The German procedure is built so that the court is the second step, not the first. An obligatory attempt to settle through a recognised advice service comes first, and the certificate of its failure is your ticket to court. What many do not know: at charitable services this costs nothing.
The compulsory attempt to settle — and it is free
Before court, the law requires an out-of-court attempt to settle with creditors. A recognised debt advice service conducts it, and at charitable providers it costs nothing.
✓ Verified: 15/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
I booked with the free service and used the four-week wait to gather documents. Arriving with a complete folder made even the first appointment productive.
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Lea recommends:
Ask about account protection at the very first appointment, not once attachment happens. Restoring access to your own money afterwards is far harder than protecting it in advance.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is the advice genuinely free? ▾
At charitable and municipal services, yes — debt advice there is free of charge. Commercial providers exist, but there is no reason to go to one without checking the free options first: the certificate the court needs comes from recognised services.
Why attempt a settlement when there is no money? ▾
Because the law makes it a precondition. Without a certificate that the out-of-court attempt failed, the court will not accept your application. Occasionally the attempt unexpectedly succeeds, and then no procedure is needed.
How long is the wait for an appointment? ▾
In large cities several weeks is normal, sometimes months. Book immediately and assemble your documents during the wait rather than after it.
What should I do while waiting? ▾
If your account is at risk of attachment, converting it to a protected account in good time is worthwhile — a separate mechanism that preserves a subsistence minimum. Ask about it at the same service.