Dismissed in Germany?
Maximize your severance.
You have only 3 weeks after a dismissal to file an unfair-dismissal claim (§ 4 KSchG). We review your case for free — whether the dismissal is legally sound, and how high your severance can be. German-qualified employment-law specialist with 20+ years of experience and 2,000+ successful proceedings.
After a dismissal in Germany, employees have exactly three weeks to file an unfair-dismissal claim (Kündigungsschutzklage) at the competent labour court (§ 4 KSchG). If this deadline is missed, the dismissal is generally treated as valid — even if it was unlawful. There is no general statutory right to severance pay (§ 1a KSchG); in practice, severance is negotiated in more than 80% of dismissal-protection proceedings as part of a settlement. The rule-of-thumb formula is 0.5 gross monthly salaries per year of service; with strong negotiating leverage, materially more is achievable. Notice periods are set in § 622 BGB; the social justification for every dismissal in § 1 KSchG. For tax, severance benefits from the “one-fifth rule” (§ 34 EStG).
Written and reviewed by Fatih Bektas, German employment-law specialist (APOS Legal Heidelberg). 2,000+ successful proceedings at German labour courts.
How we help English-speaking employees in Germany
Every assignment starts with a free initial assessment. Below are the most common situations we handle.
Check your dismissal
We examine whether your dismissal is legally sound and how strong a Kündigungsschutzklage would be.
Learn more →Severance calculator
Estimate the likely severance using the standard formula and case-specific factors.
Learn more →Termination agreement
Avoid a 12-week unemployment-benefit blocking period (Sperrzeit) and negotiate better terms.
Learn more →Summary dismissal
Most summary (without-notice) dismissals fail in court — we challenge them and protect your reputation.
Learn more →Written warning
A warning (Abmahnung) is often the prelude to a dismissal. We get unjustified warnings withdrawn.
Learn more →Notice-period calculator
Statutory notice periods under § 622 BGB based on your length of service.
Learn more →From enquiry to settlement
- 01
Free review
Send us the dismissal letter and a short description. We respond within 48 hours.
- 02
Mandate
If we proceed, you sign a mandate. Often covered by legal-expenses insurance.
- 03
File the claim
We file the Kündigungsschutzklage at the competent Arbeitsgericht within 3 weeks.
- 04
Settlement
Most cases settle at the first hearing — typically with a negotiated severance.
Most common questions on dismissal & severance
Direct answers to the questions we most frequently hear from English-speaking employees in Germany.
Tell us about your case
Fill in the form — we will review your situation. Free of charge, typically within 48 hours. We handle German labour-law matters in English.
What happens next?
After your enquiry we review the details and reply with an initial assessment — whether the dismissal can be challenged, how high a likely severance could be and which next steps make sense.
bektas@apos.legal
+49 6222 9599 2400
Response time: we reply within 48 hours on working days. If you have already received a dismissal, please mention it — deadline-sensitive cases are prioritised.
Dismissed? The clock is ticking.
Tell us about your case — we check for free whether your dismissal can be challenged and how high your severance can be. Usually within 48 hours.
Get my free review →Received a dismissal? You have just 3 weeks to file (§ 4 KSchG). Contact us immediately — we can protect your deadline while reviewing the case.