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FAQ

How do I find the most adequate lawyer to help me?

What is important to know before establishing a company or founding a firm?

When do I need a lawyer?
A lawyer does not only act before the courts. It is his concern to avoid a lawsuit whenever this is possible, and to settle disputes by arbitration. Progressive and far-sighted assistance in all matters of law has become an important aspect of a lawyer's activity. Individuals and firms seek legal advice to settle legal problems or to regulate legal relationships even if they seem to be insignificant. Talking to a lawyer at an early stage helps to avoid problems become larger and their solution even more expensive. A lawyer is a confidential person who gives advice to his clients and defends their interests. He deals with legal questions of any kind, whether they may concern his client as a private person, his family, his job, or matters of business operation.

As a rule: If the answer to both of the following questions is 'yes', you should consult a lawyer:

Has the opposing party taken a legal counsel?
Is the matter in litigation worth spending lawyer's fees between 1´000 and 5´000 Swiss Francs?

How do I find the most adequate lawyer to help me ?
The search for a lawyer is about as difficult as to find the right kind of medical doctor. People seeking legal advice are often helpless when they find themselves confronted with a long list of lawyers' names in the telephone directory. They might eventually chose a law office just because of a name they happen to like. However, it does not make much sense to trust an expensive law office for business affairs, for instance, with a divorce problem.

Nevertheless, there is some assistance for persons in search of a lawyer:

Today many lawyers and their offices are present in the world wide web. Their pages in the net give information on who they are, the services they offer, and legal domains they are specialised in. A person in need of advice will realise quickly whether a law office will be able to deal with the specific problem he or she has.
It is very helpful also to talk to friends or colleagues who might be able to recommend a lawyer. For certain legal problems there might even be special interest groups that often cooperate with lawyers and will be able to initiate a contact. The Zurich Men's Office (Männerbüro Zürich), for example, is one such institution assisting men facing difficult situations (divorce and other) and being in need of help.

Where do I find you?
You will find the law office Fischer & Partner at four different locations in Switzerland.

Wernerstr. 7
8038 Zürich
044/482'70'20

Schwarztorstr. 18
3001 Bern
031/382'08'08

Gubelstrasse 17
6304 Zug
041/720'26'76

What is important to know before establishing a company or founding a firm?

A founder of a business company must know ahead of time which legal form and concept his future enterprise shall adopt.
The legal system of Switzerland offers different types of statutory forms that may be more or less suitable considering individual needs.

Swiss law distinguishes between statutory forms constituting legal entities (public company/stock corporation, partnership limited by shares, private company with limited liability, cooperative society) and others without independent corporate quality (civil-law partnership, collective partnership, limited partnership, membership association). The founder of a company finds one primary advantage in incorporated societies, i.e. company assets and corporate capital, instead of personal assets, are subject to liability for company debts.

It is recommendable to consult a lawyer, especially when a business company is to be established for the first time. With his lawyer, a founder will discuss his situation as well as the advantages of each different type of corporation in order to find the most suitable statutory form for his company.

In addition to the allocation of registered capital or capital stock, the necessary expenses for the foundation of a corporation therefore cover notary's fees, lawyer's fees, and costs for entry in the register of companies. These expenses amount to approximately 5´000 - 20´000 S wiss Francs in case of a stock corporation and about 2´500 - 10´000 Swiss Francs in case of a company with limited liability. The founder of a corporation has to provide for a domicile or registered office of his company also. In this respect, he will find useful advice at his lawyer's office, too, as tax privileges in Switzerland differ from one canton to another.