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The 360 Series

Estate planning in Switzerland: how to transfer your wealth

Passing on wealth is about more than transferring assets. It is about protecting the people who matter most and ensuring that your wishes are carried forward across generations. This 360 series explores the key principles of estate planning in Switzerland and provides the insights you need to organise the future transfer of your wealth with confidence.​‌

Préparez votre succession en Suisse en toute sérénité
Préparez votre succession en Suisse en toute sérénité
Préparez votre succession en Suisse en toute sérénité
Préparez votre succession en Suisse en toute sérénité
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Why should you plan your estate?

When people think about inheritance, they often focus on how assets will be divided after someone passes away.

In reality, estate planning goes far beyond that.

It involves thinking about how your wealth will be transferred, but also about how to protect the people who depend on you and preserve the assets you have spent a lifetime building.​‌

Your estate may include:

  • bank accounts and savings;

  • investment portfolios;

  • real estate;

  • a family business;

  • occupational pension assets;

  • Pillar 3a savings;

  • life insurance policies;

  • valuable personal belongings and family heirlooms.

Beyond their financial value, these assets raise important personal questions.

Will your spouse remain financially secure?

Can the family home be preserved?

Will your children be treated according to your wishes?

Can your business continue under the next generation?

Estate planning is therefore not only about wealth. It is also about people, continuity and peace of mind.​‌

Meet an expert

 

Why is it important to plan your estate in advance?

Because the law may not reflect your wishes

In the absence of a will or inheritance agreement, your estate will be distributed according to Swiss inheritance law. The law determines who your legal heirs are and what proportion of your estate each heir is entitled to receive. 

A surviving spouse and descendants benefit from legal protection, whereas unmarried partners have no automatic inheritance rights.

Yet family structures have become increasingly diverse:

  • unmarried couples;

  • blended families;

  • children from different relationships;

  • long-term partners without a formal legal bond;

  • stepchildren or other loved ones who are not statutory heirs you wish to provide for;​‌

  • family members with specific financial needs.​‌

Without proper planning, the legal distribution of your estate may differ significantly from what you would have intended.

Because protecting your loved ones matters

The loss of a family member is often accompanied by financial uncertainty.​‌

Will your spouse be able to remain in the family home?

Will your children have the resources they need to pursue their plans?

Will your unmarried partner be financially protected?​‌

These questions deserve careful consideration long before they become reality.

A well-designed estate plan can help:

  • strengthen the protection of a surviving spouse;

  • provide security for an unmarried partner;

  • facilitate the transfer of real estate assets;

  • create liquidity when it is most needed;

  • take account of the specific needs of individual heirs.​‌

​‌The right solution will depend on your family circumstances, the composition of your wealth and the people you would like to protect. 

Because uncertainty can lead to conflict

Inheritance disputes rarely arise because of the value of an estate alone.

More often, they result from uncertainty.

When intentions have never been clearly expressed, or when important decisions have not been documented, family members may develop different expectations.

The most sensitive situations often involve:

  • family-owned property;

  • family businesses;

  • lifetime gifts made before death;

  • blended families;

  • unequal treatment between heirs.

Open communication and a clear estate plan cannot eliminate every difficulty, but they can significantly reduce the risk of misunderstandings and future disputes.


When should you start planning your estate?

Estate planning is not only for people approaching retirement.

It is an ongoing process that should evolve alongside your family, your wealth and your plans for the future.

Any significant change in your family or financial circumstances provides a valuable opportunity to review your plans.

  • Marriage or registered partnership

    Marriage changes the inheritance rights of a surviving spouse or registered partner.

    It is therefore important to review any existing will, beneficiary designation or wider estate planning arrangement to ensure it remains aligned with your new family circumstances

    For married couples, this review should also include the matrimonial property regime. This determines which assets belong to the surviving spouse before the estate is distributed and can have a significant impact on the transfer of wealth.

  • The birth of a child

    The birth of a child introduces a new legally protected heir.

    It may also change your priorities. You may wish to provide financial security during childhood, make arrangements for the family home or reconsider how assets should ultimately be distributed among your children.

  • The purchase of a property

    For many families in Switzerland, real estate represents the largest component of their wealth.

    Property may be valuable, but it is not always easy to divide. If one person wishes to retain the home, other heirs may need to be compensated.

    These questions should ideally be considered when the property is acquired, rather than only when the estate is settled. 

  • Starting or acquiring a business

    The succession of a business often raises specific questions.

    Who will take over the company?

    How can continuity be preserved?

    How can heirs be treated fairly?

    When a business forms part of the family wealth, early planning is essential to protect both the business and the family.

  • Remarriage or a blended family

    Blended families often present some of the most complex succession challenges.

    How can you protect your current spouse while preserving the rights of children from a previous relationship?

    How should you take account of stepchildren with whom you have developed close ties?

    Without appropriate planning, the legal outcome may differ significantly from what you would have wished.

  • Approaching retirement

    As retirement approaches, wealth tends to become more structured and diversified.

    It may include:

    • residential or investment property;
    • pension assets;
    • investment portfolios;
    • business interests;
    • life insurance policies.

