lawyer
Dario Kovac
Dario Kovac is a lawyer based in Düsseldorf. He advises and represents clients in general civil law, with a focus on traffic and administrative offense law and insurance law – particularly in enforcing claims against legal expenses insurers. Since his admission to the bar in 2019, he has gained experience in various law firms and has been with Rogert & Ulbrich since 2025.
About Dario Kovac
Dario Kovac studied law at the Ruhr University Bochum (First State Examination 2014, Second State Examination 2017) and completed his legal traineeship at the Essen Regional Court.
After being admitted to the bar by the Düsseldorf Bar Association in 2019, he initially worked at Rogert & Ulbrich before holding positions at the law firm Ghendler Ruvinskij and Mingers Rechtsanwälte. He has been back at Rogert & Ulbrich since March 2025.
His main areas of expertise are traffic law and administrative offenses, insurance law – particularly disputes with legal expenses insurers – and general civil law. Languages: German
Training
First state examination 2014
Second State Examination 2017
Ruhr University Bochum
Study of law
2017
Essen Regional Court
Legal traineeship
Essen Regional Court
2019
RAK Düsseldorf
Admission as a lawyer
Düsseldorf Bar Association
Professional background
since March 2025
Düsseldorf
Employed lawyer
Rogert & Ulbrich Rechtsanwälte in Partnerschaft mbB
Dec. 2023 – Feb. 2025
Employed lawyer
Mingers Lawyers
Sept. 2021 – Nov. 2023
Employed lawyer
July 2019 – Aug. 2021
Düsseldorf
Employed lawyer
Rogert & Ulbrich Rechtsanwälte
2018 – 2019
Employed lawyer
memberships
Düsseldorf Bar Association
Profiles & Directories
main areas of activity
Publications & articles by Dario Kovac
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No commission without brokerage services: lack of mediation and forfeiture.
Why real estate agent commissions are success-based and when buyers don't have to pay: A real estate agent isn't paid for their efforts, but for a successful outcome. Only if the purchase agreement is actually concluded as a result of their introduction or mediation does a commission claim arise under Section 652 of the German Civil Code (BGB). If the service or the causal link is lacking, buyers don't have to pay. Rogert…
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Internal commission and hidden kickbacks between real estate agent and seller
When a conflict of interest or undisclosed kickback invalidates the commission claim: Not every real estate agent's commission is earned. If the agent is financially or personally connected to the seller, or if they conceal an internal commission, their claim to the commission may be invalidated or forfeited. Buyers can often reclaim a commission already paid in such cases. Rogert & Ulbrich examines the connections between…
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Single-family home or commercial property? When does the "buyer pays" principle apply?
The scope of application of Sections 656a et seq. of the German Civil Code (BGB) and the Federal Court of Justice's (BGH) rulings on granny flats and office extensions: The protective rules for the distribution of real estate agent fees do not apply to every property. The decisive factor is whether a consumer is purchasing an apartment or a single-family home. The Federal Court of Justice clarified on March 6, 2025, that a granny flat or a small…
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Home insurance after heavy rain – when does the insurer pay, and when not?
Why it's not the rain that determines coverage, but the specific damage and the insured peril. After heavy rain, property owners face the crucial question: Which insurance covers which type of damage? Because it's not the intensity of the rain that matters, but how the water entered the building. Flooding, backflow, storms, and…
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Real estate agent commission when buying a house: Federal Court of Justice restricts equal division
What buyers should know about real estate agent commissions after the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling of July 16, 2026: You buy a house, the real estate agent also worked for the seller, and yet they still demand the full commission from you. Since 2020, the principle of equal division of commissions has protected buyers of apartments and single-family homes from precisely this situation. The Federal Court of Justice clarified on July 16, 2026…
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Defective cancellation policy: the extended right of cancellation of one year and 14 days
Why errors in the cancellation policy extend the cancellation period and how buyers benefit: If the cancellation policy is missing from the brokerage contract or is flawed, the regular 14-day period does not begin. Instead, the contract can be cancelled for up to one year and 14 days, often long after the property purchase. Rogert & Ulbrich…
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Cancel brokerage contract: Reclaim commission even after property purchase
What formal requirements apply to brokerage contracts and when buyers have the right to withdraw. How the right of withdrawal works for brokerage contracts concluded online or by telephone. Consumers who have concluded a brokerage contract online or by telephone can often withdraw from it, even after the property purchase has been notarized. The purchase contract remains valid; only the paid commission is revoked.
