Lebenssachverhalt

Lebenssachverhalt is a German legal term used to describe the factual circumstances of a case—the real events, conditions, and relationships that exist in life and matter for the dispute. It denotes the life-world context in which legal claims arise, as distinct from the abstract rules and evaluations of law. In civil law, courts first determine the Lebenssachverhalt on the basis of evidence; only then do they apply the relevant legal norms to derive rights and obligations.

Scope and content: It includes events such as actions, omissions, dates, places, and relevant states of mind when linked to the matter; it does not, by itself, determine liability; that depends on the applicable law.

Burden of proof: The parties bear responsibility to prove the Lebenssachverhalt; misrepresentations or missing facts can affect outcomes. The concept helps explain why the same legal rule may lead to different results under different factual settings.

Examples: In a contract dispute, the Lebenssachverhalt would cover when and how a contract was concluded, performance, and any communications; in a tort case, the exact sequence of events and damages; in insurance, the facts of the claim.

Etymology and usage: Compound of Leben (life) and Sachverhalt (factual situation). It is widely used in German jurisprudence and legal scholarship to separate factual reality from legal evaluation.