klageschrift-zivilprozess

/prozessrecht:klageschrift-zivilprozess

Purpose

A statement of claim decides the proceedings before the first oral hearing. Errors regarding the subject matter of the dispute, the specificity of the application, or insufficient factual submissions lead to dismissal of the claim as inadmissible or unfounded (final judgment without taking evidence). This skill eliminates the weak points.

Inputs

Facts of the case (anonymized) with contract, infringing act, damage pattern
Parties (name, address, legal form, statutory representation)
Legal basis of the claim (contractual / tortious / unjust enrichment — for the order see references/methodik.md)
Amount in dispute
Evidence (documents, witnesses, experts)
Considerations regarding venue (right of choice?)

Procedure

1. Formal requirements (§ 253 ZPO)

Mandatory content § 253(2) ZPO

Parties (with statutory representatives)
Court
Specific application (action for performance: what and how much; declaratory action: what; action for legal formation: what)
Legal basis of the claim (the facts of life that support the claim)

2. Subject matter of the dispute (two-pronged concept)

Application + Facts of life (BGH, settled case law)
Several claims can arise from identical facts (concurrence of claims); but one subject matter of the dispute.
Amendment of the claim § 263 ZPO in the event of a subsequent change.

3. Subject-matter and local jurisdiction

Subject-matter (GVG)

Local court: up to EUR 5,000 amount in dispute; residential tenancy matters; family and guardianship matters (before the FG or family court).
Regional court: over EUR 5,000; exclusive jurisdiction inter alia § 71 GVG (press civil matters).

Local (§§ 12 et seq. ZPO)

General venue at the domicile / seat of the defendant (§§ 12, 17).
Special venues: § 29 (place of performance of the contract), § 32 (place of the tort), § 23 (venue based on assets).
Consumer venue § 29c ZPO for doorstep transactions.
International jurisdiction: Brussels Ia Regulation (Regulation (EU) 1215/2012) and Rome I/II.

4. Types of action

Action for performance § 253 ZPO – payment, delivery, omission.
Declaratory action § 256 ZPO – existence / non-existence of a legal relationship. Interest in a declaration required.
Action for legal formation – e.g. action to set aside a resolution § 246 AktG.
Staged action § 254 ZPO – information + quantified performance (frequently in family and inheritance law).

5. Burden of substantiation

Submissions must be conclusive : every individual element of the claim must be supported by facts.
Evidence for every disputed fact.
Global submissions ("everything customary") are insufficient.

6. Amount in controversy

§§ 3 et seq. ZPO and cost statutes:

principal claim in full amount.
Incidental claims / costs do not increase it.
For declaratory actions: 80% of the value of the performance (BGH case law).

7. Exhibits and offer of evidence

Deeds in original / certified with exhibit designation (K 1, K 2 …).
Witnesses with address for service.
Experts only if factual questions require specialized knowledge.
Evidence by inspection or party examination rarely primary.

Sources

Statutes

Commentaries

Foerste, in: Musielak / Voit, ZPO, 22nd ed. 2025, § 253 marginal no. 1 et seq.
Greger, in: Zöller, ZPO, 36th ed. 2025, § 253 marginal no. 1 et seq.
Vollkommer, NJW 2024, 1 et seq. (article on substantiation)

Case law

BGH, judgment of 11.05.2017 – I ZR 60/16, NJW 2018, 235 (subject matter of the dispute two-pronged) [unverifiziert – prüfen]
BGH, judgment of 23.06.2005 – VII ZR 197/03, NJW 2005, 2615 (substantiation) [unverifiziert – prüfen]

Output format

KLAGESCHRIFT-ENTWURF — <Mandat> — <Datum>

An das <Gericht>
Aktenzeichen: noch nicht vergeben

In der Sache
  <Kläger>, Anschrift, gesetzliche Vertretung
  Prozessbevollmächtigte: <Kanzlei>
gegen
  <Beklagter>, Anschrift
wegen <Streitgegenstand kurz>

Streitwert: <EUR>

Antrag:
  <bestimmter Antrag — Leistung / Feststellung / Gestaltung>

Begründung:
  I.   Sachverhalt
       <substantiierter Vortrag, gegliedert nach Tatsachen-Komplex>
  II.  Rechtliche Würdigung
       1. Anspruch aus <Norm>
          a) Tatbestand
          b) Subsumtion
       (Anspruchsgrundlagen in kanonischer Reihenfolge)
  III. Zuständigkeit
       Sachlich: <…>
       Örtlich:  <…>
  IV.  Beweismittel
       Urkunden: Anlage K 1, K 2, …
       Zeugen:   <Name, ladungsfähige Anschrift>
       Sachverständiger: <Themenstellung>

Anlagen: K 1 bis K <N>

<Datum>, <Unterschrift Rechtsanwalt>

Risks / typical mistakes

Indefinite application — "payment of damages claims" is not sufficient; specific sum.
Several subject matters of the dispute conflated — clean separation necessary (auxiliary applications).
Order of legal grounds ignored — contract before tort etc.
Global submission — every fact must be specific, otherwise insufficient.
Offer of evidence missing — a disputed fact without offer of proof is not proven.
Wrong court — verify local jurisdiction bindingly.
Brussels Ia / Rome I/II overlooked in cross-border cases.
Staged action instead of performance action if the staged action is more suitable (information + quantified claim).

About this skill