What is your family matter about?
Open the section that matches your situation. Detailed information will appear there.
1 Separation – what needs to be clarified now? First steps and arrangements for the family
After a separation, practical and legal questions often need to be addressed quickly. If there are joint children, their care, contact arrangements and necessary parental decisions are particularly important.
We first structure the situation according to the issues that are actually disputed and discuss which arrangements may be reached out of court and where a decision by the family court may be required.
2 Parental responsibility Joint parental responsibility, individual decisions and sole responsibility
In matters of parental responsibility, it must be distinguished whether parental responsibility as a whole is disputed or whether only a specific matter needs to be decided. This may include questions concerning school, medical decisions or other matters of substantial importance.
We examine which specific decision is required and whether an agreement between the parents is achievable or an application to the family court is necessary.
3 Contact rights Arranging, agreeing and enforcing contact
Contact arrangements must fit the living situation of the child and the parents. Disputes often concern times, handovers, holidays, public holidays or the practical implementation of contact that has already been agreed.
The initial aim is a workable and as clear as possible arrangement. If no agreement can be reached, a binding order from the family court may be sought.
4 Where should the child live? Right to determine residence and main place of residence
If parents cannot agree on where the child should have their main place of residence, the right to determine residence may become the central issue in dispute.
What matters is not the parents' abstract preferences, but the child's specific situation, attachments, care arrangements and the other circumstances of the individual case.
5 Youth Welfare Office and Family Court Out-of-court resolution, proceedings and urgent cases
In child-related matters, the Youth Welfare Office, a guardian ad litem for the child and the Family Court may be involved. For clients from Dortmund, this may in particular involve the City of Dortmund Youth Welfare Office and the Family Court at Dortmund Local Court. Which authority or court has jurisdiction in the individual case depends on the place of residence and the subject matter of the proceedings.
In urgent matters, it may also be necessary to consider whether a provisional court order is required. We prepare the facts and the documents relevant to the proceedings accordingly.
Family Law in Dortmund – would you like to discuss your family matter?
Briefly tell us what the matter is about and whether you already have letters from the Youth Welfare Office, the Family Court or the other party. We will tell you which documents we need for further work.