Pension Contributions and Legal Aid Calculation

In an appeal concerning legal aid, the court addressed whether contributions to a private pension scheme (Säule 3a) should be factored into the calculation of minimum necessary living expenses. The court reasoned that since mortgage amortization payments are explicitly excluded from this calculation because they constitute savings, corresponding payments into a private pension fund, which effectively postpone those amortization payments, must also be excluded; allowing such contributions would permit an applicant for legal aid to accumulate assets through the benefit of the proceedings.