Local court or regional court – where must I file my claim since 2026?

Since 1 January 2026, claims worth up to 10,000 euros are heard by the local court (Amtsgericht) rather than the regional court (Landgericht) – with no requirement to instruct a lawyer. What this means for your claim, your solicitor and your costs.

Are you thinking about bringing a claim, or have you been sued – and wondering which court is actually responsible? Since the beginning of 2026, the answer to that question has changed for a great many cases, and changed significantly. Anyone still planning on the basis of the old law can quickly end up at the wrong court, or underestimate whether they even need a lawyer at all.

In brief

Since 1 January 2026, the local court (Amtsgericht) has been responsible for disputes worth up to 10,000 euros – previously the threshold stood at 5,000 euros. For claims between 5,000 and 10,000 euros, this shifts not only which court has jurisdiction, but as a rule also the obligation to be represented by a lawyer: before the local court you may generally represent yourself, whereas before the regional court (Landgericht) you must instruct a lawyer. The threshold for appeals has risen as well, and certain disputes – with a neighbour, for instance – now go to the local court regardless of the amount in dispute.

How I can help you

• I check which court is responsible for your specific case since 2026 – and whether representation by a lawyer is required.
• I calculate the relevant amount in dispute correctly, so that your claim does not end up at the wrong court.
• I represent you before both the local court and the regional court.
• Where proceedings are already under way, I check whether the old or the new law applies.
• I give you a realistic assessment of whether an appeal is even worthwhile under the new value thresholds.

The new value threshold: from 5,000 to 10,000 euros

The heart of the reform is section 23 of the Courts Constitution Act (§ 23 GVG). Under this provision, the local courts are responsible for “disputes concerning claims the subject matter of which, in money or money’s worth, does not exceed the sum of ten thousand euros”. Until the end of 2025, this threshold stood at 5,000 euros. Anything above it remains within the jurisdiction of the regional court.

This affects practically every monetary claim: unpaid invoices, damages, disputes over purchase prices, contractors’ fees. What matters is the amount in dispute in the claim – that is, the economic value of what is being claimed, not the value of the underlying contract or object as a whole. Someone who sues for only a partial amount of 8,000 euros out of a larger claim, for example, will now end up at the local court, even though the total claim is higher.

Requirement to instruct a lawyer: when you may represent yourself

Before the local court, there is generally no requirement to instruct a lawyer – you may draft your claim yourself and represent yourself in court (§ 78 ZPO). Before the regional court and the higher instances, by contrast, you must be represented by a lawyer.

Because the local court threshold now stands at 10,000 euros, the point at which you actually need a lawyer effectively shifts to 10,000 euros as well. In practical terms: someone who previously had to be legally represented in a dispute worth 7,000 euros could, since 2026, in theory represent themselves. As a rule I nevertheless advise against this – precisely because the law of procedure and of evidence remains demanding even at the local court, and a mistake over a deadline or the offering of evidence can quickly cost you the whole case. But you now have that free choice across a considerably wider range of values.

New jurisdiction regardless of the amount in dispute

Regardless of the amount in dispute, the local court has always been responsible for certain kinds of dispute – residential tenancy matters, for example, or claims arising from the balancing of neighbours’ rights under sections 906, 910, 911 and 923 of the Civil Code (§§ 906, 910, 911, 923 BGB) – that is, classic disputes over boundary planting, overhanging branches, emissions or boundary installations. These neighbour disputes remain with the local court after the reform too, regardless of how high the amount in dispute happens to be in the individual case.

For you as a neighbour, this means: even where the dispute concerns an expensive boundary wall or a tree of high value, you will end up at the local court – not automatically at the regional court simply because the amount in dispute exceeds 10,000 euros. This matters when the claim is filed, because a claim brought before the wrong court leads to lost time and additional costs.

