Employment lawyer in Düsseldorf

  • Tanja Enke
  • 18. September 2024
  • 14:45
Employment lawyer in Düsseldorf

Are you looking for an employment lawyer in Düsseldorf? Then you have come to the right place! There are over 7,000 lawyers in Düsseldorf, including almost 400 who specialise in employment law. But how do you find the right lawyer for your needs? This is where we come into play: AbfindungsHero supports you in finding the ideal lawyer and arranges a (free) initial consultation for your employment law problem. Let us help you find the right support!

Find a labour law attorney in Düsseldorf quickly with AbfindungsHero

AbfindungsHero wants to help people in need of advice on employment law (e.g. after a termination) to find the right law firm specialising in employment law. Our goal is to make it significantly easier for people with employment law issues to find a law firm specialising in employment law in Düsseldorf. Thanks to our broad partner network and the ‘pre-selection’ of our partners, we enable a ‘curated’ portfolio of lawyers who are particularly competent for the specific problem of our users.

On our pages, employees can find information on numerous employment law topics, for example:

Severance pay and the ‘factor’ in Düsseldorf

One crucial aspect to consider when looking for a lawyer specialising in employment law in Düsseldorf is the usual amount of severance pay. This varies depending on the individual circumstances of each case. An important factor here is the so-called multiplier or ‘factor’, which varies from labour court to labour court and from case to case.

In our experience, factors of 0.5 to 0.7 are common in a large number of cases in Düsseldorf. The average severance payment in North Rhine-Westphalia is between €15,000 and €16,000, which is similar to the national average. It is important to note that the circumstances of the individual case play a greater role than the ‘factor’.

An example: An employee in Düsseldorf with a gross monthly salary of 4,000 euros and 6 years of service can usually expect a severance payment of between 0.5 and 0.7 per year of employment. This results in a severance pay range of:

0.5 x 5,000 x 6 = 15,000 euros
0.7 x 5,000 x 6 = 21,000 euros

The severance payment could therefore be between 15,000 and 21,000 euros, depending on the outcome of the negotiations. However, the exact result depends on the circumstances of the individual case.

That is another reason why you are in exactly the right place in Düsseldorf in your search for a specialist employment lawyer. This is because it is usually much easier for a lawyer to identify the legally relevant aspects of your case and use them to your advantage in order to achieve a fair settlement for you.

Free initial consultation with a lawyer for labour law from Düsseldorf
  • Free initial consultation with a lawyer from Düsseldorf
  • Quick callback after 1 to 2 hours
  • Strategy for negotiating the potential severance payment

Labour Market in Düsseldorf

The state capital Düsseldorf has outstanding economic strength and a dynamic labour market. The sixth largest city in Germany is home to 550 start-ups and over 35,000 companies. Around 70% of start-ups are in the sectors of software, e-commerce, health, food, HR, finance. Düsseldorf is not only an important service centre, but also an important location for the manufacturing industry.

Industries ans employers in Düsseldorf

The most important industries in Düsseldorf are:

  • Telecommunications and mobile communications
  • Automotive industry
  • Financial market and management consultancy
  • Fashion industry

The largest employers in Düsseldorf are:

  • Mercedes-Benz
  • Vodafone
  • Henkel
  • City of Düsseldorf
  • University Hospital

Düsseldorf employees are not spared from layoffs either. The Mercedes job cuts and the associated severance payments were recently in the news. The result was 85,000 euros in compensation. In many cases of dismissal or other reasons to terminate an employment relationship, it is worth taking legal action at the Düsseldorf Labour Court. A lawyer specialising in employment law in Düsseldorf provides targeted support in enforcing your rights.

Employees in Düsseldorf

  1. Number of people in employment in Düsseldorf: The city of Düsseldorf is home to around 700,000 people. More than two-thirds of Düsseldorf’s residents are in employment subject to social security contributions.
  2. Unemployment rate: Düsseldorf’s unemployment rate averaged 6.8% in 2022.
  3. International diversity: People from 180 nations live in Düsseldorf. This ensures a colourful diversity in the state capital.

The Düsseldorf Labour Court

The Düsseldorf Labour Court is responsible for legal disputes between employees and employers ‘in Düsseldorf and is therefore the central point of contact for employment disputes in the city on the Rhine. The first-instance Labour Court in Düsseldorf consists of 15 chambers. The Düsseldorf Higher Labour Court is the court of appeal.

The local jurisdiction of the Düsseldorf Labour Court arises in particular if the defendant (usually the employer) is based in the city of Düsseldorf or the district of Mettmann (excluding Heiligenhaus, Velbert and Wülfrath). Therefore, employees can normally file an action for unfair dismissal, for example, with the court in whose district they work. If the place of work is in the city of Düsseldorf, the jurisdiction is usually clear. However, for many Düsseldorf residents, the place of work is also in other cities in the Ruhr area; in this case, Düsseldorf is usually not the place of jurisdiction.

As mentioned above, there are over 7,000 lawyers in Düsseldorf. Almost 400 of them are specialised in employment law. However, you are probably specifically looking for a lawyer for employment law in Düsseldorf who specialises primarily in the representation of employees and ideally has several years of experience in employment law.

Free initial consultation with employment lawyer from Düsseldorf

Fast callback for free initial consultation with a lawyer for employment from Düsseldorf

Labour court proceedings in Düsseldorf

The course of labour court proceedings in Düsseldorf does not differ from that in other federal states. For example, in the case of an unfair dismissal claim, a conciliation hearing is first scheduled, which should ideally take place within two weeks. However, it often takes up to two months. The aim of the conciliation hearing is to reach an out-of-court settlement between the employer and the dismissed employee. The focus is often on severance pay. The conciliation hearing is conducted by the presiding judge without an assistant judge. The judge gives an initial, non-binding assessment and points out possible risks and opportunities. However, a negotiated solution is often found in the conciliation hearing, a settlement with severance pay is agreed. And that’s the end of it.

If no agreement can be reached at the conciliation hearing, the next step is a further hearing before the full chamber, now also with lay judges (chamber hearing). If no agreement can be reached here either, the court will hand down a judgment. This chamber hearing can take place up to six months after the conciliation hearing.

Course of an action for protection against dismissal in Düsseldorf

Most of the proceedings before the Düsseldorf Labour Court are actions for protection against dismissal. The average duration of proceedings is three months. An action for protection against dismissal proceeds as follows:

  1. Receiving notice: As soon as the notice is received, quick action is required. (Received notice – now what? 7 important steps)
  2. Note the deadline: The action for protection against dismissal must be submitted to the competent labour court within three weeks of receipt of the notice.
  3. File a lawsuit: The lawsuit can be filed either in writing or orally at the Düsseldorf Labour Court. It may be helpful to be assisted by a specialised lawyer in employment law.
  4. Conciliation hearing: At the beginning, a conciliation hearing takes place in which both parties try to reach an agreement.
  5. Chamber hearing: If no agreement can be reached, the next step is to schedule a chamber hearing. During this hearing, the court will review the disputed points and make a decision.
  6. Verdict or settlement: The proceedings end either with a verdict that cancels the dismissal or rules that a severance payment is to be made.
  7. Appeal: If you are dissatisfied with the verdict, you also have the option of appealing. However, further deadlines and requirements must be observed.

Free initial consultation with a lawyer for labour law from Düsseldorf
  • Free initial consultation with a lawyer from Düsseldorf
  • Quick callback after 1 to 2 hours
  • Strategy for negotiating the potential severance payment

All information on our website is of an editorial nature and expressly does not constitute legal advice. Naturally, we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and links contained on this website. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information. It is in no way a substitute for legal advice from a lawyer.