Provides references to local service providers and other professional associations.
Last Published: 2/14/2019

American citizens involved in disputes with either private individuals or business enterprises may seek recourse under the laws of the applicable cantonal jurisdiction. If legal action is to be undertaken in Switzerland, a local lawyer should be engaged either directly or via an American attorney.  It is important to be aware of the differences between the Swiss and U.S. legal systems before filing a legal case.  Once a Swiss lawyer files a complaint with a court, the court decides whether to serve the complaint. The Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory contains an extensive list of lawyers licensed to practice in Switzerland. The Embassy's Consular Section also maintains a list of lawyers by canton on its website (https://ch.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/attorneys/).

The only methods for a non-Swiss court or lawyer to obtain testimony or to serve process in civil matters in Switzerland are through the Hague Convention on taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters, the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra-judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matter, or through a letter interrogatory. For information on this complex legal process, contact the Embassy Bern Consular Section (bernacs@state.gov).

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