No will (intestate succession)
When a person dies without a valid will or inheritance contract, Swiss law decides who inherits and in what shares.
What happens
The estate passes according to the statutory order of succession set out in the Civil Code. Relatives are grouped into parentelas (lines of descent), and a surviving spouse or registered partner inherits alongside them.
Typical shares (illustrative)
- Spouse and descendants — estate split between them.
- Spouse and the parental line — larger share to the spouse.
- No close relatives — the estate may pass to the canton.
Placeholder: The exact fractions will be added with references to the relevant articles of the ZGB/CC. Not legal advice.