Employment & Labor Lawyers in Köln

Most clients who contact an employment lawyer in Cologne do so within days of being dismissed or handed a termination agreement. Broadcasters, media producers, insurers and event companies are big employers, which means freelance status, fixed-term contracts and bonus disputes appear often. Claims are heard first by the Arbeitsgericht Köln, and appeals go to the Landesarbeitsgericht Köln. In Cologne the hearing usually opens with a conciliation session, and many cases end there with a severance payment.

Three weeks is all you get. That is the deadline for filing a claim against dismissal with the Arbeitsgericht Köln, counted from receipt of the notice. Freelancers in Cologne media often need a status check first, because protection against dismissal applies only to people who are employees in law. Lawyers in Cologne bill under the RVG, which links the fee to the value in dispute, often a quarter of annual pay, though some agree hourly rates. At first instance the labour court in Cologne does not shift legal costs, so each party carries its own. Anyone with a Rechtsschutzversicherung that includes employment should let their employment lawyer in Cologne apply for cover before the claim goes in.

Ask any employment lawyer in Cologne how often they appear before the Arbeitsgericht Köln and whether they hold the Fachanwalt für Arbeitsrecht title. Collect the employment contract, the dismissal letter with its envelope, and any works council statement from your Cologne employer. Then compare the firms below and contact them directly through their Cologne profiles.