The ladder
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clarify | Call or email the caseworker; ask for the reasons | Before the deadline runs low |
| 2. Widerspruch / Einspruch | Formal objection in writing, citing the decision and case number. Reasons can follow later | Within 1 month (fines and Mahnbescheid: 2 weeks) |
| 3. Klage (lawsuit) | Verwaltungsgericht (administrative), Sozialgericht (benefits, health insurance — no court fees for insured persons), Finanzgericht (tax), Arbeitsgericht (employment) | Usually 1 month after the objection decision. Some states have abolished Widerspruch for certain matters — then you sue directly |
| 4. Appeal | Higher courts | Lawyer recommended or required |
Note: Widerspruch for tax (Einspruch) is free. A successful Widerspruch can also get your lawyer's costs refunded.
When the authority doesn't respond
- Untätigkeitsklage (lawsuit for inaction, §75 VwGO): possible after 3 months without a decision on an application or objection — commonly used when the Ausländerbehörde sits on a permit or citizenship application. Court fees are moderate. Many immigration lawyers file this routinely.
- Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde (complaint about an official's conduct): free, informal, no deadline — but it doesn't change the decision itself.
- Petition to the state parliament's petitions committee: free, slow, sometimes effective in hardship cases.
Cheap or free legal help
- Beratungshilfe: for low incomes. Get a voucher from the local court (Amtsgericht); a lawyer then advises you for a €15 fee.
- Prozesskostenhilfe: state pays court and lawyer costs for low-income parties with a reasonable chance of success.
- Migration counselling (MBE for adults, Jugendmigrationsdienst for under-27s): free, run by charities such as Caritas, Diakonie, AWO and the Red Cross.
- Mieterverein (tenants), union (employees), Verbraucherzentrale (consumers).
- Arbitration services (free for consumers): söp (transport), Versicherungsombudsmann (insurance), bank ombudsmen, Schlichtungsstelle Energie.