In practice, this is done from the beginning of the hearing, during which the German judge summarizes the facts put forward by the parties, sets out the strengths and weaknesses of each party`s arguments and then asks the parties whether they are willing to consider a settlement contract. The technical term for this stage of German civil proceedings is `Gütetermin` or `Güteverhandlung`, Paragraph 278(2) of the ZPO. If you ask an American lawyer at a German trial firm to help in a German civil dispute, you should be aware of these incentives to understand why a German lawyer seems very interested in an early settlement. To be honest, however, legal fees under German law are, in high-level cases, only a small part of what an experienced lawyer actually requires. . . .