Vermogensrecht

Patrimonial law governs the legal relations concerning assets, ownership, obligations and other elements of an estate. It encompasses both the law of property and the law of obligations and is largely codified in Book 3 of the Civil Code.

This field of law is relevant because virtually all civil transactions and disputes involve a patrimonial aspect, such as the transfer of ownership, the conclusion of contracts or the recovery of damages. It provides the framework for determining who holds title to particular rights and who may be held liable.

In practice, patrimonial law is applied daily in notarial transactions, debt collection proceedings and bankruptcies, where lawyers must determine the precise scope of patrimonial rights and obligations.