Justice traffic jam in Harburg: Mourners wait months for inheritance rights!

Justice traffic jam in Harburg: Mourners wait months for inheritance rights!

Things are boiling at the Harburg probate court - the CDU has had enough and is rightly drawing attention to an unbearable processing backlog that is not only straining the judiciary, but also the nerves of the mourners. André Trepoll, a member of the CDU parliament, recently spoke badly about the situation and described the situation as untenable. According to suederelbe24.de, the average number of open cases per clerk is a shocking 414, which means that a number of issues, such as closing accounts or terminating rental agreements, have remained unprocessed for months - some even since November 2024.

The problem is not new, as the length of proceedings in probate courts in Germany is increasing. More and more citizens find themselves in a difficult situation, without a death certificate or power of attorney, hardly able to regulate their legal affairs. This situation results in additional financial burdens for the survivors, who also have to contend with bureaucratic hurdles in an already emotionally challenging phase. According to erbrecht-ratgeber.de, the personnel situation in the courts is tense and casts a shadow on the timely processing of concerns. In many processes, requests cannot even be answered because the inbox is not processed.

The numbers speak for themselves

In 2023, the Harburg District Court registered a total of 1,093 wills and 1,685 estate cases. The trend is increasing, and 647 new procedures were already added in the first quarter of 2025. The inheritance law working group in the German Lawyers' Association (DAV) also draws an alarming conclusion in a survey: in almost 50% of cases, the opening of wills takes two months or longer. Especially if there is no notarized will, those affected often have to expect significantly longer waiting times, which can cause considerable economic damage to many heirs, as anwaltverein.de reports.

However, Trepoll's allegations go beyond the current processing problems. His main criticism is directed at the red-green Senate, which he accuses of hiding behind the shortage of skilled workers. His focus is on the structural weakening of the judiciary over the years. In order to remedy this, the CDU is calling for immediate measures to improve staffing levels. Trepoll describes the situation as a clear sign of “blatant leadership failure” by the judicial authority.

The way into the future

Those responsible are faced with the challenge of not only processing open procedures more quickly, but also taking action to address the ongoing staff shortage. A long overdue digitalization strategy could help make processes within the judiciary more efficient, as many lawyers and experts recommend. Dr. Ansgar Becker-vor-Dersandfort even advises setting up transmortal powers of attorney to prevent future conflicts.

The CDU has already announced that it will submit an application at the next parliamentary meeting. Whether this can increase pressure on the justice department and bring about fundamental change remains to be seen. One thing is certain: the survivors and those affected are eagerly waiting for a solution.