Getting legal help in Germany, with Berlin contacts

• Shopping, contracts, subscriptions, energy bills: the Verbraucherzentrale Berlin (consumer advice centre). In 2026 a general consumer-law session of up to 20 minutes costs €20, by phone, video or in person; advice on the broadcasting fee and energy debts is free. If you cannot reach an agreement directly with a company, the federal Universal Arbitration Board (Universalschlichtungsstelle des Bundes) can help settle the dispute out of court. See the guide on consumer rights.
• Rent, deposit, service charges: a tenants' association (Mieterverein, membership-based) or the open tenant advice that every Berlin district offers free of charge to its tenants (advice only, no court representation). See the guide on tenant rights in Berlin.
• Work problems: your union if you are a member; in Berlin, BEMA advises migrant and mobile workers in precarious jobs on contracts, pay and dismissals in several languages. See the guide on employment rights.
• Residence and migration law: see the section below.
• Debt: state-recognised debt counselling centres in every district, free of charge.
• Discrimination: see the section below.

Beratungshilfe covers legal advice and, where needed, representation outside court, for example a lawyer writing to your landlord or to an authority. In civil matters both are possible; in criminal and regulatory-offence matters only advice is covered.

Who can get it: people who cannot pay a lawyer from their income and assets. There is no single income limit: the court looks at your income minus allowances, housing costs and special burdens. The matter must not be frivolous, there must be no other reasonable source of help (for example a union or legal expenses insurance), and you are usually expected to have tried to contact the other side first.

What it costs: the application to the court is free. The lawyer may charge you €15 at most; the state pays the rest. The legal application office of the court may also answer simple questions or record a request directly.

What to bring in Berlin (service.berlin.de, 2026): the application form, your passport or ID card with registration certificate, proof of income (payslips, benefit notices), your rental contract, bank statements for the last three months, proof of ongoing payments and special burdens, and all letters about the problem.

Prozesskostenhilfe (PKH) - called Verfahrenskostenhilfe in family and some other proceedings - pays your own court fees and your lawyer, fully or partly. Three conditions apply: you cannot pay the costs yourself, the case has reasonable prospects of success, and it is not frivolous.

Points newcomers often miss:

• Instalments: depending on your income, the court may order you to pay monthly instalments, for at most 48 months.
• Four-year review: for four years after the case ends, the court can check your finances again. You must report on your own if your income changes by more than €100 a month or if you move; otherwise PKH can be cancelled.
• The other side's costs: PKH does not cover the opponent's lawyer if you lose. The exception is first-instance labour court cases, where each side normally pays its own lawyer anyway.
• Retroactivity: apply before or together with the claim; PKH is generally not granted for costs already incurred.

Berlin's local courts, the labour court, the social court and the administrative court each have a legal application office (Rechtsantragstelle). Staff there help you put certain applications or claims into the right form and record them for you (zu Protokoll), for example applications for Beratungshilfe, applications in family, enforcement or inheritance matters, or a claim to the labour court.

What they do not do: give legal advice, assess your chances of success or draft your arguments. Many offices require an appointment, and at the administrative court you must bring your own interpreter if you need one. Check the opening hours and appointment rules on the court's page before you go.

• Search: the Berlin Bar (Rechtsanwaltskammer Berlin) runs a lawyer search where you can filter by area of law, district and foreign languages. Entries are based on lawyers' own information. The federal lawyers' directory lists every lawyer admitted in Germany.
• Specialist lawyers: the bar awards the title Fachanwalt in fields such as employment, tenancy, migration or family law on application, with proof that includes lists of cases handled in that field.
• Fees: lawyers' fees are set by law (RVG) or by written agreement. If you are a consumer and have not agreed a fee, a first consultation costs at most €190, and further advice or a written opinion at most €250, in each case plus VAT and expenses. Ask about costs at the start and get any fee agreement in writing.
• Language: if your German is limited, look for a lawyer who speaks your language or bring a trusted interpreter. Documents you sign remain your responsibility.

Legal expenses insurance pays lawyers' and court fees up to an agreed sum for the areas you insure, such as work, private contracts, traffic or tenancy. According to the Verbraucherzentrale:

• There is usually a waiting period of three months (some insurers six) from the start of the contract. A dispute whose cause arose before that is not covered, so you cannot insure a problem you already have.
• Important areas are often excluded or limited, for example family and inheritance law (usually advice only), divorce, building and financing, and speculative investments.
• The Verbraucherzentrale recommends a sum insured of at least €300,000 and checking the policy for a clause that lets an independent lawyer decide if the insurer refuses cover (Stichentscheid).

Union members often get legal protection for work disputes, and tenants' associations represent members in tenancy matters, which can be cheaper than a separate policy. Compare several insurers yourself; HomiStart does not recommend providers.

Questions about visas, residence permits, the immigration office, family reunification or citizenship can have serious consequences, so get qualified advice early.

• Willkommenszentrum Berlin (Welcome Centre of the Senate's Commissioner for Integration and Migration): free advice, including legal advice on migration law by lawyers on its team, with interpreters for many languages. It does not represent you in court. There are walk-in hours with waiting numbers and appointments, which are often booked several weeks ahead.
• Migration counselling for adults (Migrationsberatung für erwachsene Zuwanderer, MBE) and the Youth Migration Services for young people: free, confidential help with integration questions; they can help you understand letters and refer you on. Find a centre with the BAMF-NAvI map or use the online service mbeon.
• Lawyers specialising in migration law: use the Berlin Bar's search for "Ausländerrecht" or "Migrationsrecht". Beratungshilfe can cover this advice if you qualify.

If you want to challenge a refused visa or residence decision, the administrative court's legal application office can record a claim, but it gives no advice on visa matters.

• Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency (Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes): free advice line 0800 546 546 5, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00, plus an online form. It gives an initial legal assessment of discrimination and sexual harassment under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), for example at work, when renting a flat or in shops and services.
• Deadline: claims under the AGG currently have to be made within two months. A reform bill approved by the federal cabinet in May 2026 would extend this to four months; it was still being debated in the Bundestag in October 2026, so check the current rule.
• Discrimination by Berlin authorities, such as the police, schools or Bürgerämter, is covered by the Berlin State Anti-Discrimination Act (LADG). Its independent ombuds office advises free of charge and examines complaints.
• Local counselling: in Berlin, independent centres such as the ADNB of the Türkischer Bund offer free counselling in several languages.