Asylum Law · Germany
Find the right asylum lawyer in Germany
Asylum files are decided by public authorities in Germany, and everything around them sits inside a legal system with its own courts, language and fixed deadlines. Describe your situation once, and we match you with a lawyer who actually handles this kind of work.
- Lawyers who work with public-law and migration files
- Matched within 24–48 hours, at no cost to you
- You decide whether to instruct anyone
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Overview
What a specialised lawyer can do for your asylum case
Facing an asylum decision in Germany is a public-law problem, and it unfolds inside a legal system that works differently from the one you may know at home. Germany’s judiciary is split between ordinary courts for civil and criminal matters and specialised branches, including the administrative courts where cases against public authorities are heard. Procedures are conducted in German, deadlines are tight, and the paperwork is unforgiving. A lawyer who already works with these files can explain what the authority has decided, what your options are and which evidence matters. On this page you describe your situation once, and we match you with an asylum lawyer in Germany whose practice fits your case — at no cost to you and with no obligation to instruct anyone.
Germany in practice
How the German system shapes your asylum file
Germany is a codified civil-law country: procedure and fees are laid down in statutes, and cases are heard in German. The points below show which structural rules affect a public-law file in Germany and where a specialist lawyer earns their fee.
Where these cases sit in the court system
Germany’s judiciary is divided between the ordinary jurisdiction for civil and criminal matters and specialised branches, including administrative courts. Ordinary civil cases run through local courts (Amtsgerichte), regional courts (Landgerichte), higher regional courts (Oberlandesgerichte) and the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe. Appeals on facts and law (Berufung) are distinguished from review on points of law alone (Revision). Hearings and files are in German.
Who is allowed to practise as a lawyer
Admission to the German bar requires the qualification for judicial office (Befähigung zum Richteramt), earned through two state examinations after university legal study and a practical traineeship (Referendariat). Every admitted lawyer is automatically a member of the regional Rechtsanwaltskammer in whose district they practise, and the 28 regional chambers are coordinated by the federal Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer (BRAK), which also adopts the professional conduct rules.
When a lawyer is compulsory
Before the regional courts (Landgerichte) and higher regional courts (Oberlandesgerichte) parties must be represented by a lawyer, and before the Federal Court of Justice only specially admitted lawyers may appear (Section 78(1) ZPO). A lawyer is also mandatory in most family-law matters before the local court. In other civil matters before the Amtsgericht, parties may generally represent themselves.
What lawyers and courts cost
Lawyer fees in Germany follow the statutory Lawyers’ Remuneration Act (RVG), which fixes a rate for each procedural step calculated from the value in dispute, so costs are largely predictable; hourly or success-based fees are permitted only within narrow limits. Prozesskostenhilfe can cover court and lawyer fees in administrative proceedings for parties who cannot afford them, subject to an income and personal-circumstances test and possible repayment later.
Deadlines decide more than arguments
German procedure fixes short, hard windows for each step, and an administrative appeal (Widerspruch) generally has to be lodged within one month. The same logic of fixed periods runs through other areas of German law. Missing one usually closes a route rather than merely delaying it, so the first practical task is to work out exactly which date and which period apply to your file.
Country information on this page comes from official German and European Union sources — the European e-Justice Portal, the German Federal Bar (Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer) and the German federal legislation portal gesetze-im-internet.de — consulted in 2025.
- National justice systems — Germany (European e-Justice Portal)
- Section 78 ZPO — compulsory representation by a lawyer
- Legal aid in Germany (European e-Justice Portal)
- Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer (BRAK) — German Federal Bar
- Section 70 VwGO — administrative appeal (Widerspruch)
- Section 4 KSchG — three-week deadline for dismissal claims
- Section 195 BGB — standard three-year limitation period
- Section 1566 BGB — divorce after one year of separation
- Section 1944 BGB — disclaimer of inheritance
- Section 573c BGB — tenancy termination notice period
The problem
Why asylum files in Germany stall without a lawyer
Most people do not lose their case because the facts were weak. They lose time, and time is what German procedure measures.
