CONTACT
Contact and directions:
Dr Hanna Schmidt, attorney at law in Cologne
Call or write me an e-mail. Describe in a few sentences what it is about. I will come back to you and tell you whether the matter falls within my areas and what a first appointment could look like. The enquiry itself commits you to nothing.
FROM FIRST CONTACT TO INSTRUCTION
Tell me
about your case
The more concretely you describe your situation, the better I can assess it. I will come back to you promptly and in confidence.
Phone
+49 (0) 221 292 40 370
kontakt@drschmidt-legal.de
Office
Jakordenstraße 8, 50668 Köln
Appointments
Appointments at short notice by arrangement
Contacting your lawyer in Cologne
DR. SCHMIDT LEGAL. Dr Hanna Schmidt, attorney at law. Jakordenstrasse 8, 50668 Cologne.
Phone: +49 (0) 221 292 40 370. E-mail: kontakt@drschmidt-legal.de
Opening hours and appointments
Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 7 pm, Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. In addition there are appointments by arrangement, and later in the evening if agreed. The late hours have a practical reason: anyone going through a separation or an inheritance dispute rarely wants to explain at the office why they are disappearing at 3 pm on a Wednesday.
Meetings take place by prior appointment only.
Getting here: Cologne Innenstadt-Nord
The office is on Jakordenstrasse in the Innenstadt-Nord district of Cologne, close to the main station and Ebertplatz. It is easy to reach by public transport, from the surrounding area as well as from the city centre.
Anyone coming by car should allow a little time to find a parking space. There are public car parks nearby.
A video appointment instead of travelling
An appointment by video or phone is equally possible, for the first conversation as well as for the work that follows. You do not need to install anything beyond a browser, and we can exchange documents digitally in advance.
For clients from outside Cologne that is usually the quicker route, and for clients in Cologne sometimes the more discreet one. I can represent you throughout Germany.
What your enquiry should contain
01
The facts in a few sentences
What happened, who is involved, what you would like to achieve.
02
The name of the other side
Before I can say anything on the substance, I have to check whether I have already advised or represented the other side in this matter or in one connected with it. If I have, I am not allowed to take the case.
03
The documents you have
For example a will, a certificate of inheritance, a marriage certificate, a prenuptial agreement, pleadings from pending proceedings or a letter from the other side’s lawyer.
04
Every deadline you know of, with its date
In inheritance and family law, deadlines regularly decide what options remain, and they keep running whether or not your enquiry has been dealt with.
What happens after your enquiry
01
Review and check
I review what you have sent and check two things: whether the matter falls within my areas and whether there is a conflict with an earlier engagement.
02
Response
I will then come back to you and let you know whether I can advise in this matter, propose an appointment and, where necessary, send a list of the documents I still need.
03
Appointment
At the appointment we discuss the facts, your legal position and sensible next steps.
04
Your decision
You decide whether it stays with an initial piece of legal advice or whether I should take on your case beyond that.
How I bill
I bill for the time I spend. The hourly rate is 280 euros plus 19% VAT. The invoice itemises every entry with its date, the task and the time taken. The statutory fees under the German Lawyers’ Fees Act (RVG) form the minimum. The first conversation is advice too and is billed by time. I do not offer a flat-rate short consultation.
Billing through legal expenses insurance is possible, but as a rule the insurer only pays the statutory fees; you bear the difference to the hourly fee yourself. Whether your policy covers the area in question is set out in your insurance terms. What you should roughly expect in your matter is set out under Fees.
YOUR QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The first conversation is legal advice too and is billed for the time spent. The enquiry itself is separate: you describe the case, and I tell you whether the matter falls within my areas, which documents I need and when an appointment is possible. A fee arises as soon as I work on the substance. I do not offer a flat-rate short consultation for 190 euros plus VAT.
Because I have to check whether I may take on your matter at all. If I have already advised or represented the other side in the same or a related matter, there is a conflict of interest and the engagement is closed to me. That check is only possible with the name, and it has to happen before any statement on the substance.
By e-mail to kontakt@drschmidt-legal.de, at any time. If you call outside opening hours, it is best to leave your name, a number to call back and a keyword about the subject. I will call back. Appointments outside opening hours are possible too, and later in the evening if agreed. If a deadline is running in your matter, put the date in the first line of your e-mail and I will see it straight away.
It is covered by my duty of confidentiality, from the very first enquiry, and also where no engagement follows. I use your information only to deal with your enquiry and to carry out the conflict check. If no engagement comes about, I have no further need for your documents. Details of how your data are processed are set out in the privacy policy of this website.