Lawyer for setting up a will

Visas, Permits, Passports and Naturalization
1
I'm a British citizen here on a C Permit. My next kin is living in a non-EU country outside Europe. I was looking for a lawyer who can assist me in writing a 'living will' that covers property matters after my death... Wondering if you have any leads? I'm looking for someone in Zurich area. Also wondering how much does it typically cost? Thanks

2
Isn't that called "a will"?

A living will is: "a written statement detailing a person's desires regarding future medical treatment in circumstances in which they are no longer able to express informed consent, especially an advance directive."

Would you like me to edit your thread title?

3
Thanks. I was actually not sure if it was 'Will' or 'Living will'

... So in that case I'm looking for a lawyer who can help me with a Will.

I might also be interested in Living Will (Medical Will), but that is not a very high priority at the moment.

4
I also am looking for a lawyer to help set up wills for myself (C permit) and my wife (swiss citizen)

Did you find one you would recommend?

Or does anyone else have a recommendation?

5
Most people use their local Notariat who can also store the will for you so it does not get "mislaid".

6

I have this on my to do list and was going to start here:

https://www.deinadieu.ch/en/

7
I see you are a US citizen... do you anticipate complicated estate planning? Do you have assets, especially property, here as well as in other countries, where jurisdiction would be an issue? Do you have children, and if so are they still minors? And importantly, are you planning on staying here until you shuffle off this mortal coil?

You don't need to answer these questions here, but they should be considered as you think about the kind of lawyer you need - or even if you need a lawyer at all.

In Switzerland, unlike the US, one doesn't always need to go to a lawyer to write a will.

(Side note: Your will must be handwritten (there are few exceptions) which kind of blew my American mind, as we are used to those very official lawyerly documents.)

If your estate planning is simple, you can get a good start at the process by browsing the DeinAdieu site KiwiSteve linked above. There are other similar sites - look especially for those from official sources. These sites even provide examples that you can follow to write your own will.

Because our estate is not so simple we saw a local lawyer who specializes in family law and has a good reputation in, and relationship with, the Gemeinde/canton. (Not near you, though - and you likely should see someone in your canton.) She was fine for most of our discussions, but when we got into some complicated US-Swiss issues, that meant bringing in a specialist. So be aware, and be prepared with key issues for your first discussion.

I'm comfortable - for now - in the route we took. Had we gone directly to one of the big international firms the cost would have been five figures. The local practitioner did 90% of what was needed, at a more reasonable cost. But thankfully the lawyer recognized where she needed to bring in outside expertise.

(And then, we will have to do it all over again when we move back to the US. )

8
This isn't really correct - your will may be handwritten, in which case it does not need to be notarised.

Or it may be written by a notary and witnessed etc.

Our local notary office has a bunch of helpful leaflets on the rules, process and prices, including the option to have it stored by the notary.