Local court, family court and court clerk

In short: The local court (Amtsgericht) is the lowest ordinary court. One of its divisions is the family court, which handles matters concerning children, among other things. Many approvals are processed by a court clerk (Rechtspfleger).

In more detail: Family courts decide on custody, contact, maintenance and many approvals for minors. Depending on the procedure a judge or a Rechtspfleger decides. Rechtspfleger are specially trained officials who handle certain tasks independently, including many guardianship and approval matters.

In detail

• Jurisdiction: usually the local court of the child’s habitual residence. The court directory on justiz.de shows which one that is.
• Contact: a phone call to the court’s registry usually suffices to clarify the process.
• Lawyer requirement: for such an application there is usually none. You may file it yourself.
• Decision: the decision is a written result. A rejection can normally be appealed within a deadline.
• Branches: some states have branch offices of local courts. Ask for the right contact point.

See also: Family court approval, Application to the family court: structure and content