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Partial legal aid in composition proceedings: no counsel, fee advance exemption

OG 1992 32Other CourtNov 24, 1992Confirmed

Open source

Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

The Justizkommission confirmed a lower-court ruling in composition proceedings concerning partial legal aid. It held that a debtor may be exempted from paying cost advances if assets exist but cannot be liquidated in time or if there is a justified prospect of asset growth during the moratorium. However, the appointment of free legal counsel was refused because the procedure is simple and accessible to laypersons, the court can provide guidance, and a trustee is appointed after approval of the moratorium. The trustee must preliminarily estimate the likely procedural costs and deduct them from the estate available to creditors.

Omnilex headnote

Partial legal aid in composition proceedings: exemption from cost advances may be granted analogously to debtor-initiated bankruptcy proceedings where the debtor has assets that are not promptly realizable or where a justified prospect of asset increase during the moratorium exists; appointment of free counsel is not required where the procedure is simple, accessible to laypersons, and assistance is ensured by court information and the appointed trustee. If advance-payment relief is granted, the trustee must estimate the expected procedural costs in advance and deduct them from the dividend mass available to creditors.

Full text

Wie beim Konkursverfahren auf Begehren des Schuldners (vgl. LGVE 1992 I Nr. 33) besteht auch im Nachlassvertragsverfahren ein Anspruch auf Bevorschussungs-UR. Schuldner mit genügendem Vermögen, dessen Liquidierung aber kurzfristig nicht möglich oder zumutbar ist, aber auch Schuldner mit begründeter Aussicht auf Vermögensmehrung während der Nachlassstundung haben dementsprechend Anspruch auf teilweise unentgeltliche Rechtspflege in dem Sinne, dass sie von der Vorschusspflicht befreit werden. Die Beigabe eines unentgeltlichen Rechtsbeistandes ist auch im Nachlassvertragsverfahren nicht nötig, da das diesbezügliche Verfahren einfach ausgestaltet und auch dem rechtsunkundigen Bürger zugänglich ist. Auch hat der Rechtssuchende die Möglichkeit, sich beim Gericht entsprechend zu erkundigen, und es wird nach Bewilligung der Stundung ein Sachwalter eingesetzt, der dem Schuldner mit Rat und Tat zur Seite steht. Wird die Bevorschussungs-UR gewährt, so wird der Gesuchsteller von der Pflicht zur Leistung von Kostenvorschüssen befreit, und der Staat leistet ihm Gutstand für die Sachwalterkosten. Dem Sachwalter ist dabei die Pflicht aufzuerlegen, die mutmasslichen Verfahrenskosten bei der Aufstellung des Nachlassvertrages vorab einzusetzen und von der Vermögenssumme, welche den Gläubigern zur Verfügung gestellt werden kann, in Abzug zu bringen.

AGP III von Luzern-Land, 28. Oktober 1992 (Zusammenfassung); bestätigt durch die Justizkommission am 25. November 1992

Keywords

composition proceedingspartial legal aidcost advancesfree legal counseltrustee costsdebtor assets

Extracted by Omnilex

Key legal questions extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

Whether a debtor in composition proceedings is entitled to exemption from cost advances as partial legal aid.

Extracted holding

Yes. A debtor with sufficient assets that cannot be liquidated promptly or reasonably, and also a debtor with a justified prospect of increased assets during the moratorium, is entitled to exemption from the duty to pay cost advances.

Extracted reasoning

The court extended the principle from bankruptcy proceedings initiated at the debtor's request to composition proceedings. Partial legal aid is available in the form of relief from advance-payment obligations.

Key legal question

Whether an indigent debtor in composition proceedings is entitled to appointment of free legal counsel.

Extracted holding

No. Appointment of counsel is not necessary in composition proceedings.

Extracted reasoning

The procedure is simple and accessible to laypersons; the court can provide procedural information, and after the moratorium is granted a trustee is appointed to assist the debtor.

Key legal question

How trustee costs are to be handled when partial legal aid is granted.

Extracted holding

The trustee must be instructed to estimate the probable procedural costs in advance and deduct them from the assets available for creditors.

Extracted reasoning

If the debtor is relieved from advance payments, the state covers the trustee costs, but those expected costs must still be taken into account in the composition plan.

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