section 14 Gewerbeordnung, i.e. German Trade Regulation), the commencement of a business activity must be notified in writing (Gewerbeanmeldung) to the local Ordnungsamt (Trades Office), which is a department of the municipal government, for example the city of Munich. This notification obligation also applies to any change in the business (e.g. move, modification to the nature…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
October 31, 2014
German Law

German Lawyers in Scotland

German-Scots Legal Advice Since 2003, the German law firm Graf & Partners specialises in British-German legal matters including international probate and confirmation, corporate and business, recovery and litigation as well as family law. In Scotland we have well established ties with local solicitor firms in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Graf & Partners solicitor Elissa Jelowicki has studied at Edinburgh University and is the first point of contact for Scottish-German legal matters. Our team of German,…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
September 26, 2014
Conveyancing GermanyGerman Law

Searching for Property Information in the German Land Registry

How to find out who owns a specific plot of land in Germany Every week we get a number of enquiries regarding German property and how to obtain Land Registry information. Mostly from creditors who "have heard" that their debtor owns property in Germany. Or from a spouse entangled in divorce proceedings who fears that the other spouse is hiding property located somewhere in Germany. Or, of course, enquiries in connection with international succession and…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
September 25, 2014
Business in GermanyGerman Corporate LawGerman LawStarting Business

How to read a German Commercial Register Extract

German Company Register provides reliable, up to date information on all German businesses But it is a difficult read, even for native speakers. Every German company, partnership and association must be officially registered in the Handelsregister (Commercial Register). In contrast to England, where this information is collected centrally by Companies House, Germany uses a decentralised system. The "original" records of a company are kept at the respective local District Court (Amtsgericht) where the company has…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
September 25, 2014
German LawGerman ProbateGerman Succession & Inheritance LawGerman Tax Law

Not only German Grant of Probate …

... is necessary for a foreign beneficiary to be able to access the German estate. In addition to a Certificate of Inheritance (details here) the banks, insurance companies or other third parties that hold assets of the deceased will demand to see a Certificate of Non-Objection or Tax Clearance Certificate (in German called "Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung") issued by the German Tax authorities (Finanzamt). The reason for this is that according to Section 20 para. 6 German Inheritance…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
September 23, 2014
Criminal LawGerman LawProfessional Regulations

Real German Lawyer or Fraudster?

Sadly, internet fraud and email scams are rather common nowadays (for "popular" schemes se here). In some cases one of the fraudsters claims to be a German Rechtsanwalt, i.e. a German lawyer. In case you have doubts whether this German solicitor really exists and what his registered professional office address and phone numbers are, there is a very simple and quick way to verify: Simply visit the official website of the German Federal Bar Association…
Bernhard Schmeilzl
September 12, 2014