📞 Advice and contact points
In brief
For poverty, threatened homelessness, over-indebtedness or problems with authorities, there are numerous free or low-cost advice services. This page brings together the most important types of contact point that were already named individually in the other topic pages of this module, so that you can quickly find the right place when you need it.
Step by step
- Use municipal social advice as a first point of contactSozialämter and many welfare associations offer general social advice, which also helps you work out which specialised office is responsible in your case.
- Contact debt counselling if you are in debtMunicipal, church-run or Verbraucherzentrale debt counselling services are free of charge and open to all over-indebted people, see topic page "Debt counselling and personal insolvency".
- Approach a housing security unit if eviction threatensWhere they exist, these units mediate between tenants and landlords and involve social benefit providers early.
- Involve the Verbraucherzentrale for contract and bank questionsFor questions about basic accounts, contracts or excessive fees, Verbraucherzentralen (consumer advice centres) offer specialised, often low-cost advice.
- Consider independent legal advice for legal disputesOn a low income, you can apply for legal advice assistance (Beratungshilfe) at the responsible Amtsgericht to obtain an initial consultation with a lawyer for a small fee.
Deadlines
- The provision, organisation and waiting times of advice centres differ greatly from municipality to municipality – according to available information, no uniform nationwide directory exists; ask the municipality, the Sozialamt or welfare associations for the specific local contact point.
- Legal advice assistance (Beratungshilfe) at the Amtsgericht generally covers only an initial out-of-court consultation, not automatically representation in court – for that, legal aid (Prozesskostenhilfe) may additionally be required.
- Reputable debt and social advice is available free of charge or for a very small own contribution; be careful with paid commercial offers that promise success.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Legal advice assistance (Beratungshilfe)
Under the Beratungshilfegesetz (BerHG), people on a low income can apply to the responsible Amtsgericht for legal advice assistance for out-of-court legal advice; the courts issue an eligibility certificate (Berechtigungsschein) with which a lawyer can be consulted for a small fee (generally €15).
Structure of the advice landscape
Responsibilities are distributed by topic: Sozialämter and Jobcenter for benefit questions, municipal and independent organisations for debt and general social advice, Verbraucherzentralen for contract and financial questions, and housing security units where these have been set up. A uniform nationwide official compilation of all local contact points does not, according to available information, exist; searching via the respective municipality or district is usually the most reliable route.
A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.