Citizenship Law

Scenarios: You are now an American citizen and a former German citizen, living in the U.S. and you weren’t aware that you lost your German citizenship when you became a U.S. citizen? Or you are a U.S. citizen with a permanent “resident” in Germany and you would like to get the German citizenship but not give up your U.S. citizenship?

We advise you on your chances of success in obtaining the “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung” and file the application for it with the German government. If you lost your German citizenship already we will evaluate the chances of success for a re-naturalisation from abroad, file the application for you and represent you in the administrative proceeding. If you are an American citizen living in Germany we will find out if there are chances that you can become naturalised in Germany without giving up your U.S. citizenship. We can also represent you in the naturalisation proceeding in Germany.

Family Law

International Family Law and Foreign Law can become an issue if one of the spouses is foreign or has dual citizenship. Even if one spouse is domiciled abroad foreign law may have to be taken into consideration.

Situation 1 You are an US Citizen married to a German national or the other way around? Now you have decided to get separated? One of you returned to his or her home country? Maybe you have children together or your spouse already left with your children to live abroad but without your consent? What are the next steps regarding divorce, alimony, child support, visitation rights, custody and pension rights? In which country can you file for divorce and which law is applicable in your case?

Not only will we answer all these questions for you but we will also be able to assist in shaping the legal aspects of your new life situation. We can represent you in court and handle your divorce proceedings in both Germany and the US.

Military Law

Mission Statement It’s in Our Results The civilian defense of uniformed members is a special endeavor. In fact, like you, we know what you have been through, as we served too. It takes commitment to be successful. Lawyers at Court & Carpenter are exclusively dedicated to this unique field of law. We do not focus our attention elsewhere. Our solitary focus on military justice enables us to harness our collective knowledge for the benefit of our uniformed clientele, and their families, and with that, increase the likelihood for the best possible outcome. As such, Court & Carpenter has three fundamental rules that you should understand as you face this immensely stressful time: Rule 1: You raised your hand to uphold the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that same constitution also has a duty to protect you and your family Rule 2: Beginning in December 2023, a certain category of courts-martial, to include sexual assaults, will no longer be sent (“referred”) to trial by a commanding general or admiral, instead a specially selected group of JAG prosecutors will decide if a case goes to trial, which will arguably provide a more meaningful pre-trial opportunity to reason with the government, as, candidly speaking, many general court-martial convening authorities were perhaps just too politically enmeshed in #MeToo to have appeared fair and impartial. Rule 3: We ONLY like to win, but oftentimes, that depends on you. As we all know, sometimes words have two meanings, so to debate federal law enforcement investigators about their biased version of events is rarely if ever going to help your cause. They were not at the alleged scene of the crime. Thus, they are undoubtedly clueless about happened. In this vein, just clearly invoke your right to counsel, and they will have to let you go home. It is that simple. Also, unless they have a warrant, OSI, CID and NCIS has no right to seize or search your phone, or home, or car either. These are good rules of thumb. This is not to say we win each and every case with these rules, but what can be said is that we have an unmatched record of success using them since 2008. The proof is in the pudding, Court & Carpenter Ranks #1 in Client Satisfaction on avvo.com for “military law.” It is not close.

Criminal Law

What is criminal law? The criminal law sets out the definitions of criminal offences and the rules and procedures that apply when: the police investigate an offence they allege you have committed the prosecuting authorities charge you, and you must appear in a criminal court If you admit the offence or are found guilty, the court will impose a punishment on you, ranging from fines, community orders and imprisonment. Criminal law solicitors will help you if you are suspected or accused of a crime. When the police allege that you have committed a criminal offence, solicitors can represent you to make sure your legal rights are protected and to present your case in court to make sure you get a fair hearing. Criminal offences There are a wide range of criminal offences. They include offences of violence such as murder and manslaughter, sexual offences and non-sexual assaults. Dishonesty offences include fraud and theft and offences against property include arson and criminal damage. There are crimes against justice, such as perjury, or giving false evidence under oath, and perverting the course of justice. Criminal law solicitors will use their knowledge and experience to ensure the best outcome for you and your case.