Berlin is trialling online claims at Schöneberg Local Court

In future, legal proceedings before Schöneberg Local Court can be conducted entirely online.

This was announced by the Senate Chancellery. Following a proposal by Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg (CDU), the Senate passed a resolution to introduce the online procedure in civil proceedings at Schöneberg Local Court from 15 April.

Online proceedings for claims up to €10,000

Berlin is thus enabling the trialling of a fully digitalised litigation process. According to the information provided, the aim is to facilitate access to the courts for cases involving small claims and to make court proceedings more efficient. For claims for payment with a value of up to €10,000, the online procedure is to be tested as an alternative to the usual civil proceedings. Furthermore, civil proceedings are to be made more citizen-friendly with the help of digital communication technology, the statement adds. This includes, in particular, the expansion of proceedings involving video hearings.