Areas of Law

We cover all areas of collective employment law and private employment law, including protection against unlawful dismissal, contracts of employment, statutory protection of rights of working mothers, rights of severely disabled employees and company pensions.

In this context we also consider the frequent overlapping with the areas of service contracts, the law of commercial agents and social security law. Our clients are employers as well as employees and members of staff committees (Betriebsrat). We are able to represent you out of court, as well as in front of all german labor courts, state labor courts and the German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht). Besides that we also we offer consulting and contract development services as well.

Our services particularly cover the following areas:

• Termination of contract and protection against unlawful dismissal
• Optimization of settlements
• Preparation and conclusion of termination agreements
• Enforcement of employees rights (wages, holiday- and christmas bonus, leave of absence, employment testimonial)
• Warnings/ admonishments
• Transfer, relocation and classification of employees
• Company pensions
• Employees’ liability
• Statutory protection of rights of working mothers, maternity leave
• Rights of severely disabled employees
• Insolvency
• Mobbing, dealing with conflicts in the work place
• Restraint of competition and compensation
• Part time work in the years before retirement
• Drafting of contracts (limitation periods, flexible working hours, systems for renumeration and incentive, questions concerning the right to give directions, employees’ liability, company car)
• Works agreements
• Employees’ representation (Election of employees’ council, representation and participation of employees in staff-related, social and economic issues)
• Employment agency workers
• Transfer of businesses
• Redundancy /severance scheme and reconciliation of interests
• Short-time work

We cover all areas of immigration and asylum law. Our services include the enforcement of claims and benefits as well as filing applications, administrative reviews, protection against regulatory measures, interim orders and representation before in front of all adminstrative courts in Germany.

We offer consulting and representation in all of the following areas:

• Claiming, granting, denying and renewal of residence permits and temporary residence permits (Aufenthaltsgenehmigung and Aufenthaltserlaubnis)
• Residence permit and right to return
• Obtaining a forbearance (Duldung)
• Family reunion (Familienzusammenführung) as a result of permission to enter and reside given to family members of foreign resident
• Conditions of permanent residence permit
• Permanent right of residence
• Law of residence and law of passports
• Prevention of deportation, threat of deportation and pre-deportation detention (Abschiebung, Abschiebeandrohung and Abschiebehaft)
• Obtaining German citizenship (naturalization)
• Rights of people entitled to asylum and other political refugees
• Applying for asylum
• Solving problems concerning housing of asylum seekers

To avoid court proceedings we first attempt to achieve out of court settlements. If this isn’t possible in a particular case we represent you in front of all courts in Germany.

We cover all areas of public and private construction law, law of architects and law of real estate agencies. Our services include the enforcement of claims and benefits, filing applications and actions as well as the representation in front of all civil and adminstrative courts in Germany.

We offer consulting and representation in the following areas:

• Law of construction contracts, particularly defects and warranty claims
• Reduction of renumeration for the work
• Proceedings to preserve evidence
• Law of architects and engineers
• Law of brokers and real estate agencies, including broker fees
• Law of awarding contracts
• Public construction law, including building permits, application for permission to build and demolition orders
• Law of neighbors

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) as well as all administrative courts in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services as well.

We represent our clients in cases of occupational injury. In this context we cover all areas of social security law, private insurance law and the law of company pensions.

We enforce all claims against the social pension insurance, the employer’s association for regulation of indemnity insurance (Berufsgenossenschaft), insurance companies and employers.

Our services include the enforcement of pension claims, filing applications for pensions, administrative reviews as well as representation in front of all social security courts, labor courts and civil courts in Germany.

Our services particularly cover the following areas:

• Pension because of occupational disability (Berufsunfähigkeit)
• Pensions because of partial or complete inability to work (Erwerbsminderungsrente)
• Pension because of disability or injury (MdE) after an occupational accident
• Pension because of inability to work as a result of an occupational disease
• Pension claims against private accident insurances
• Claims from company pensions after an occupational injury
• Enforcement of claims for payment against the occupational accident insurance
• Claims for other benefits from the occupational accident insurance
• Claims against the statutory nursing insurance
• Rehabilitation claims
• Claims for damages and compensation for pain and suffering against the person who cause the accident.

We offer consulting and representation in all cases of occupational and professional injury. Besides general accidents we particulary cover the area of accidents of professional athletes. We represent numerous athletes from different sports, such as ice hockey, equestrian, football etc.

