Pension fund for lawyers - registering as a member

The pension fund for lawyers in Baden-Württemberg is the occupational pension scheme for members of the bar associations in Baden-Württemberg.

This pension fund provides the following benefits for members and their surviving dependants:

• old-age pensions   
• occupational disability pensions   
• provisions for surviving dependants
• death benefits for surviving dependants   
• lump-sum settlements for surviving spouses or civil partners who lose their pension entitlements on remarrying

Note: In addition, the pension fund can provide allowances for the costs of any required and particularly costly medical rehabilitation measures on request. However, this is not a right.

Members of the pension fund are obliged to pay monthly contributions as long as they do not receive an old-age pension or occupational disability pension. This is equivalent to the maximum contribution to the statutory pension insurance scheme for employees.

There is also a minimum contribution (one-thirteenth of the regular obligatory contribution). You may apply to pay only half of the obligatory amount during the first 36 months following your appointment as a lawyer; however, you may not pay less than the minimum contribution. Prerequisite: You work solely on a freelance basis and had not reached the age of 40 by the time of your appointment.

Most employers deduct the membership contributions from their employees’ salaries and send them directly to the pension fund. If you are employed, please give your membership number to your employer and inform him that you are exempted from payments into the state pension scheme. If you are not employed, or if your employer does not pay the contributions directly to the pension fund, you must pay the contributions yourself. You can download a direct debit authorisation form from the internet.

Tip: You will find more information about contributions in the articles of the pension fund for lawyers in Baden-Württemberg.