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Radermacher Law Office

General civil law

The everyday areas of law: contracts, purchases and loans, employment, tenancy and neighbours.

What I promise applies to every area of law

My focus lies in succession law and contract law. Over more than 30 years it has not stopped there — because what I promise applies to every area of law, above all the everyday ones.

I listen carefully, and together we work out what your interests actually are. That sounds obvious; often it is not. Sometimes standard solutions are offered where something tailored is needed. Sometimes advice is given without regard to the outcome or to what the client can realistically carry.

Contract law

The greater part of civil law is contract law — and the greater part of disputes arises where something was not regulated, or regulated unclearly.

Preventively: sale, works, service and loan contracts between private individuals are the classic case of avoidable later headaches. Anyone selling a car, lending money to a relative or engaging a tradesman should know what they are signing.

Once it has happened: defects in goods and works, refused payment, rescission and damages, limitation periods. The first step here is always to examine the legal position soberly — including when the answer is not the one hoped for.

Employment law

For employees and employers alike: drafting employment contracts, warnings, ordinary and extraordinary dismissal, termination agreements and severance payments, references, holiday and overtime.

Speed counts in employment law. A claim against a dismissal must be at the labour court within three weeks of receipt. Whoever lets that period pass loses, however justified their position was.

For employers the same care applies in the other direction: a technically defective dismissal costs more than one properly prepared.

Tenancy and neighbours

Tenancy agreements, service-charge statements, defects and rent reduction, termination and eviction, own use. In neighbour law: boundary distances, encroachment, emissions, rights of way.

These disputes have a particular quality: the parties have to get along afterwards. That rarely argues for a quick lawsuit and often for a durable agreement.

How we begin

Describe the facts and bring what documents you have — contracts, correspondence, dismissals, reminders. In a first conversation we clarify the legal position, what is realistically achievable and what the route there costs.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly do I have to react?
Often faster than it looks. In employment law, a claim against a dismissal must reach the labour court within three weeks of the dismissal being received (§ 4 KSchG); the period has usually expired before most people have an appointment. Deadlines in payment orders (Mahnbescheid), warnings and contractual terminations run equally short. When in doubt, call early.
Is it worth instructing a lawyer for a small claim?
Not always, and I will say so when it is not. Good advice includes the courage to reject solutions that do harm in the long run — and that includes proceedings whose cost exceeds their benefit. Often a letter setting out the legal position clearly is enough.
Will my legal expenses insurance pay?
That depends on the policy and the area of law. I obtain confirmation of cover for you before costs arise. Succession law, company law and intentional criminal offences are typically not covered.
I have received a letter in German that I do not understand. What now?
Send it over, in a photograph or as a scan, together with a note of when it arrived. Many German letters carry deadlines that begin on receipt. We go through the content together; where a certified translation is needed for the proceedings, that can be arranged.

This is general information and does not replace advice on an individual case.