Ingo Graf
Lawyer
graf@graf-bonn.de
+49 (0)221 - 88 19 20

We offer representation and consulting in all areas of divorve law, including other legal problems arising in this context, such as questions of inheritance and succession, social security and taxes.

Our services include the enforcement of claims and benefits, the filing of applications, court proceedings and representation in front of all family courts in Germany. To avoid court proceedings, we aim to achieve out of court settlements between the parties. If possible, conflicts should be solved conciliation, coaching and mediation.

If an out of court settlement is not possible, we represent our clients in the enforcement of claims before court.

We cover all areas of inheritance and succession law. Our clients include heirs/successors, communities of heirs, compulsory inheritors, and legatees. Besides that, we also represent testator, that want to assure that inheritance and succession are executed according to their wishes.

We offer representation and consulting the following areas:

• Reviewing and drafting of wills
• Reciprocal will by spouses (“Berliner Testament”, regulation and limitation of compulsory portion of estate)
• Legacies
• Foundations
• Patient’s will
• Precautionary authority/ legal power
• Orders for social and medical care
• Succession by will/ anticipated succession
• Contracts to the benefit of a third party
• Gifts inter vivos
• Execution of a will
• Inheritance tax and tax for gifts inter vivos
• Successorship clauses for entrepreneurs and their families

We advise our clients in planning and drafting their will, contracts of inheritance and contracts concerning gifts inter vivos.

We also offer consulting and representation to our clients in all matters concerning the deceased’s estate, such as the distribution of the estate, the settelement of claims to compulsory portion of estate and the handling of legacies.

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany to enforce their claims from will, legacy or compulsory portion. Besides that we offer consulting servives as well.

Finally we offer solutions concerning questions of inheritance tax and tax for gifts inter vivos.

Ingo Graf
Lawyer
graf@graf-bonn.de
+49 (0)221 - 88 19 20

We cover all areas of matrimonial law, family law and law related to parent and child, including questions concerning inheritance and succession as well as corporations, social security and taxes.

Our services include the enforcement of claims and benefits, the filing of applications as well as court proceedings in front of all family courts in Germany.

We offer representation and consulting in the following areas:

• Divorce and connected proceedings
• Statutory equalization of pension benefits rights upon dissolution of marriage
• Child and spousal support
• Equalization of net property gains
• Right of custody
• Visitation rights
• Division of matrimonial household goods
• Non marital cohabitation
• Marriage contracts
• Interim legal protection
• Proceedings under the Violence Protection Act (Gewaltschutzgesetz)
• International Family La

this not be possible in a particular case, we represent our clients in front of all courts in Germany to enforce their claims.

We represent your interests in the area of trade and corporate law. This includes the law of partnerships (GbR, OHG and KG) as well as the law of companies with limited liability (GmbH) and the law of associations. In this context we also cover the frequent connections with labor law, social security law and general civil law.

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services as well.

Our services particularly cover the following areas:

• Founding of a business
• Review and development of articles of association and partnership agreements.
• Review and development of directors’ contracts
• Legal advice and representation in association matters
• Disputes between shareholders and partners
• Termination and liquidation of corporations and partnerships
• Change of shareholders
• Debt recovery
• Advice and representation in the crisis, including preparation, application and monitoring of any insolvency proceedings

We cover all areas of land law, including real estate sales contracts, law of neighbors and real servitudes.

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services and drafting of contracts as well.

Our services particularly include representation and consultiung in the following areas:

• Preparation and review of real estate sales contracts
• Rights and obligations from real estate sales contracts
• Warranty as to defects, reduction of price, recission of the contract
• Damage claims
• Law of neighbors
• Protection against noise
• Real servitudes
• Right of way
• Usufruct

We cover all areas of real estate law, including sales contracts, tenancy, brokerage agreements and the law of neighbors.

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services and drafting of contracts.

Our services particularly include representation and consulting in the following areas:

• Preparation and review of real estate sales contracts
• Rights and obligations from real estate sales contracts
• Warranty as to defects, reduction of price, recission of the contract
• Damage claims
• Disputes from tenancy and lease contracts
• Termination of lease contracts
• Reduction of rental payments
• Charging costs of utilities
• Claims for security deposits
• Subletting
• Claims from brokers contracts (brokerage commission, etc.)
• Disputes between neighbors
• Protection against noise
• Structures extending over boundaries
• Execution against real property

We represent the interests of insolvency creditors as well as of insolvency debtors.

