"Die Aufgaben und das Verfahren des Nachlassgerichts in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und die Neuregelung der funktionellen Zustândigkeiten

This essay deals with the responsibilities of the German country courts on the subject of the law of inheritance. Furthermore, the competences and the decisive procedural law of the act about the matters of voluntary jurisdiction are presented. The first part concerns the procedural matters of testamentary causes and partition causes of the voluntary jurisdiction. In this connection, the procedures ex officio and the procedures by application of a party have to be distinguished. The responsibilities of country courts in proceedings of the acceptance of a party's declaration and other responsibilities in testamentary causes belong to the part as well. The second part of the essay contains a discussion of the sphere of jurisdiction of the country courts at testamentary causes, the general procedural rules and the legal remedies in proceedings of voluntary jurisdiction. The final part focuses on the reform of the functional sphere of jurisdiction between judges and judicial officers (rechtsfleger) by the Act of Justice Modernization from the 24 August 2004. In particular, the background of the Act of Justice Modernization and the Act's impact on the treatment of proceedings in testamentary causes at the country courts are analyzed. 1 Dieser Beitrag ist ursprünglich als Vortrag anlâsslich des Besuches der Jur. Fakultât der Universitât Ankara durch eine Delegation der Fakultât Rechtspflege der Niedersâchsischen Fachhochschule fur Verwaltung und Rechtspflege Hildesheim im September 2004 konzipiert worden. Richter am Oberlandesgericht Fakultât Rechtspflege der Niedersûchsische Fachhochschule fur Verwaltung und Rechtspflege Hildesheim. 158 Ankara Law Review Vol.1 No.2