Rechtsgültige

Rechtsgültige is an adjective used in German legal language to describe something that has legal validity or binding force under applicable law. It refers to documents, contracts, decisions, or acts that meet the relevant substantive and formal requirements and are enforceable within the legal system.

In practice, the term is used across different branches of law. A contract is described as rechtsgültig when its formation complies with the required elements (offer and acceptance, capacity, consent, legality, and, if necessary, formalities). Likewise, administrative acts or legal declarations may be called rechtsgültig when they conform to the governing rules and can be upheld in court. It is important to distinguish rechtsgültig from related notions such as wirksam (effective or enforceable in practice), formgültig (valid in the required form), and rechtskräftig (final and no longer subject to appeal).

Limitations and nuances exist: a document can be rechtsgültig yet not sofort vollständig durchsetzbar, for example if post-issuance remedies or enforcement procedures are pending. Conversely, a document might be rechtsunwirksam or nichtig if essential elements were missing or if it violated prohibitions, even though it resembles a valid form. The term daher emphasizes legality and binding force, rather than immediate enforcement.

Etymology: from Recht (law) and gültig (valid). In modern usage, rechtsgültig is common in civil, contract, and administrative contexts to denote legal validity.