Fields of Law
Inheritance and Family Law
Ahlers & Vogel offers comprehensive advice to entrepreneurs and private individuals in all areas of Inheritance Law and company succession. Structuring private assets and handing them on to the next generation as well as organizing the succession in a family business are a focal point of our consultation practice. The complex interplay of Company, Inheritance, Family and Tax Law is given the closest attention to in order to ensure that an optimal structure is created in accordance with the provisions of Inheritance Law.
When structuring succession under the aspects of Tax Law, we work closely with our clients’ tax consultants and accountants.
We also advise on disputes under Inheritance Law, such as for example the assertion or warding off of claims for a compulsory* portion or other inheritance disputes.
*In cases of exclusion from succession by will or contract of inheritance, descendants, parents or spouses are entitled (under German law) to payment of a compulsory portion of the inheritance.
Family law regulates the legal situation of persons who are connected by marriage, partnership, family and kinship. In addition, it also regulates the statutory functions of representation, such as guardianship, care and legal support outside the family.
For some time now, marriage is no longer a contract for life. You may have questions regarding a marriage contract or a separation agreement: what happens to common real estate and assets? Pre-eminently, these issues as well as questions of alimony and equalisation of accrued gains are important after separation – often before a divorce. Typically, the financial existence must be ensured. In the case of joint children, of course, their rights must also be respected with regard to parental care, residence, and alimony.
Our aim is to advise our clients to ensure they are able to understand the process and thus keep an overview. In the ideal case, we can achieve this by working with clients before the marriage, so that a preventive marriage contract helps to avoid future conflicts. But even in the case of a separation with incipient conflicts, our team will always endeavour to find an amicable settlement within the framework of an individually designed separation and divorce agreement, since judicial proceedings should only be applied if amicable agreements are not possible or not desired. It is in this area that combinations of different types of contract are often necessary, which have points of contact and intersections to other legal areas, such as inheritance law, property law or corporate law.
Our team is here to represent your wishes regarding all issues and concerns arising around separation or divorce. These may include your legal representation before the court in divorce proceedings and pension compensation proceedings; the protection of your interests in the context of alimony disputes; arranging the rights of custody and rights of access for your children, as well as qualified legal assistance in the context of asset disputes such as compensation for gains or the utilization of a common property.
