Amtsgericht (local court) procedures
Civil matters · Family law · Register
The Amtsgericht is the first instance of the ordinary courts in Germany. It has jurisdiction over civil matters up to a value in dispute of €10,000 (since 2026), family matters (divorce, parental custody), probate matters (Erbschein, the certificate of inheritance), land register matters (Grundbuch) and register matters (commercial register, register of associations), as well as custodianship proceedings.
Which Amtsgericht has jurisdiction depends on the court district — for probate matters, on the deceased's last habitual residence; for land register matters, on the location of the plot of land. The court costs are regulated uniformly nationwide in the Court Fees Act (Gerichtskostengesetz, GKG) and the Family Court Fees Act (Gesetz über Gerichtskosten in Familiensachen, FamGKG). On 1 June 2025, court fees were increased by the Act Amending Costs and Custodian Remuneration Law (Kosten- und Betreuervergütungsrechtsänderungsgesetz, KostBRÄG 2025): value-based fees by 6% and fixed fees by 9%. On the same day, register fees rose by around 50%.