It is quite simple in theory: When debts are not paid off, a claim can be asserted through enforcement proceedings – provided that an enforcement title exists. In reality, creditors often wait years for their money. This is due not least in part to the complicated network of parties involved: bailiffs, creditors, debtors, courts, solicitors, tax offices, registration authorities and banks. “Enforcement law in Germany is one of the most complex in the world and unfortunately, it is not exactly the most efficient,” says Dr Konstantin Branovitskiy. 

The legal scholar heads the “LegalTech Lab”, which was founded in 2024 as part of the “Just Transition Center” at MLU. The lab is supported by the Faculty of Law, Economics and Business and is mentored by Professor Christian Tietje, an economic law expert and a member of JTC’s board. The term “legal tech” is short for “legal services” and “technology”. It aims to design legal procedures more effectively with the help of digital tools. The team has already demonstrated what this can look like in practice through the creation of an online calculator. It allows parents who take turns caring for their children following a separation to calculate their child maintenance claims with just a few clicks. “The tool enables fast and data protection-compliant calculations and can be accessed by everyone involved, not just courts, solicitors and youth welfare services,” explains Branovitskiy. The calculator is currently being tested in youth welfare offices in southern Saxony-Anhalt. 

When it comes to enforcement procedures, however, things are not so straightforward. Germany has four enforcement authorities: enforcement courts, trial courts, land registries, and bailiffs. “The latter act on behalf of the state but are not fully integrated into the digital communication structures of the courts,” says Branovitskiy. There is also no standard way to exchange information between the enforcement authorities, on the one hand, and lenders, registration authorities and tax offices on the other. Research, conducted by the LegalTech team, found that, in the course of particularly complex enforcement proceedings, creditors have to submit the same information up to 23 times. 

Every year 70.000 enforcement cases land on the desks of the courts and bailiffs in Saxony-Anhalt. Inefficient administrative processes impact structurally weak regions particularly hard, as businesses there usually don’t have enough financial reserves to cope with lengthy proceedings. This is illustrated by the following example: a solar technician from the region of Mansfelder Land installed a photovoltaic system on top of a commercial warehouse, but her client’s bill has yet to be paid. Despite a legally binding court ruling in her favour, she still has to visit various authorities, submit hardcopy documents in one place and upload digital documents in another – multiple times in some cases. The procedure has dragged on for months, during which time she has had to pay for materials and labour in advance. She has also incurred additional expenses for solicitors and fees. But most importantly, while the businesswoman waits for her money, she may be unable to carry out other projects.