In her work, Charlotte Wendland addresses key challenges facing modern systems of private law. Her research focuses on the balance between freedom and protection in private law – for example in relation to marriage, wills or the acknowledgement of paternity. Particular attention is given to the challenges arising from cross-border living arrangements and social change. A central theme of her work is the question of how the law enables individual choice while also setting necessary limits. In her doctoral thesis, Will Substitutes in European Private International Law, she examined how individuals can dispose of their assets beyond death outside the law of succession and which interests requiring protection must be taken into account.
Wendland’s current research is devoted to the legal regulation of couple relationships and family formation, for example through assisted reproduction. In her habilitation project, Why Marriage?, she asks whether, and in what way, current marriage law still reflects the realities of modern partnerships, and develops proposals for reform that take greater account of social diversity and individual freedom. A defining feature of Wendland’s academic work is her deliberate crossing of disciplinary boundaries: she combines legal analysis with insights from sociology, demography and economics, and actively seeks international exchange.
Wendland studied law at the University of Hamburg, where she also completed her First State Examination in law. She was awarded her doctorate by the University of Hamburg in 2022. One year later, she completed her Second State Examination in law. Wendland also undertook study abroad and a research stay at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. Since 2024, she has been serving as an Academic Councillor on a fixed-term basis and pursuing her habilitation at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.