We guide insolveny debtors through the attempt of an out of court settlement, which is necessary in cases of consumer insolvency. We also represent them in the following court proceedings and file for remission of outstanding debt (Restschuldbefreiung) and forbearance of the cost of proceedings (Verfahrenskostenstundung).

We also offer the drafting of strategiese to avoid insolvency proceedings by creating payment plans.

In advance of insolvency proceedings we represent your interests by filing for exemption from restraint and for actions to stay execution. We also offer representation and consulting in cases of insolvency of entrepreneurs and corporations. We represent insolvency debtors in front of courts, the insolvenvcy administrator and insolvenvcy creditors.

We enforce claims of insolvency creditors by execution, payment plans. We notify insolvency claims to the insolvency table.

Our services particularly include representation and consulting in the following areas:

• Out-of-court settlements and payment plans to avoid insolvency proceedings
• Insolvency consulting
• Preparation and monitoring of consumer insolvency proceedings (private insolvency)
• Application of claims to the insolvency table
• Receivership and compulsory auction
• Filing for remission of outstanding debt
• Petition for insolvency
• Assertion of claims in insolvency
• Securing claims in cases of insolvency

We cover all areas of the law of sales contracts, including real property sales contracts as well as contracts concerning moveables (such as cars, furniture, kitchen and objects sold and bought in internet auctions).

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services as well.

Our services particularly include representation and consulting in the following areas:

• Real estate sales contracts
• Other sales contracts (cars, furniture, etc.)
• Preparation, drafting and reviewing of sales contracts
• Assertion of warranty claims
• Long distance sales contracts
• Front door transactions
• Recission and re-handling of contracts
• Assertion of rights of revocation
• Reviewing and drafting of standard terms and conditions
• Passenger car sales contracts
• Damage claims
• Reduction of the purchase price
• Rights and obligations in internet auctions
• Revocation of unjustified reviews in internet auctions

If the Law of protection against unlawful dismissal is applicable, the employee has to file legal proceedings against the termination of his contract within three weeks after receiving notice. Usually numerous questions arise in this context, such as the existence of legally relevant reasons for termination of the contract, the observation of the correct period of notice, special protection against dismissal of certain groups of employees and subsequent services and payments by the employment office (Arbeitsamt).

Our clients are employers as well as employees and members of staff committees (Betriebsrat). We offer full consulting services concerning the termination of employment contracts. To employees we offer protection against measures preparing the termination of contract (warnings and unlawful execution of the right to give directions). We consult and represent employers concerning the termination of contract and preparing it.

Besides that we are able to represent you out of court, as well as in front of all german labor courts, state labor courts and the German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht).

Our services also cover the following areas:

• Representation in court proceedings concerning protection against dismissal
• Enforcement and optimization of settlements
• Protection against rest periods concerning payments by the employment office and other disadvantages concerning social security.
• Statutory protection of rights of working mothers
• Rights of severely disabled employees
• Protection against dismissal in the training relationship
• Special rights and regulations for managers
• Participation of the employees’ council
• Measures to prepare the termination of contract (warnings and execution of the right to give directions etc.)
• Termination of contract and amendment order
• Dissolution request
• Insolvency
• Collective dismissals
• Liability of the employer for dismissal of older workers

We cover all areas of lease contracts and tenancy as well as residential property law. We represents landlords, tenants, leaseholders, administrator and custodians, brokers and owners of real property.

We particularly offer services in the following areas:

• Housing tenancy contracts
• Commercials tenancy contracts
• Residential property law
• Law of brokerage
• Law of neighbors
• Real estate law
• Connecting issues of adminstrative and tax law

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany.

We represent your interests in disputes concerning travel contracts, including contracts conerning carriage, package holidays and other travel contracts. Enformencent of and defense against claims from travel contracts are often difficult without the necessary legal expertise, because rights and obligations are laid out in many different laws and regulations. Besides that most claims depend upon short deadlines.

We represent our clients out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services as well.

Our services particulary cover the following areas:

• Assertion and enforcement of travel price reductions
• Assertion of and defense against claims from travel contracts
• Damage claims
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Claims arising from delay and cancellation of flights
• Cancellation and cancellation costs
• Claims arising from the cancellation insurance
• Claims because of lost luggage
• Claims for rebooking
• Claims arising from overbooking
• Claims from carriage contracts (airplane, train, ship)

We cover all areas of pension law, social security law, private insurance law an the law of company pensions.

In this context we offer consulting and representation concerning all claims against the state social pension insurance, employers’ association for regulation of indemnity insurance (Berufsgenossenschaft), insurance companies and employers.

