You were dismissed
Whether the dismissal is lawful is a separate question from whether you can still challenge it. The second question has a deadline; the first does not wait for you to decide.
Employment law
Dismissal has
Dismissal has
a countdown.
Of every area of German law an ordinary person meets, employment law is the least forgiving about time. The letter arrives, the clock starts, and most people spend the first week hoping it resolves itself. It does not.
Situations we see most often
Wages did not arrive
Unpaid salary, unpaid overtime, a final payslip that does not add up. Employers rely on people finding it too awkward to pursue.
A settlement to sign
A termination agreement waved through 'today' is the classic pressure move. Signing can affect your unemployment benefit as well as your claims.
A reference that quietly damages you
German references are written in code. A phrase that reads as praise can be understood by the next employer as a warning.
What tends to matter
Why employment cases are won or lost early
A short, plain-language orientation — so you know which questions to bring to a lawyer.
General information, not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts — only a lawyer you engage can tell you what applies to yours.
Deadlines are short and strict
Challenging a dismissal in Germany is subject to a short statutory window measured in weeks, not months. Talk to a lawyer before you talk yourself out of it.
Keep every document
Contract, dismissal letter with the envelope, payslips, rota, chat messages. What feels trivial is often exactly what decides the case.
Do not sign under pressure
A signature given in a meeting is very hard to undo afterwards. Asking for time to take advice is normal and reasonable.
How an employment case runs on Lawendo
Get it in front of a lawyer fast
Describe what happened in your language and upload the letter. Speed matters more here than polish.
Choose a firm that fits
Filter for employment law and your language, compare, and send a request. The firm replies with a proposal you can read.
Track every deadline
Dates from your case appear as tasks with in-app reminders — for you and for the firm.
Questions people ask
How quickly do I need to act after a dismissal?
Quickly — German law sets a short window for challenging a dismissal, measured in weeks. The exact deadline and how it is calculated depends on your case, so treat the day the letter arrives as the day to seek advice.
Can I be dismissed while on sick leave?
Being on sick leave does not by itself make a dismissal invalid, which surprises many people. Whether a particular dismissal holds up is a separate question a lawyer can assess.
What if I have already signed a termination agreement?
Bring it anyway. What can still be done depends on the wording and the circumstances, and that is not something to judge on your own.
Does Lawendo represent me?
No. Lawendo is a platform, not a law firm. Representation comes from the independent firm you engage through it.
Do not spend the deadline deciding
Send us two sentences about what happened. We reply personally, in your language.