How do I submit my pleading myself?
Signature, copies, attachments, and the correct path to the court – mail, legal application office, or My Justice Mailbox.
We create the finished document – you submit it yourself. We do not send anything on your behalf. The cockpit guides you through the process with a submission assistant and a short checklist; there you also record the submission method and date.
Your options in Germany
As a private individual representing yourself, you are permitted to submit in paper form. The obligation for electronic transmission (§ 130d ZPO (Zivilprozessordnung - German Code of Civil Procedure), lawyer's beA) only applies to lawyers and authorities – not to you.
- Mail or personal delivery – hand in or send the signed pleading to the competent court.
- Rechtsantragstelle (legal application office - to protocol) – at the Amtsgericht (local court), you can declare your application or lawsuit orally to protocol (§ 129a ZPO). Low-threshold and free of charge if you are unsure about drafting.
- Mein Justizpostfach (My Justice Mailbox) – voluntary electronic citizen access. There is no obligation to use this.
Checklist before submission
- Competent court checked (subject-matter and local jurisdiction).
- Rubrum (heading of the pleading) complete: all parties with a summonable address.
- Specific motion and justification included.
- Pleading signed by hand.
- Abschriften (copies) attached: one for the court and one for each opposing party.
- All attachments (K1, K2 …) complete and numbered.
- Advance payment of court costs planned (see What does a lawsuit cost? Understanding the cost risk): In the case of a lawsuit, this is usually requested first; the lawsuit is only served after payment (§ 12 GKG (Gerichtskostengesetz - German Court Costs Act)).
Afterwards, mark the pleading as submitted in the cockpit – this allows you to keep track of the status of the proceeding. You can obtain the pleadings, attachments, and overview in print order as a ZIP file or directly for printing: Printing everything: pleadings, exhibits, and overview.
Austria and Switzerland
In Austria, you submit the lawsuit in writing to the Bezirksgericht (district court) or declare it orally for the record (§ 434 ZPO) – usually on the Amtstag (official court day); the court states the times; electronic legal communication is voluntary for private individuals. In Switzerland, a lawsuit is usually preceded by a Schlichtungsverfahren (conciliation proceeding) (Art. 197 ZPO): You submit the conciliation request to the conciliation authority.
These are general guidelines, not legal advice. Please check the form, number of copies, and fees with the competent court.
Related topics: Drafting, reviewing, and finalizing a pleading · What does a lawsuit cost? Understanding the cost risk · Keeping track of deadlines · When to Choose a Lawyer Over AI? · Switzerland: The conciliation proceeding before filing a lawsuit
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