Our services include calculation and enforcement of pensions, filing of applications, administrative reviews as well as representation in front of all social security courts, labor courts and civil courts in Germany, particularly in the following areas:

• Pension because of occupational disability (Berufsunfähigkeit)
• Pensions because of partial or complete inability to work (Erwerbsminderungsrente)
• Old-age pension
• Old-age pension for long-term insured
• Old-age pension for severely disabled people
• Old-age pension because of occupational disability
• Pension because of unemployment or partial retirement
• Pension because of disability or injury (MdE) after an occupational accident
• Pension because of inability to work as a result of an occupational disease
• Pension claims against private accident insurances
• Company pension
• Educational pension
• Account clarifications and reviews
• Assertion of qualifying times
• Consulting and calculating concerning pension and post-retirement repayments
• Public-sector pension matters
• Early retirement schemes and social plans
• Rehabilitation measures
• Foreign pension law

After the conclusion of proceedings we review the legal possiblities for applications for review and prolongation.

We also offer individual solutions, if you are interested in making provisions for all cases of retirements (age, disease or accident).

We cover all areas of the law of integration of seriously disabled people.

Our services include the enforcement of claims for recognition as seriously disabled person and for compensation, filing of applications, administrative reviews as well as representation in front of all social security courts in Germany.

We offer consulting and representation in all of the following areas:

• Recognition as seriously disabled according to the degree of disability (GdB)
• Determination of a disability
• Filing for a severe disability card

Recognition of compensation for disadvantages; The recognition as a seriuosly disabled person has several advantages for the person affected, for example:

• Seriously disabled people can claim more day of leave of absent, usually five more days per year
• Seriously disabled people have special legal protetction against unlawful dismissal
• Seriously disabled people can claim accompanying assistance on the job
• Seriously disabled people can claim to be freed from extra work
• Seriously disabled people can claim for a reduction of tax under the Income Tax Act
• Seriously disabled people can receive an early age pension from the statutory pension insurance
• Seriously disabled people receive premium discounts with several automobile clubs

Seriously disabled people with recognised marks (“Merkzeichen”: G, B, H, aG, BI, RF, GI) can receive further advantages on application:

• Free transport in the public passenger transport
• Free transport of a person accompanying them in public transport and domestic air traffic
• Exemption from the vehicle tax
• EU single parking permit for the use of park facilities
• Exemption from compulsory licence fees
• Reimbursement of additional expenses for the hearing impaired

After the conclusion of proceedings we review the legal possiblities for applications for review and prolongation.

We cover all areas of social security law.
Our services include the enforcement of claims, filing of applications, administrative reviews as well as representation in front of all social security courts in Germany. We offer consulting and representation in all of the following areas:

• Promotion of employment and social security law
• Health insurance law
• Accident insurance law
• Pension insurance law
• Nursing insurance law
• Law of social compensation for health damage
• Law of child-raising allowance
• Child Benefit law
• Education Promotion Law, “BAföG”
• Housing Benefit Law
• Youth Help Law
• Seriously Disabled Rights
• Social welfare according to SGB II and SGB XII
• Unemployment benefits law

To avoid costly court proceedings we aim for out of court settlements. Should this not be possible in a particular case, we represent our clients in front of all courts in Germany to enforce their claims.

We offer consulting in all areas of professional sports. We represent professional athletes as well as clubs, organizations, coaches, managers and functionaries, from different sports, such as ice hockey, equestrian, football etc.

Clients from the aforementioned groups are often faced with specific legal issues in the areas of the law of associations, labor and employment law, social security law and questions of of liability and damages. Besides that, tax, corporate and economic issues are of increasing importance in the area of professional sports. In cases of doping and other offences, legal assistance is of utmost importance as well.

In cases of legal disputes, the competence of the particular sport jurisdiction as well as the binding effects of its rulings need to be checked.

If disputes can not be solved out of court, we represent your interests in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany as well as in front of all all german labor courts, state labor courts and the German Federal Labor Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht).

Our main areas of focus in sports law are:

• Founding of associations and organizations
• Consulting of health clubs and gyms
• All questions arising from the law of associations and organizations
• Labor and employment law
• Protection of the personal rights of professional athletes
• Questions of corporate law
• Professional athletes contracts
• Transfers
• Coaches’ and managers’ contracts
• Liability and damages
• Sponsors contracts
• Tax, and insurance issues and questions of charity
• Representation in criminal law
• all other questions typically arising in cases of sports law

Criminal law is the sharpest weapon of the state against its citizens. Coercive measures and prejudgements during investigative proceedings can affect the social environment of the person which is subject to prosecution and lead to destruction of his or her existence. In many cases the eagerness of the prosecutors leads to violations of fundamental rights of the defendant.

