Tag Archives: legal advice

Lawyers as Peacemakers

Some might be surprised to hear this, but as a lawyer, my main goal is to bring peace into the world. This is how I do it: – Client calls and wants to sue everyone preemptively and proactively, to litigate … Continue reading

Posted in Law | Tagged , | 6 Comments

The new German Citizenship Law of 2024

Long awaited, the day has finally come: The German parliament has passed substantial amendments to the Citizenship Act, which will – in many cases – make naturalization in Germany easier. In essence, the residency requirement will be shortened to 5 … Continue reading

Posted in German Law, Germany, Immigration Law, Law | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

How to spot clients who won’t pay

Over time, most professionals become pretty good at spotting clients who ain’t gonna pay. Some of these red flags are: But the funniest thing is when somebody writes an e-mail, in which they explicitly state that they do want to … Continue reading

Posted in Law | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

How to deal with disorganized clients

A lady who already displayed some warning signs wanted me to advise her about a child custody case in Germany. In the following conversation, I am the part in dark blue. I haven’t heard from her again. By the way, … Continue reading

Posted in Family Law, German Law, Law | Tagged , | 9 Comments

What is it with American Clients and their Nazi Obsession?

I really like to help the victims of Nazi persecution. Or rather their descendants, considering that most people who survived that horror have passed away since. My main focus is on the restitution of German citizenship to those whose ancestors … Continue reading

Posted in German Law, Germany, Law | Tagged , , , | 35 Comments

Quite some Drama

Pro tip: Whenver a woman e-mails on behalf of her boyfriend, most likely unknowingly, and refers to the boyfriend as “fiance”, expect some drama. And expect only half of the story. At most. Although this half is confusing enough. Okay … Continue reading

Posted in Family Law, Law | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Testing a Client’s Sense of Humor

Five years ago, an American lady contacted me about applying for German citizenship. She fell into that group of people who could qualify without living in Germany, but she would need to pass the German language test at a high … Continue reading

Posted in German Law, Language, Law | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Random Thoughts (22)

In 2017, I seem to have been a bit lazy. I did not run a single half-marathon. But with the risk of war rising, I want to become fitter again. Last weekend, I began by running a half-marathon near Pilsen … Continue reading

Posted in Bolivia, Books, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Sports, Travel, UK | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

How to spot a querulous client

Some clients are better not having. When you find out that someone takes up too much time or causes you a headache, it’s often the best thing to fire that client. Whenever I did that, clients were surprised: “But you … Continue reading

Posted in German Law, Germany, Law | Tagged , | 25 Comments

Is this the craziest client ever?

I don’t even know why I am putting so much effort into writing short stories, when all you need to do is become a lawyer and then wait for people to send their own crazy stories. Latest example: Re: My … Continue reading

Posted in Law | Tagged | 29 Comments