Purpose
A party who cannot prove a fact favourable to itself loses the case to that extent — the burden of proof decides the legal dispute when a fact remains disputed and incapable of clarification (non liquet). The skill allocates the burden of allegation and proof, examines the opposing party's duty to explain and classifies evidentiary alleviations (prima facie evidence, secondary burden of allegation). Errors in the allocation of the burden of proof lead to a party remaining burdened with proof of a fact for which it is not responsible at all — or vice versa.
Inputs
- Disputed and undisputed facts (comparison of the pleadings)
- Legal basis of the claim and its elements (for the basic rule of the burden of proof)
- Objections and defences of the opposing party (impediments to the claim, defences extinguishing the claim, defences suspending the claim)
- Evidence for each fact (document, witness, expert, inspection, examination of a party)
- Typical course of events (for prima facie evidence)
- Information asymmetry (for the secondary burden of allegation)
Sub-agent architecture
The skill works with three conceptual units. An allocation unit applies the basic rule: each party bears the burden of proof for the factual requirements of the rule favourable to it; the claimant proves the facts establishing the claim, the opponent the facts impeding, extinguishing and suspending the claim. An explanation unit examines the procedural duty of truth and explanation under § 138 ZPO (deemed admission in the absence of a denial, secondary burden of allegation in the case of information asymmetry). An evaluation unit classifies the taking of evidence (§ 355 ZPO) and the free evaluation of evidence (§ 286 ZPO) and examines evidentiary alleviations such as prima facie evidence. The units work in sequence.
Procedure
1. Basic rule of the burden of proof
- Each party bears the burden of proof for the elements of the rule favourable to it (Rosenberg's theory of norms).
- Claimant: facts establishing the claim; opponent: facts impeding / extinguishing / suspending the claim (e.g. performance, limitation).
2. Duty of explanation and truth (§ 138 ZPO)
- The parties must declare themselves completely and in accordance with the truth (§ 138(1) ZPO).
- Facts that are not expressly disputed are deemed admitted (§ 138(3) ZPO).
- From § 138(2) ZPO follows the secondary burden of allegation: If the party bearing the burden of allegation is outside the events, while the opponent knows the circumstances, the opponent must respond in a substantiated manner.
3. Judicial confession (§ 288 ZPO)
- The judicial confession makes the conceded fact exempt from the requirement of proof (§ 288 ZPO); it is to be taken as the basis of the decision without proof.
- Revocation only under the narrow requirements of § 290 ZPO.
4. Taking of evidence (§ 355 ZPO)
- Concerning contested, decision-relevant facts, evidence is to be taken (§ 355 ZPO, principle of immediacy).
- Strict proof by the five means of evidence: inspection, witnesses, expert witnesses, documents, examination of the parties.
5. Free evaluation of evidence (§ 286 ZPO)
- The court decides according to its free convictionwhether an assertion of fact is to be regarded as true (§ 286(1) ZPO).
- What is required is a degree of certainty of the severity of certainty? (Hmm, need faithful translation: "eines für das praktische Leben brauchbaren Grades an Gewissheit" = a degree of certainty useful for practical life) sufficient for practical life, which commands doubts to be silent (no scientific full proof).
6. Evidentiary alleviations
- Prima facie proof: in the case of a typical course of events, the court infers the cause/fault from an established set of facts; the opposing party can shake it by showing the serious possibility of an atypical course.
- Reversal of the burden of proof: in special constellations (e.g., gross treatment error, producer liability).
Risks
- Burden of proof incorrectly allocated — the person who bears the burden of proof for a fact extinguishing the right (performance) is not the claimant but the opposing party.
- Prima facie proof misjudged — in the case of a typical course of events, full proof is not sufficient; the prima facie case must be shaken.
- Secondary burden of demonstration overlooked — in cases of information asymmetry, the opposing party is under a duty of substantiated explanation pursuant to § 138(2) ZPO.
- Admission underestimated — a judicial admission (§ 288 ZPO) is binding and only revocable to a limited extent.
Output format
BEWEISLAST-ANALYSE — <Mandat> — <Datum>
Anspruchsgrundlage: <Norm>
I. Tatsachen-Abgleich (§ 138 ZPO)
Unstreitig: <…>
Streitig: <…>
Nicht bestritten → zugestanden (§ 138 Abs. 3 ZPO): <…>
II. Beweislastverteilung
Anspruchsbegründend (Kläger): <Tatsachen>
Rechtshindernd/-vernichtend/-hemmend (Beklagter): <Tatsachen>
III. Erklärungs-/Darlegungslast
Sekundäre Darlegungslast (§ 138 Abs. 2 ZPO)? <…>
Gerichtliches Geständnis (§ 288 ZPO)? <…>
IV. Beweisaufnahme (§ 355 ZPO)
Je streitige Tatsache: Beweismittel + Beweisführer
V. Würdigung (§ 286 ZPO) / Beweiserleichterung
Anscheinsbeweis: <typischer Geschehensablauf? Erschütterung?>
Ergebnis (non liquet → zu Lasten der beweisbelasteten Partei): <…>
<Datum>, <Unterschrift Rechtsanwalt>
Sources
Statutes
Commentaries
- Prütting, in: Münchener Kommentar zur ZPO, 7th ed. 2025, § 286 marginal no. 1 et seq.
- Greger, in: Zöller, ZPO, 36th ed. 2025, § 138 marginal no. 1 et seq. (secondary burden of demonstration)
Case law
- BGH, judgment of 18.01.2018 – I ZR 100/16 (secondary burden of demonstration)
[unverifiziert – prüfen] - BGH, judgment of 19.03.2019 – VI ZR 33/18 (prima facie proof)
[unverifiziert – prüfen]