If you become involved in a civil lawsuit, the case will normally first go to a district court. The geographical area over which a district court presides is called a judicial district. In Switzerland a judicial district is called a Gerichtskreis or Gerichtsbezirk in German (which is used varies between cantons), and an arrondissement judiciaire in French.
A judicial district normally encompasses more than one municipality. You can find out which district court is responsible for your municipality on your cantonal government’s website or by inquiring at your municipal government.
If you use legal insurance, judicial districts play a role in determining which lawyers are covered. Insurance companies normally limit your options to law firms in the judicial district responsible for your case. This means you have to use law firms domiciled in the district in which the case is being heard in order to claim on your legal insurance.
If you choose to use a lawyer from outside the relevant judicial district, the insurance company may reject your choice, or you may have to cover part of the costs yourself.
The judicial district also indirectly influences the insurance benefits you can claim from legal insurance. Typically, the terms and conditions of insurance agreements dictate that your lawyer’s hourly rates must be in keeping with the regional average. Because you have to choose a law firm in the court’s judicial district, the firm must charge fees which are typical for that district.
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