Family law

Our Firm, which has been specialized for long in family law on national and international levels, frequently deals with complex files for a highly demanding clientele.

BRS Berger Recordon & de Saugy is one of the four Swiss Firms selected by CHAMBERS HNW (High Net Worth/Switzerland/Family/Matrimonial) in its annual ranking, since 2018.

Individually, and since then considered as “leading individual” by CHAMBERS HNW, Alain Berger qualifies as “top ranked” since 2019. Marie Berger stands in the same since 2021, previously as ”up and coming”.

Following a yearly poll in Switzerland based on the opinion of 6'500 lawyers, in-house lawyers and clients, BRS Berger Recordon & de Saugy has been consecutively nominated as one of the leading Swiss Firm in the Family law area since 2017.

The Firm, very active in the Private International Law has an important international network of lawyers, specialising in Family law in particular the IAFL (International Academy of Family Lawyers), with which it has a close cooperation in many countries. Two partners of the Firm, Alain Berger and Marie Berger are members of IAFL.

The Firm is active in all fields of Family law, both regarding litigation and amicable conflict settlement.  The specific fields of activity are the following:

The Couple

• Separation, protection measures of the marital union
• Annulement of marriage
• Divorce (national and international)
• Winding up of property regime
• Splitting of occupational pension scheme (second pillar under Swiss law)
• Divorce agreements and conventions
• Alimonies
• Recovery of claims and attachments
• Ex parte and urgent orders
• Modification of judgements
• Prenuptial and nuptial agreements
• Registered partnerships
• Common-law marriage
• Matrimonial and domestic violence
• Protection of the personality

Children

• Filiation and paternity
• Parental authority
• Custody
• Visitation rights and relocation orders
• Maintenance obligations
• Recovery of claims and attachments
• Ex parte and urgent orders
• Modification of judgements
• International child abduction
• Child protection measures
• Proceedings in matters of tutela and curatorship
• Children rights
• Surrogacy (abroad)
• Representative guardianship in front of courts

Successions

• Estate planning
• National and international succession litigation
• Drafting of wills
• Drafting of succession agreements
• Function of executor of the will

Miscellaneous

• Recognition and exequatur of foreign judgements and orders, with linked ex parte and urgent measures (in particular attachments)
• Complement and amendment of Swiss and foreign decisions
• Recognition of foreign States Family Registers (surrogacy, etc.)
• Therapeutic representation mandates
• Anticipated Instructions
• Mandate for reasons of incapacity
• Parental will