Small matters in court yourself — guided, not alone
At the local court, many small disputes need no lawyer: an unpaid invoice, a flight compensation claim, a defect in a purchase, a travel complaint. What deters many people is the formality — the case caption, specific motions, offers of proof, deadlines. This is exactly where the new Prozessbegleiter comes in: you run your own case, and the AI guides you through the steps as a lawyer would.
Eligibility first — no selling of a hopeless case
You describe your matter, and the AI checks eligibility first: the court with jurisdiction, the amount in dispute, whether representation by a lawyer is mandatory, and what the cost risk looks like. The result is a clear traffic light — suitable, proceed with caution, or "better to hire a lawyer". For small monetary claims up to 600 €, the Prozessbegleiter points to the simplified procedure (the German § 495a of the Code of Civil Procedure), which is particularly well suited to self-representation.
What the Prozessbegleiter does for you
- Explaining court mail: upload an order, an evidence ruling, a summons or a judgment — the AI tells you in plain language what it is, what it means, what to do and by when. Recognised deadlines are added to your calendar automatically.
- Drafting pleadings: statement of claim, defence, reply, settlement proposal and more — in the German form (case caption, specific motions, reasoning with offers of proof placed exactly where they belong, list of exhibits), not in the US style. Every cited provision is checked against official sources.
- Deadlines in view: genuine deadline calculation (shifting for working days and public holidays) with multi-stage reminders, so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Filing it yourself: you receive a finished DOCX/PDF plus precise instructions — signature, copies, the court's filing office or the electronic justice mailbox (Mein Justizpostfach), and the advance on court fees.
From the claim to the money — the whole journey
What's new is that the Prozessbegleiter accompanies you across the entire process, not just for the first pleading:
- Claim check: a safety review before you file — how complete is the claim, which court has jurisdiction (and from what point a lawyer becomes mandatory), and is the claim about to become time-barred? All calculated deterministically, not guessed.
- Evidence manager: assign a piece of evidence to each assertion; documents automatically become numbered exhibits (K1, B1 …).
- Costs and settlement: a calculator estimates the court and lawyer costs; a decision aid shows honestly from what chance of success the dispute is worth pursuing rather than settling — including the question of whether the other side can pay at all.
- Anticipating the other side: on request, the AI anticipates the likely objections of the opposing party and suggests responses — like a small moot court.
- Hearing preparation: how the oral hearing unfolds, what to bring and how to appear with confidence.
- Enforcement: winning is not the same as being paid — the assistant shows the right route to the money (attachment of accounts or wages, the court bailiff, the statement of assets).
The cases covered go beyond monetary claims: flight compensation, travel and purchase defects, the return of a rental deposit and neighbour law ("the neighbour's tree"). You can pay per step — or unlock a complete package per case in one go, which then includes all pleadings and explanations.
You remain in charge of the case
Important: the Prozessbegleiter is a self-help tool, not legal advice and not representation by us. You review, sign and file yourself — the AI can err, which is why a mandatory check precedes every step. If things become too complex or a lawyer is required, we hand the matter over seamlessly to a law firm with a structured handover letter via the lawyer marketplace.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland
The Prozessbegleiter knows the differences: in Austria the district court (with mandatory representation from 5,000 €), in Switzerland the compulsory conciliation procedure before the claim. For Switzerland it now guides you through the real stages — the request for conciliation, the conciliation hearing, the authorisation to proceed, and only then the claim in the simplified procedure. That way you get the right steps everywhere — not a German template with a Swiss label.
More on this in the help centre: Suing on your own — step by step.