Appeals: a higher hurdle for the second instance

The law on remedies has also been adjusted. Under section 511 of the Code of Civil Procedure (§ 511 ZPO), an appeal against a first-instance judgment is now only admissible if the value of the subject matter of the appeal exceeds 1,000 euros – previously this threshold stood at 600 euros. If your loss under the judgment falls below that, you need the first-instance court to grant leave to appeal expressly, for example because the matter is of fundamental importance.

In practice, this means: with smaller amounts in dispute, it becomes harder to have an unfavourable judgment reviewed at second instance. Anyone who loses just below the new threshold should make their case with particular care already at first instance – a second chance can no longer be taken for granted.

As to timing, the following applies: the new value thresholds apply to proceedings brought on or after 1 January 2026. For pending or already-decided older proceedings, the previous thresholds generally remain in place. Whether that is so in the individual case should be checked before every step – especially for proceedings that straddled the turn of the year.

A typical case from practice

A tradesman’s business has an unpaid invoice for 8,500 euros against a defaulting client. Under the old law, the regional court would have had exclusive jurisdiction over this – with both sides required to instruct a lawyer and a correspondingly higher cost risk right from the moment the claim was filed. Since 2026, the local court has jurisdiction for this amount in dispute. The business could in theory file the claim itself, but – because of the questions of evidence surrounding the client’s complaint about defects – nevertheless decides in favour of legal representation. The proceedings run faster and with a lower cost risk than they would have a year ago.

Common mistakes

Many clients calculate the amount in dispute incorrectly – for instance by including ancillary claims such as interest or out-of-court costs, even though these are usually left out of account when determining jurisdiction. Others still file their claim with the regional court, simply because they are unaware of the change in the law that took effect at the turn of the year – which costs time through a transfer of the case. Others again lightly do without legal help, merely because instructing a lawyer is no longer compulsory, and then lose over a procedural error that could have been avoided with a lawyer’s guidance. And some underestimate the new appeal threshold and only wonder after the judgment why the second instance remains closed to them.

Frequently asked questions

Do I even need a lawyer before the local court?

No, generally not – before the local court there is no requirement to instruct a lawyer, and you may represent yourself. Exceptions apply, among others, in family matters. In more complex cases, however, legal representation is often sensible even where it is not compulsory, so as not to lose out over deadlines and questions of evidence.

What happens if I file my claim with the wrong court?

The court will transfer the claim to the court with jurisdiction, either on application or of its own motion. This costs time above all, and possibly additional expense, but does not affect the admissibility of the claim itself, provided the transfer is made in good time.

Does the new 10,000-euro threshold also apply to claims that were already filed in 2025?

No. What is decisive is generally when the proceedings were made pending. For proceedings still filed with the regional court in 2025, the old jurisdiction usually remains in place. This should be checked in the individual case.

Does the new threshold also affect tenancy disputes?

For residential tenancy matters, the local court already had exclusive jurisdiction regardless of the amount in dispute, and the reform does not change this. The new 10,000-euro threshold becomes relevant above all for general monetary claims such as purchase-price, contractor’s-fee or damages claims.

Is an appeal still worthwhile with an amount in dispute of 800 euros?

Only to a limited extent: since 2026, an appeal is automatically admissible only from a loss of more than 1,000 euros. If your loss falls below that, you need express leave from the first-instance court, which is only granted where the matter is of fundamental importance.

Your next step

The reform changes, for a great many amounts in dispute between 5,000 and 10,000 euros, both which court has jurisdiction and the question of whether you need a lawyer – and it is worth clarifying this before you sue or respond to a claim. I check the correct amount in dispute, the court with jurisdiction and your prospects of success, whether the matter concerns an unpaid claim, a neighbour dispute or a possible appeal. You can find out more about our services relating to civil litigation at /en/topics/civil-law. Arrange an initial consultation – I will set out the costs for it transparently with you in advance.

This article provides general information and is no substitute for legal advice in an individual case. Last updated: 2026-07-29.

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