File a wage claim
A lawsuit filed in labor court against the employer seeking payment of unpaid wages.
Wo wohnen Sie?
Damit wir File a wage claim mit dem zuständigen Arbeitsgericht in Ihrer Stadt anzeigen können.
Oder Großstadt wählen:
Sie werden zur geführten Suche weitergeleitet – mit Kontaktdaten, Termin und nächsten Schritten für File a wage claim.
Quick answer
- 1
Documents you need
Payroll / Employment Contract · Personalausweis oder Reisepass
- 2
Responsible authority
The authority of your main residence
- 3
How to do it
In person or by post at the office
- 4
Costs
Kostenlos
How to proceed
- 1
Attempt to reach an amicable agreement
Written demand for payment with a deadline.
- 2
File a lawsuit with the labor court
Available free of charge at the Labor Court office.
- 3
Conciliation hearing and, if necessary, bar association hearing
The labor court first attempts to reach an amicable settlement.
Responsible authority
The authority of your main place of residence is responsible.Find authority →
The essentials before applying
Who is eligible?
Employees whose employers fail to pay wages or salaries that are due.
Income limit
Processing time
Nationwide: approx. approx. 2 months
Success rate
approx. 78.0 % (estimate)
Most common mistakes
- •Failure to meet the deadlines (often 3 months) specified in the employment contract or collective bargaining agreement
- •No written notice of default prior to filing a lawsuit
Common reasons for rejection
- •The claim is time-barred
- •Failure to observe the limitation period in the employment contract
Alternatives
- Check related services in the application assistant
- Use social counselling before applying
If rejected
Read the decision carefully: often submitting missing documents or reapplying helps more than an objection.
Questions & Answers
Wie lange dauert Lohnklage erheben?▼
In der Regel ca. 60 Werktage – je nach Behörde und Auslastung.
Freshness & source
- Maintenance
- Continuously reviewed & updated
- Source
- Bundesamt für Justiz
- Data quality
- 100 %