    This period provides an excellent opportunity to take a holistic view of retirement planning, wealth transfer and family protection.

Which estate planning tools are available in Switzerland?​‌

Swiss law provides several tools that can be combined according to your objectives.

  • A will

    A will allows you to express your wishes and adapt the default distribution of your estate within the limits set by law.

    It can be used to:

    • favour certain heirs;
    • leave part of your estate to someone who would not otherwise inherit;
    • allocate a specific asset;
    • appoint an executor.​‌

  • An inheritance agreement

    An inheritance agreement is a contractual arrangement that allows several parties to organise aspects of a future estate in advance.​‌

    It can be particularly useful for these family situations:

    • a blended family;
    • the transfer of a family business;
    • a property that one heir is expected to retain;
    • an heir’s agreement to waive all or part of an inheritance entitlement.

    Unlike a will, an inheritance agreement cannot generally be changed unilaterally. This can provide greater certainty, but it also means that the long-term consequences should be carefully considered before the agreement is entered into.

  • Lifetime gifts and advancements on inheritance

    These arrangements make it possible to transfer wealth during your lifetime.​‌

    This may allow you to help a child:

    • purchase a first home;
    • finance education;
    • start or acquire a business;
    • meet an important personal need.

    A lifetime transfer can have a meaningful impact when it is received at the right moment. However, it may also affect the future balance between heirs, forced heirship entitlements, the donor’s own financial security and the tax treatment of the transfer.

    The intention behind the transfer should therefore be clearly documented.

  • Life insurance

    Life insurance can play a significant role in the financial protection of your loved ones.

    In particular, they enable you to:

    • raise funds quickly;

    • protect a spouse or partner;

    • anticipate certain challenges associated with the transfer of property or a business.

    In certain situations, they provide a particularly useful supplement to a will or an inheritance agreement.

  • Pension assets

    Occupational pension benefits, Pillar 3a assets and certain insurance-based pension arrangements are subject to specific beneficiary rules that may differ from the ordinary distribution of an estate.​‌

    Beneficiary orders, pension fund regulations and individual designations can influence who receives these assets.

    For unmarried couples in particular, formal steps may be required to ensure that a partner receives the intended protection. It is therefore important to review beneficiary arrangements following major changes in your personal or family circumstances.

 

Why estate planning requires a broader wealth perspective​‌

Estate planning should never be considered purely a legal matter. 

A well-designed strategy may need to bring together:

  • inheritance law;

  • the matrimonial property regime;

  • pension planning;

  • life insurance;

  • taxation;

  • real estate;

  • business succession;

  • personal and family objectives.

A will can express your wishes, but it does not replace pension beneficiary arrangements or create liquidity where assets are tied up in property or a business.

For married couples, the matrimonial property regime is particularly important. It determines which assets belong to the surviving spouse before the estate is opened and can therefore have a considerable impact on the amount ultimately distributed under inheritance law.

The real value of estate planning lies in bringing all of these elements together.​‌

Every family has its own story

Our specialists work closely with you to create an estate plan aligned with your personal situation, family needs and wealth planning objectives.

Speak with a specialist

 

In the next episode

Discover how Swiss inheritance law works and who inherits in the absence of a will or inheritance agreement. You will also gain a better understanding of forced heirship rules, the rights of a surviving spouse and the implications for unmarried couples living together.​‌

Read the next episode

 

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about estate planning in Switzerland

 

The information presented in this series is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute personalised legal, tax or wealth planning advice. Family, financial and tax circumstances vary, and the implications of an inheritance or wealth transfer may differ significantly from one situation to another. Before making any decision, you should seek advice from a qualified specialist who can assess your individual circumstances. 

Meet a specialist

Your time is precious, and we are committed to making this process as smooth as possible.

The 360 Series

The “Estate Planning in Switzerland” series

Turning life’s ambitions into lasting legacies.

This 360 series provides the essential insights you need to understand estate planning in Switzerland, helping you protect your loved ones and transfer your wealth with confidence.

  • Episode #1

    Estate planning in Switzerland: protecting and transferring your wealth 

    Why plan your estate and protect the people who matter most?

  • Episode #2

    Swiss inheritance law

    Who will inherit your assets if there is no will? 

    Read episode 2

  • Episode #3

    Matrimonial property regime and inheritance

    What belongs to your spouse before the estate is divided? 

    Read episode 3

  • Episode #4

    Wills and inheritance agreements

    How can you organise your estate according to your wishes? 

    Read episode 4

  • Episode #5

    Lifetime gifts and advancements on inheritance 

    How can you transfer wealth during your lifetime while preserving fairness among your heirs? 

    Read episode 5

  • Episode #6

    Pension assets and life insurance

    How can you protect your loved ones through pension planning, Pillar 3a and life insurance? 

    Read episode 6

  • Episode #7

    Complex succession situations

    How can you protect your family, your cohabiting partner or your business?

    Read episode 7

  • Episode #8

    Inheritance and gift tax

    Which taxes apply, and why do they vary from canton to canton?

    Read episode 8

  • Episode #9

    Planning your estate in five steps 

    A five-step method to help you plan the transfer of your estate with peace of mind.

    Read episode 9