Especially at the beginning of the prosecution, many defendants make severe mistakes due to confusion, fear or a lack of knowledge. Besides that, many defendants underestimate the importance of a professional evaluation of the results of the investigation and the drafting of a realistic prognosis of risks. Both are of utmost importance to create an equality of opportunity to be heard and give evidence in legal proceedings.

Respect for the presumption of innocence and the personal dignity of the defendant – in felonies as well as in cases of minor offenses - are not self evident, but must be fought for in the courtroom every day anew.

We are aware of the special responsibility for our clients und we are convinced, that only unconditional, one-sided and effective representation by a defence lawyer, can guarantee fair proceedings governed by the rule of law.

We represent our clients through all instances in front of all courts in Germany. Of course we also handle proceedings in front of the Supreme Constituional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) and the European Court for Human Rights.

Among others, our services cover the following areas:

• Extradition and International Criminal Law
• Medical Law
• Narcotics criminal law
• Arson offences
• Computer crime
• Property offences
• Felonies/ Capital crimes / violence
• Preventative consulting / witness protection
• Appeal and retrial
• Sexual offences
• Criminal tax law
• Environmental crime
• Commital procedure
• Offences relating to road transport

To protect the rights of our clients we also handle communication with the media, take care of relatives and represent our clients in front of authorities involved. If necessary in particular cases we also consult outside experts in other fields.

The best defense is early defense:
Our defence lawyer emergency number 0 163 / 88 19 200 is available 24 hours every day.

We cover all areas of road traffic law, from civil law to regulatory and criminal offences.

Our services include the enforcement of claims, the filing applications and proceedings and legal representation out of court, as well as in front of all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany.

We offer consulting and representation in the following areas:

• Civil traffic law
• Traffic Liability Law (assertion of liability claims)
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Damages for physical and personal injuries
• Impairment
• Compensation for loss of use
• Costs for expert opinions
• Transportation Contract Law
• Insurance Law, in particular the law of car insurance
• Personal insurance law
• Regulatory and criminal offences
• Right of driver’s licence

To avoid costly court proceedings we aim for out of court settlements. Should this not be possible in a particular case, we represent our clients in front of all courts in Germany to enforce their claims.

The department of accident law includes the handling of cases in the field of civil and criminal law as well as cases of administrative offences.

Our services include the enforcement of claims and benefits, the filing of applications as well as proceedings in front all district courts (Amtsgericht), regional courts (Landgericht) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht) in Germany. Besides that we offer consulting services as well.

We cover all legal issues that arise in the context of accidents. We represent accident victims, injured people as well as people responsible for the accident.

To avoid costly court proceedings, we aim for out of court settlements. If these are not possible in particular cases we enforce our clients interests with all consequence in front of court.

he department of insurance law covers the handling of cases from the entire area of social security law as well as private insurance law.

We advise and represent you in all claims against insurance companies.

Our services include the enforcement and calculation of insurance claims, the filing of applications, proceedings of administrative review as well as representation in front of courts all over Germany.

We particularly cover the following areas:

• General insurance contract law
• Vehicle insurance law
• Buildings insurance law
• House contents insurance law
• Fire insurance law
• Burglary insurance law
• Construction insurance law
• Life insurance law
• Travel cancellation insurance law
• Accident insurance law
• Occupational disability insurance law
• Indemnity insurance law
• Environmental and product liability insurance law
• Insurances against legal costs
• Transportation and shipping insurance law
• International insurance law

To avoid costly court proceedings we first attempt to achieve out of court settlements. If this isn’t possible in a particular case we represent you in front of all courts in Germany.

We cover all areas of tenancy and residential property law.

We represents landlords, tenants, leaseholders, administrator and custodians, brokers and owners of real property.

We particularly offer services in the following areas:

• Housing tenancy contracts
• Commercials tenancy contracts
• Residential property law
• Law of brokerage
• Law of neighbors
• Real estate law
• Connecting issues of adminstrative and tax law

To avoid costly court proceedings we aim for out of court settlements. Should this not be possible in a particular case, we represent our clients in front of all courts in Germany to enforce their claims.