New Rules for Filing Documents with German Courts

Since September 1, 2025, new regulations have come into force in Germany that directly affect how lawyers and legal professionals submit documents to courts. With the revision of ERVB 2025, a long-standing practical problem has finally been addressed: the transmission of large files via the special electronic lawyers’ mailbox (beA).

Until now, practitioners regularly reached the technical limits of the system whenever submissions exceeded the permitted file size. In practice, this often meant splitting documents into multiple parts or struggling with delays in filing. The new rules now provide a clear solution: documents that cannot be transmitted through beA may be officially submitted on USB drives.

What sounds like a simple adjustment is in fact a significant step forward. For lawyers, it increases reliability and reduces the risk of formal errors when working with voluminous case files, expert opinions, or extensive evidence. For the courts, it establishes a standardized and secure method of receiving oversized documents, ensuring smoother proceedings and fewer technical disputes.

At the same time, the use of physical storage devices also raises questions of data protection and IT security. USB sticks must be encrypted and handled with care to comply with strict German and European data protection standards.

The amendments to ERVB 2025 are another milestone on Germany’s path toward a fully digitalized justice system. They show that the legislator is aware of the real challenges faced by practitioners and is willing to introduce practical solutions. For law firms, this is the right moment to review internal processes and adapt to the new requirements of electronic legal communication.