Professional estate administration in Switzerland
After the death of a person, a considerable amount of time may pass before the heirs can acquire sole ownership of the individual estate assets. Until the complete division of the inheritance is finalized, several months or, in more complex cases, even years frequently elapse. During this transitional phase, the heirs form a community of heirs and act as joint owners of the entire estate. For this reason, disposition of individual assets can generally only be made jointly by all co-heirs.
At the same time, the estate must be carefully managed, maintained, and protected against any loss of value during this intermediate period. This is particularly crucial when the estate contains assets that require ongoing administration, oversight, and professional care, such as:
rented real estate properties;
bank accounts and ongoing financial liabilities;
corporate holdings and equity participations;
vehicles of all types;
artworks, antiques, and private collections;
classic cars as well as other valuable vehicles;
other assets that must be properly insured, professionally stored, serviced, or regularly inspected.
Depending on the specific composition of the estate, management includes, among other things, the monitoring of rental income to prevent rent defaults, the timely payment of insurance premiums and operating expenses, the organization of maintenance and repair work, the supervision of existing contractual relationships, and the secure safekeeping of valuable physical assets.
A professional estate administration service undertakes these responsibilities and ensures that the estate is properly managed and preserved in the interest of all heirs until its ultimate division.
How is estate administration arranged?
The management and supervision of an estate can be organized in two primary ways.
Agreement with the testator during their lifetime
The testator can appoint Jost & Partners as an executor during their lifetime. This is accomplished either by means of a corresponding disposition mortis causa (last will and testament) or through an inheritance contract.
Following the passing of the testator, we take over the management of the estate and ensure its proper maintenance and protection until the distribution of assets is fully completed.
Already during the testator's lifetime, the following points, among others, can be bindingly specified and regulated:
which measures are to be taken immediately after the testator’s death;
what compensation is payable to the executor;
how individual assets are to be preserved, properly insured, and maintained;
how the future collaboration and ongoing communication with the heirs will be structured.
Agreement with the heirs
If the testator did not appoint an executor during their lifetime, the heirs can jointly engage Jost & Partners after the death to administer estate assets on their behalf. The legal basis for this arrangement is a mandate contract in accordance with Art. 394 et seq. of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO).
Within this framework, we handle the ongoing management of the estate until the division of inheritance is complete, relieving the heirs of all administrative burdens. This includes, in particular, the payment of any legacies, the organization and monitoring of ongoing obligations, and the coordination of all administrative procedures.
We work in close cooperation with banks, insurance providers, tenants, public authorities, technical service suppliers, and other involved persons and institutions to ensure that the estate is managed professionally and in the best interest of all heirs until its division.
