On January 1, 2026, the "Act Amending the Jurisdiction of Local Courts, Expanding the Specialization of the Judiciary in Civil Matters, and Amending Other Procedural Regulations" will bring about a comprehensive reform of the jurisdiction and appeal values in the ordinary courts. With this realignment, the legislature aims to strengthen the local courts in their function as citizen-oriented courts of first instance, ensure their efficiency across the board, and at the same time further professionalize the judiciary through the targeted specialization of the regional courts in more complex areas of law. Against the backdrop of stagnating or declining case numbers in the local courts, the new regulations are intended to facilitate access to justice and at the same time ensure that decisions are made on the basis of sound legal expertise.
1. Background and objectives of the reform
The local courts are the first instance of ordinary jurisdiction and contribute significantly to citizen-oriented justice. Their nationwide presence ensures easy access to justice at the local level. In recent decades, however, the number of civil cases pending before local courts has declined steadily, which places a particular burden on smaller locations and could even threaten closures in the long term. This development is the starting point for the comprehensive reform of subject-matter jurisdiction. Anwaltsblatt
The law therefore pursues two primary objectives:
- Strengthening the local courts by expanding their jurisdiction
- Promoting specialization in the judiciary by specifically assigning certain disputes—regardless of the amount in dispute—to the regional courts. Federal Bar Association
Expansion of the jurisdiction of local courts
Increasing the value in dispute
A central component of the reform is the increase in the current jurisdiction limit of the local courts from €5,000 to €10,000 in civil matters (Section 23 No. 1 GVG). As a result, a large proportion of civil disputes previously heard before the regional courts will in future be decided by the local courts.
This increase corresponds to an adjustment to the development of monetary values since the last increase in the early 1990s and aims to consolidate more everyday legal disputes at the local court level.
Local court jurisdiction for neighbor disputes regardless of the amount in dispute
Regardless of the amount in dispute, certain neighbor disputes will be assigned to the local courts. Specifically, this concerns claims under Sections 906, 910, 911, and 923 of the German Civil Code (BGB) and corresponding state law provisions within the meaning of Article 124 of the Introductory Act to the German Civil Code (EGBGB), provided that they do not involve the effects of a commercial enterprise. This assignment is justified by the proximity to the location and the practical manageability of such neighbor law cases.
Jurisdiction of the regional courts independent of the amount in dispute
Parallel to the strengthening of the local courts, the law provides for a specialization of the regional courts in that certain subject areas are heard exclusively there, regardless of the amount in dispute. This now applies in particular to:
- Publication disputes arising from printed matter and image and sound carriers of all kinds – including Internet content – i.e., among other things, press law and media-related claims;
- Disputes under public procurement law, in particular concerning the award of public contracts, concessions, or framework agreements, unless another jurisdiction arises from Part 4 of the GWB;
- Disputes arising from medical treatment, i.e., primarily medical malpractice and treatment cases. German Federal Bar Association
It should be emphasized that even before January 1, 2026, there were a number of subject areas that were assigned to the regional courts regardless of the amount in dispute. This applies, for example, to large parts of intellectual property law
The aim of this assignment is to ensure a technically sound, specialized decision-making practice for more complex or technically demanding legal issues.
Adjustment of the amounts in dispute for appeals
The reform not only covers questions of jurisdiction in the first instance, but also significant changes in the area of appeals:
- Appeals and complaints (Section 511 ZPO, Section 61 FamFG) will in future only be admissible if the value of the complaint exceeds €1,000, instead of €600 as was previously the case.
- Appeals against denial of leave to appeal to the Federal Court of Justice will only be admissible if the value of the appeal exceeds €25,000.
- Cost complaints (under ZPO, GKG, FamGKG, GNotKG, StPO, OWiG, JVEG) and complaints under § 33 RVG must in future have a value in dispute of more than €300.
These increases are intended to take account of inflation on the one hand and to relieve the burden on the appellate courts on the other. Critics, however, complain about possible restrictions on legal protection, especially in cases involving smaller amounts in dispute.
Proceedings at equitable discretion
This is because proceedings at equitable discretion (Section 495a ZPO) are now permissible up to a value of €1,000. As a rule, there is no appeal in such cases.
Transitional and entry into force provisions
The new jurisdiction rules apply to proceedings that become pending on or after January 1, 2026. For proceedings already filed before this date, the previous jurisdiction limit remains in place, where applicable. The increased amounts in dispute for appeals apply if the decision to be challenged was announced after the cut-off date or handed over to the court office.
Significance and practical implications
The reform is far-reaching: the increase in the amount in dispute and the special assignments will restructure the judicial landscape in civil matters. Local courts will be strengthened by being able to hear more disputes and thus make decisions closer to the citizens. At the same time, the expertise of the courts in more complex matters will be ensured by specialized chambers at the regional courts.
Nevertheless, the changes raise questions – for example, about the staffing of local courts, possible shifts in workload, the role of mandatory legal representation pursuant to Section 78 of the German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO) in connection with the higher value in dispute, and the effects of higher values in dispute on legal protection for citizens and businesses. These aspects will continue to be monitored in practice and in professional discussions.
Summary overview of the most important regulations as of January 1, 2026:
- Jurisdiction of local courts: Disputes up to €10,000.
- Neighborhood disputes: Regardless of the amount in dispute before local courts (Section 23 No. 2e GVG).
- Regional courts: Additionally, disputes concerning publications, awards, and medical treatment – regardless of the amount in dispute.
Appeal values:
- Appeals and complaints: ≥ €1,000.
- Appeals against denial of leave to appeal: ≥ €25,000.
- Cost complaints and Section 33 RVG: > €300.
The statements represent initial information that was current for the law applicable in Germany at the time of initial publication. The legal situation may have changed since then. Furthermore, the information provided cannot replace individual advice on a specific matter. Please contact us for this purpose.