After several months of very frustrating research concerning my right to German citizenship, I almost gave up trying. Due to changes in German laws, I just couldn't figure out the correct path towards a German passport, whether direct application, certificate of citizenship, or certificate of naturalization. I decided to take the risk of hiring a law firm to do the research on my behalf. I settled on the German law firm Schlun & Elseven based of their track record and excellent reviews. Initially, my new lawyer developed a comprehensive plan that required me to find a small mountain of documents. Many of the documents would have required certified copies and translations--a costly endeavor. I had completed maybe seventy percent of the required documents when I was notified that my lawyer had left the S&E lawfirm. In due course, my new lawyer (and former supervisor of my first lawyer), Julie Schäfer, asked me to stop everything that I was working on while she conducted a full review of my case. After a couple of weeks, she asked me to contact her through a video conference call. After giving me a detailed account of German citizenship law as to how it applied to me, she announced in her professional opinion that I had always been a German citizen and I only needed to apply for my German passport using the more simple, direct way. My first lawyer had actually wanted me to pursue the German Naturalization process, a much longer activity requiring a mountain of documentation and cost. In the end, only a relatively small amount of documents, along with a cover letter from my lawyer, were need to directly apply for my passport. Unfortunately due to issues and delays at the German printing office, it took almost ten weeks to receive my new DEUTSCH passport. I was ecstatic when I received the document and all of my German relatives were happy for me.
