Registration with beA: Simply explains what you need to know
beA stands for "special electronic attorney mailbox". In this article you can read what exactly this is and what advantages registration has.
What is beA? - Registration information
The special electronic attorney mailbox is still in development and should become an e-mail inbox for lawyers.
- This electronic mailbox is intended to ensure that lawyers in Germany can communicate securely with the judiciary, the authorities and among themselves. In addition, it is to replace the current electronic court and administrative mailbox, the so-called "EGVP client".
- Civil courts, labor courts, financial courts, social courts and administrative courts should be accessible via the special electronic attorney mailbox.
- Before January 1, 2018, all federal courts and all courts in Hesse, Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin were electronically accessible in Germany.
- It is also planned that the special electronic attorney mailbox will be used for communication with criminal courts and public prosecutors.
- In addition, the central protection register should be accessible via the attorney mailbox.
When and how can beA be used?
The Bar Association decided to restart the special electronic attorney mailbox in two steps.
- From June 4, 2018, Client Security will be available for download and installation. At this point, the initial registration for new colleagues should also be made possible. The system should be activated from September 3, 2018. From then on, it will be possible to send and receive messages again via the attorney mailbox.
- The use of the special electric attorney mailbox requires certain technical requirements. The lawyer needs a certain chip card, the so-called "beA card basis". Employees can receive a "beA employee card". In order for the chip card to be read, the user needs a specific card reader. This is connected to a computer with at least 512 MB RAM. The computer also requires a Microsoft Windows, macOS or Linux operating system.
- The attorney's mailbox is accessed via the browser or using special law firm software.
- A chip card is mandatory for one-time registration.
Advantages and disadvantages of the beA
The special electronic attorney mailbox enables data and documents to be transmitted more quickly and effectively. Another great advantage of internal communication is networking and making contacts.
- However, the attorney mailbox also has disadvantages. For example, there are costs for registering with the special electronic attorney mailbox. A card reader must be purchased, which costs an average of around 60 euros. The "beA card basis" costs 29.90 euros per year. The employee card also costs 12.90 euros per year.
Another secure means of communication on the network is De-Mail. In the next article we will explain what this is about.