Klageantrag

Klageantrag is a term in German civil procedure referring to the part of a complaint that specifies the relief or remedy the plaintiff asks the court to grant. It is the concrete request for a judgment, such as payment of a sum, performance of an obligation, a prohibition, or a declaratory ruling. The Klageantrag is presented within the Klageschrift and serves to define the substance and scope of the dispute the court is asked to decide.

The Klageantrag functions as the legal core of the action. It must be sufficiently precise and determinate so that the court knows exactly what is being demanded and what kind of judgment would be sufficient to resolve the dispute. In practice, this means naming the requested relief, identifying the parties, and, where applicable, specifying amounts, currency, deadlines, and any interest or ancillary effects. The plaintiff may also submit alternative requests or multiple claims if the law permits, though these should remain clear and actionable.

Form and content considerations are guided by procedural rules. The Klageantrag must correspond to the facts alleged and the legal grounds set out in the Begründung (reasoning) of the complaint. It can be amended or clarified within certain procedural limits, and a poorly formulated or indefinite Klageantrag can lead to objections or dismissal. Overall, the Klageantrag shapes the court’s jurisdiction, the course of proceedings, and the potential scope of the judgment.