A decision you cannot read
The authority writes in German legal language, quoting provisions you have never seen. Without a translation and an explanation you cannot tell whether the reasoning is complete, whether a fact was misunderstood, or what remains open to challenge.
Short deadlines, one chance
German procedure fixes tight windows for each step, and an administrative appeal generally has to be lodged within one month. If that period passes while you are still looking for help, the practical options narrow sharply afterwards.
Finding someone who really handles these files
Many firms describe themselves as general practitioners. You need a lawyer whose daily work is public-law and migration-related, who knows the local practice of the authority and courts in your region, and who replies in a language you understand.
The solution
How our free matching helps you
You do not have to telephone twenty offices or explain your history again and again to find out who is available.
Lawyers in the right practice area
We point you to lawyers who handle the type of matter you describe, public-law and migration-related files among them, rather than a random local firm. Each profile shows the areas a lawyer actually works in.
One request, several suitable profiles
You describe your situation once. Our matching then indicates lawyers whose practice fits your case and who can take on new instructions, so your time goes into comparing approaches instead of repeating your story.
Clarity on costs before you commit
German lawyer fees follow the statutory RVG rate, so a lawyer can set out the fee for each step before you instruct them. Where Prozesskostenhilfe or Beratungshilfe may be relevant, the lawyer can also explain how to apply.
Free, confidential and non-binding
Matching costs you nothing and you decide afterwards whether to instruct anyone. You keep control of your documents and the pace of the file, and you can ask about fees and legal aid before making a decision.
Across Europe
Legal help in other European countries
If your matter also touches another country, or you have already moved on, we can look for lawyers elsewhere in Europe as well.
Questions and answers
Asylum law in Germany: common questions
Do I need an asylum lawyer in Germany to take part in the procedure?
Representation is not required at every step, but the rules differ between courts: before the regional and higher regional courts parties must be represented by a lawyer, and before the Federal Court of Justice only specially admitted lawyers may appear (Section 78(1) ZPO). Many people look for an asylum lawyer in Germany only after a decision arrives, when less can still be adjusted.
Which courts in Germany deal with public-law disputes?
Germany’s judiciary is divided between the ordinary courts for civil and criminal matters and specialised branches, including the administrative courts, which hear disputes against public authorities. Your file therefore does not run through the Amtsgericht or Landgericht. Because the branch and the level determine the appeal route, the fees and the legal-aid rules, that structure is worth understanding early.
What does an asylum lawyer in Germany cost?
Lawyer fees are governed by the statutory Lawyers’ Remuneration Act (RVG), which sets a rate for each procedural step based on the value in dispute, so a lawyer can explain the fee before you instruct them. Hourly and success-based fees are allowed only within narrow limits. If you cannot afford the costs, Prozesskostenhilfe may cover court and lawyer fees in administrative proceedings, subject to an income test.
How long do I have to object to an administrative decision in Germany?
An administrative appeal (Widerspruch) generally has to be lodged within one month, the period set by Section 70 of the Administrative Court Procedure Act (VwGO). The period runs from notification of the decision, and the calculation of the starting date is a frequent point of dispute, so it is worth having the decision letter checked as soon as it reaches you.
Can I get help with legal costs if I have little money?
German legal aid distinguishes advisory assistance (Beratungshilfe) for out-of-court advice from legal aid for court proceedings (Prozesskostenhilfe). Prozesskostenhilfe is available in administrative proceedings, among others, to parties who cannot afford the costs, covering court and lawyer fees subject to an income and personal-circumstances test, with repayment if circumstances improve. It is not available to criminal defendants.
How does your matching service work?
You describe your situation once, in the language you prefer, and tell us where you are and what stage the matter has reached. We then match you with lawyers who handle that kind of work. The match is free and non-binding; you choose whether to instruct anyone, and nothing is shared with a lawyer without your agreement.
Next step
Tell us about your case and get matched
Write a few lines about what the authority has decided, when you received it and what you would like to happen next. We use that to match you with lawyers specialised in this kind of file and send you their profiles — free of charge and without any obligation to proceed.