The order here is counterintuitive: the first stop is not a law firm but the court. The local court decides whether help is available, and only then does the applicant choose whom to take the certificate to.
The application to the local court and the entitlement certificate
The application goes to the local court where you live. If the court does not settle the matter itself, it issues a certificate for a legal adviser of your choice.
✓ Verified: 02/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Amtsgericht / Mahngericht
Federal agencyPayment orders and enforcement orders run through your state's central Mahngericht. Apply online at online-mahnantrag.de.
DOCUMENTS 4
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I turned up at court saying trouble with my landlord and was sent away. The second time I brought the landlord letter, the contract and the statement — the certificate was issued the same day.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
The four weeks for a retrospective application are the most underrated deadline in this area. If the firm starts writing letters on Monday, the clock is already running and no amount of busyness stops it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Which court receives the application? ▾
The local court for the district where the applicant has their general place of jurisdiction, which as a rule means their residence. Where no general place of jurisdiction exists in Germany, the competent court is the one in whose district the need for help arises.
What does the court issue? ▾
Where the conditions are met and the court does not deal with the matter itself, it issues an entitlement certificate describing the matter precisely, for a legal adviser of the applicant choice. The certificate attaches to the described matter, not to the person in general.
Can I see a lawyer first and apply afterwards? ▾
Yes, the statute allows it expressly: someone who turns directly to a legal adviser may apply afterwards. The deadline is strict, though — at the latest four weeks after the work began. Missing it turns free advice into paid advice.
What documents go with the application? ▾
Everything showing personal and economic circumstances: income, rent, fixed outgoings, liabilities. Plus the documents about the dispute itself — the court has to grasp the matter in order to name it precisely on the certificate.