Inheritance law·Wealth and business succession·Real estate
I advise individuals, entrepreneurs and business-owning families, mainly on inheritance law and wealth succession. I also represent clients in general civil and commercial matters. I know business management, shareholdings and real estate not just as a lawyer, but first-hand, from many years of entrepreneurial experience.
About me
I have been admitted to the German bar (Rechtsanwalt) since 2002. Alongside that, I spent more than twenty years in senior business roles, as managing director, management board member and member of the board of directors (Verwaltungsrat) of a family-owned business in the real estate and investment sector. I also served on the boards of holding and investment companies in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria and the USA.
In my legal work I bring these perspectives together: the precision of a lawyer, the view of a family member in the business, and the decision-making experience of an entrepreneur. I understand family and business responsibility and risk, the pressure to decide, and the need to act even when you cannot cover every risk. So I see my job as stating risks plainly and developing solutions that are legally sound and work in practice. That applies not only to inheritance law, but also to other general civil law matters, such as contract law.
Career
since 2026
Own law firm in Düsseldorf: inheritance law and wealth succession
2008 – 2025
Chief Executive Officer, later Chief Investment Officer and managing director of an international investment group, based in Zurich and Düsseldorf; from 2017 also in-house counsel (Syndikusrechtsanwalt). Responsible for real estate and holding structures in Germany and abroad; member of boards and supervisory bodies. During this time I was responsible for a range of real estate transactions, including large-scale ones, from due diligence through to financial closing.
2000 – 2010
Setting up cross-border asset and holding structures between Germany, Switzerland and the USA
2002 – 2008
Attorney at law (Rechtsanwalt), focusing on commercial, real estate and inheritance law
Education
2001 – 2002
Ruhr University Bochum, Master of Laws (LL.M.) in commercial and tax law
2000 – 2002
Legal clerkship (Referendariat) at the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) of Düsseldorf, Second State Examination 2002
1994 – 1999
Studied law at the University of Münster, First State Examination 1999
Qualifications
2026
Training course for executors of wills (Testamentsvollstreckung), DVEV
2026
Specialist-lawyer course in inheritance law (Fachanwaltslehrgang Erbrecht)
since 2002
Admitted as Rechtsanwalt (attorney at law), member of the Düsseldorf Bar Association (Rechtsanwaltskammer Düsseldorf)
Areas of practice
Wills and inheritance contracts (Erbvertrag)
I draft wills that stand up when they are needed: clearly worded, tailored to your family and your assets, and with the tax consequences in mind. Where business interests or real estate are involved, I make sure the will fits with what the company’s governing documents and the land register actually permit.
Lifetime transfers and wealth succession
Passing on assets during your lifetime often makes more sense than leaving them in your will. Together we work out the structure of the transfer, from a life interest or usufruct (Nießbrauch) and rights to reclaim the asset, to providing for the person handing over the assets, while making sure you remain free to act.
Business succession
Who takes over a business is decided not only in the will, but just as much in the company’s governing documents, such as the articles of association or a partnership agreement. I make sure the two match, and I support the handover with more than twenty years of experience in management and on supervisory boards.
Division of the estate and compulsory portion (Pflichtteil)
When co-heirs cannot agree, or when claims to a compulsory portion are on the table, I represent you: out of court where a settlement is possible, and in court where it is not.
Acting as executor (Testamentsvollstreckung)
I act as executor of wills, and I advise heirs and executors in disputes over how the executor has carried out the role.
Cross-border succession
If assets are held abroad or heirs live there, questions arise about which law applies, which courts have jurisdiction, and how to prove who the heirs are (in Germany, usually with a certificate of inheritance, Erbschein). For many years I was responsible for structures in Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Austria, and I know the practical hurdles. I advise on German law; where foreign law is involved, I work with local counsel.
Buying and selling real estate
Whether it is a single apartment or a large real estate portfolio: I know how a real estate transaction works from decades of first-hand experience, from the first offer to signing at the notary’s office, in Germany and abroad.
General civil and commercial law
I also represent and advise clients outside inheritance law, in civil and commercial matters such as contract law.
Why you will not find an inheritance law encyclopedia here
The basics of inheritance law are already explained elsewhere, neutrally and reliably, among others by the German Federal Chamber of Notaries and the Federal Ministry of Justice (both in German).
How we work together
1
Your request
You tell me about your matter by phone or email. I check whether I may represent you and whether your matter is a good fit for my practice. If you would be better served elsewhere, I will tell you. Otherwise, we set up an appointment for an initial consultation.
2
Initial consultation
In the initial consultation we go through your matter: what it is about, which contracts and documents exist, which deadlines apply and, if a dispute has already arisen, where it stands. In inheritance matters we also look at your family, your assets and any existing wills or other arrangements. I explain the legal framework and set out your options, both out of court and in litigation. The aim is to sketch first solutions and to give you an assessment of the work involved, the costs and the prospects of success.
We can hold the initial consultation by phone, by video call or at my office in Düsseldorf. In and around Düsseldorf I am also happy to come to your company or to your home. This is often the more practical option, particularly when documents need to be reviewed or several family members should be around the table.
3
Engagement
If you decide to engage me, we put the scope of work and the fee in writing before I start. From then on I represent you in dealings with third parties, in and out of court, or work with you on your wider wealth planning. I keep you updated, and I get in touch when decisions are needed or when the workload turns out different from what we discussed. Where tax advisers, notaries or other experts need to be involved, I coordinate their work.
4
Afterwards
A succession plan is not something you settle once and for all. If your family, your assets or the law change, I am happy to check whether your arrangements still hold up. The same applies after proceedings have ended: there is often still something to put in order, from dividing up the estate to updating your own wills and arrangements.
5
Fees
The initial consultation costs EUR 226.10 including 19% VAT (EUR 190 plus VAT). It normally lasts about an hour. If it runs longer, the price stays the same.
For any further work we agree either an hourly rate or, where the work can be estimated, a fixed fee. We put the agreement in writing before I start. In court proceedings, my fees are never lower than the statutory fees under the German Lawyers’ Remuneration Act (RVG), which depend on the amount in dispute.
Contact
Law office
Kai P. Bender, LL.M.
Attorney at law (Rechtsanwalt)
Breite Straße 22
40213 Düsseldorf, Germany
Directions
U-Bahn (metro) station Benrather Straße, a two-minute walk. U-Bahn station Heinrich-Heine-Allee, a five-minute walk.
Parking at Q-Park KÖ59, Breite Straße 40, or Q-Park Carsch-Haus, Kasernenstraße 10.
Send a message
Please do not send confidential documents through this form. A lawyer-client relationship only comes into being once I have expressly accepted your matter.