Notary's Office
We perform public certifications for our clients for various legal transactions and notarise signatures, data and documents both in national and international contexts on the territory of the Canton of St.Gallen. At the same time, we offer our clients a comprehensive package of services ranging from consulting to the structuring of legal transactions, the formulation and drafting of required documents all the way to legal certification and/or notarisation. Even after completing public certification, we are available to provide our clients with advice and support at all times.
Certifications
We certify for you:
- All certifications in matters related to the Commercial Register
- Formation of companies (PLC/AG, Ltd/GmbH, etc.)
- Amendments to the articles of association
- Capital increases
- Capital reductions
- Mergers
- Divestitures
- Assignment of company shares
- Prenuptial agreements
- Last will and testament documents
- Testamentary contracts
- Inheritance renunciation agreements
- Public last will and testament documents
- Establishment of foundations
- Surety obligations
- Declarations of intent, ascertainment, affidavits etc
Notarisation
We notarize for you:
- Authentication of signatures
- Authentication of copies or transcripts
- Authentication of calendar data
- Authentication of translations
- Authentication of other documents
Patient decree and advance care directive
The patient decree and the advance care directive are ruled by the Civil Code in the law on protection of adults. They allow to define orders for the case that loss of capacity of judgement occurs. Be it by an accident, by disease or by senile decay.
On the one hand, a judicious person can define in a patient decree, to which medical measures he agrees or not. He can designate a natural person who discusses in case of loss of capacity of judgement with the attending doctor the medical provisions. The patient decree facilitates relatives as well as doctors to decide in difficult moments.
Concerning the advance care directive, a judicious person can instruct a natural person or a corporate body to resume in case of loss of capacity of judgement the personal custody or the statutory duty of care of a minor’s property or to represent him in legal matters. In doing so, he must describe the duties which he will transfer to the assigned person and can issue directives for the accomplishment of the duties. The advance care directive strengthens the right of self-determination, because who looks ahead, can assure that his intention will be respected.
An advance care directive is either hand-written and signed or publicly certified. Our notaries will gladly provide advice on establishing an advance care directive and will carry out public notarizations where requested.
Depositing wills, inheritance contracts and advance care directives
Wills and inheritance contracts may be kept either by the respective person, handed over to a third party for safekeeping (e.g. a notary) or deposited with an official authority. If requested, we will organise the depositing of the will or inheritance contract with a competent authority.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to officially deposit advance care directives. However, we will ensure that the authorities are bindingly informed about the existence and depository of the advance care directive.
Organisation of apostilles and legalisations
We are happy to provide the service of obtaining apostilles and legalizations (authentications) in cooperation with the State Chancellery of the Canton of St.Gallen and with the respective foreign embassy or consulate. By means of an apostille, documents that were publicly certified in Switzerland also become recognised abroad. As part of our apostille service, we provide prompt obtainment of apostilles for your original documents and, according to your instructions, send these by post or courier service to an address in Switzerland or abroad.
Your Experts
Focus
When the debt enforcement office announces a distraint of earned income, many debtors feel trapped. Suddenly, their monthly salary becomes subject to compulsory debt enforcement measures. However, Swiss law provides effective safeguards. Those who understand the applicable rules can often achieve a manageable solution.
Modern commercial life is characterised by a significant increase in contractual transactions. Online retailers, service providers, banks and insurance companies conclude a vast number of contracts every day that contain largely identical terms. To avoid negotiating each contract individually, businesses have adopted the practice of using pre-formulated contractual provisions in general terms and conditions for the conclusion of large numbers of similar agreements.
The amendments to the Swiss Civil Code (CC) and the Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC) concerning the protection of possession against unlawful interference with land will enter into force on 1 July 2026. Their purpose is to strengthen the legal position of landowners, particularly in cases of unlawful occupation (squatting). This is to be achieved by expanding the right of self-help. In addition, a new procedural instrument is introduced through Article 260a CPC.