In this interview, we are joined by club law expert Michael Lanzinger. You can look forward to a diverse discussion on the topic of club law and the corresponding legal document templates.
Together with attorney Lanzinger, we have created a download area featuring 35 document templates in Word format. These template packages provide everything your club needs regarding relief, board resignations, and general meetings for a small fee. These practical template documents give you peace of mind and save you a great deal of time during implementation.
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Michael from the law firm Mag. Michael Lanzinger is an expert in the field of club law and also an active board member of a club. He is also a partner and the creator of the documents in the Vereinsplaner legal section. We have a long-standing partnership, which is why it is important to us to introduce you to this key person behind our legal templates.
In this interview, we asked Michael questions about club law, the legal section with template documents, and his own background with clubs. We are excited to share his answers with you.
I was born and raised in Wels, Upper Austria, where I have also always worked—after a brief "detour" to Linz. I have been self-employed as a lawyer with my own firm since July 2016. My involvement in clubs began much earlier, however; as early as primary school, I was a member of the Wels scouts, a fencing club, followed by countless other clubs.
I have actually been a member of the Halle der Helden, a gaming club in Marchtrenk, for the longest time. Incidentally, that is also where I met my wife. Through its gaming sessions, this club also strongly defines my hobbies, which lie in the horror and science fiction genres, whether in the form of games, books, or comics.
And that was where I was first able to combine law with club life, as I was quickly asked for my legal opinion on various matters.
Austria is clearly a country of clubs, and things would certainly look a lot bleaker without them. However, I believe that in clubs, one should focus on the essentials—that is, the purpose of the club and the sense of community. That is why I think it is important to be able to "outsource" administrative and legal considerations.
Currently, I am "only" active on one board, for the hospice movement, where I represent the Lions Marchtrenk, but before that, I was involved in the boards of up to three clubs. For professional reasons, I have had to scale back for the time being, but I hope to be able to do more again in the future. I usually take on legal or financial tasks and responsibilities on the board.
Be part of over 15,000 clubs
Actually, it came from my own experience as a board member. Topics keep coming up where you need good templates so you don't have to reinvent the wheel every time. In the past, I often spent a long time searching through my files for suitable texts until I finally created my own set of templates.
We also sent out a survey to the Vereinshandbuch network, which consists of 5,000 clubs. Based on the feedback, we were able to identify which documents are particularly urgent and relevant for clubs.
Each package focuses on a specific area of club management and aims to cover all common issues within that field. For example, the board package is clearly tailored to the board of directors and provides practical documents such as discharge forms, resignation templates, and checklists that you will find useful time and again. In addition, we have offered a package with useful documents for members from the very beginning, most notably a legally sound membership application form.
Building on that, we then focused on the key topics of general meetings and club events. The advantage of these legal packages is that the included documents serve as templates, meaning they can be easily adapted and redesigned for your own club's needs.
I want to learn more about the legal section
A club is by no means a lawless space; it is clearly regulated by the Clubs Act. However, the Act also provides us with a great deal of freedom and flexibility that can be used to the club's advantage. At the same time, there are obligations that—in the worst-case scenario—could lead to liability for the board, for example. To avoid this, a club should be on solid legal footing. Quite apart from that, clear rules make club life much easier.
I don't want to give too much away, but more packages are naturally in the works, such as those covering finances or creating a legally compliant club website. In general, the team at Vereinsplaner and I strive to be very responsive to the needs of our community (the clubs) as well as current developments.
We are also constantly expanding our existing packages with relevant documents. A lot has been added in this regard in 2024. And if you have any requests, please feel free to get in touch!
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