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Private accident insurance refuses to pay – the dispute over disability benefits
From the definition of an accident and the degree of disability to deadlines and contributory negligence – where insurers intervene and how you can secure your benefits. Is your private accident insurance refusing to pay your disability benefit? Disputes almost always arise on the same issues: the definition of an accident, the degree of disability, missed deadlines, or the contributory negligence of pre-existing conditions. Rogert & Ulbrich will review the rejection and…
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Written form and burden of proof: must the real estate agent prove the seller's payment?
What formal requirements apply to real estate agent contracts and when buyers don't have to pay the commission yet? Since December 2020, a real estate agent contract for an apartment or a single-family home must be in written form; verbal agreements are invalid. And before you, as the buyer, have to pay, you must prove that the seller has already paid their share of the commission. Rogert…
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Submitting a disability insurance claim – avoiding the pitfalls in the questionnaire
Which questions are ambiguous, how to describe your work, and why the claim application determines success or rejection. The disability insurance claim application is crucial in determining whether your claim is successful or rejected. The often lengthy questionnaire forms the basis on which the insurer assesses your case and looks for potential issues. The greatest risks lie in an inaccurate description of your work…
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Reclaim broker's commission: Full amount instead of only half (BGH I ZR 138/24)
Why buyers can reclaim the entire real estate agent's commission if the principle of equal sharing is violated: The Federal Court of Justice ruled on March 6, 2025: If an agreement shifts the entire commission to the buyer, even though only the seller commissioned the real estate agent, it is entirely invalid. Buyers then receive not just half, but the entire commission paid…
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Abstract and concrete reference – the most important clause in the review procedure
Why the insurer can't refer you to just any job, when another occupation is truly comparable, and how to defend your most recently held profession. Can my disability insurance really refer me to another job? Not just any job: Referral is only permissible if your contract allows it and the other occupation is comparable in terms of training, experience, etc.
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The principle of equal division according to §§ 656c and 656d of the German Civil Code (BGB) explained simply
When buyers have paid too much in real estate agent commission and what matters: Since December 2020, a real estate agent may no longer unilaterally pass on the commission to the buyer when selling an apartment or a single-family home. The principle of equal division according to Sections 656c and 656d of the German Civil Code (BGB) stipulates that the buyer and seller must share the real estate agent commission equally…
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Challenge due to breach of pre-contractual disclosure obligations – what really matters in disability insurance
Which pre-existing conditions you must disclose, why vague questions work to the insurer's disadvantage, and where the line between disclosure and fraudulent misrepresentation lies: Is your disability insurance accusing you of concealing an illness when you took out the policy? A breach of the duty to disclose only leads to the loss of coverage if the insurer specifically asked about it, you are at fault, and they properly informed you…
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Claiming back real estate agent commission – When buyers get their money back
Three legal avenues for property buyers to reclaim wrongly paid real estate agent commissions. Many buyers of condominiums or single-family homes pay a real estate agent commission that they do not owe at all, or not in full. Since the reform of real estate agent law at the end of 2020, wrongly paid commissions can be reclaimed via three clearly defined avenues. Rogert & Ulbrich examines…
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Disability insurance company rejects claim – these 5 reasons are almost always behind it
What policyholders can do if their disability insurer rejects their claim. Those who become disabled and file a claim often experience a rejection – frequently despite a clear medical diagnosis. Rogert & Ulbrich represent policyholders nationwide against their disability insurance companies. We are familiar with the five common grounds for rejection that shape almost every case in practice, and we show what to consider in a dispute…