legal claim
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legal claim
A legally founded and enforceable right of a person to demand, receive, or do something from another person or an institution.
Nach drei Jahren Betriebszugehörigkeit haben Mitarbeiter einen Rechtsanspruch auf eine betriebliche Altersvorsorge.
After three years with the company, employees have a legal claim to an occupational pension plan.
The word is composed of 'Recht' (law/right) and 'Anspruch' (claim/entitlement). So it literally means a 'claim based on a right'. The 's' in the middle is a linking sound that connects the two words.
Ein Rechtsanspruch ist mehr als nur ein Wunsch, er ist gesetzlich verankert.
A legal claim is more than just a wish; it is anchored in law.
A 'Rechtsanspruch' (legal claim) always refers to something. This 'something' is connected with the preposition 'auf' and the accusative. The most common construction is 'einen Rechtsanspruch auf etwas haben' (to have a legal claim to something).
Eltern haben einen Rechtsanspruch auf einen Kindergartenplatz.
Parents have a legal claim to a kindergarten place.
Common verbs used with 'Rechtsanspruch' (legal claim) are 'haben' (to have), 'geltend machen' (to officially assert), 'durchsetzen' (to successfully enforce), and 'verlieren' (to lose).
Er musste seinen Rechtsanspruch vor Gericht geltend machen.
He had to assert his legal claim in court.
right / law
'das Recht' and 'der Rechtsanspruch' can both describe a claim or right. 'das Recht' is more general and can be meant morally or legally. 'der Rechtsanspruch' is more specifically legal: it means that someone can legally demand something, often from an authority or in court. The words can be confused because a 'Rechtsanspruch' is always a kind of 'Recht'. But not every 'Recht' is meant so concretely as an enforceable claim. In everyday language, people often say 'ein Recht auf' (a right to), while in official texts 'ein Rechtsanspruch auf' (a legal claim to) is more common.
Eltern haben einen Rechtsanspruch auf einen Platz in der Kinderbetreuung.
Parents have a legal claim to a place in childcare.
Auch nach der Arbeit hat er das Recht, nicht mehr erreichbar zu sein.
Even after work, he has the right to no longer be reachable.