Notarial Services

As public notaries we notarise and certify your most important legal transactions — from marital and inheritance contracts to shareholder resolutions, with the necessary diligence.

Request a consultation +41 71 511 45 05 info@steurifisch.ch

Hands signing a document with a fountain pen, embossing seal in the background

What we do for you.

Two people looking at an undeveloped plot at the edge of a village

Real Estate Transactions

Drafting and negotiation of purchase agreements, easements and mortgage rights — in land registry matters the land registry notarises, and we accompany you through to completion.

Married couple reading a document together at home

Marital Agreements

Notarisation of marital agreements and matrimonial property arrangements, aligned with your estate planning.

Three generations at the living room table with documents

Inheritance Contracts & Wills

Public notarisation of testamentary dispositions and inheritance contracts.

Corporate Matters

Notarisation of incorporations, capital changes and amendments to the articles of association of companies and LLCs.

Couple discussing a lasting power of attorney at home

Lasting Powers of Attorney

Notarial execution of lasting powers of attorney for the event of incapacity.

Certifications

Certification of signatures and copies — reliable and at short notice.

For your situation.

A couple in their early sixties discussing documents over tea on the garden terrace

Estate planning before retirement

Pension or lump sum, providing for your partner, house and children: what to settle between 55 and 70.

A couple on the terrace of a house with documents and a set of keys

Moving from Germany

Marital property, will, employment contract, housing and taxes: what changes when you move to Switzerland and what to settle beforehand.

Legal Certainty through the Public Deed

Public notarisation protects against rash decisions and creates clear circumstances: the notary verifies the identity and capacity of the parties, advises them on the legal consequences and records their intentions in a public deed. Such a deed has enhanced evidential value (Art. 9 Swiss Civil Code). As a law firm with its own notarial practice, we combine legal advice with notarisation — you receive both from a single source.

When Notarisation Is Required

Federal law requires public notarisation for numerous transactions: the purchase of real estate (Art. 216 Swiss Code of Obligations), marital agreements (Art. 184 Swiss Civil Code), inheritance contracts (Art. 512 Swiss Civil Code) and the incorporation of companies limited by shares and LLCs, including subsequent capital changes and amendments to the articles (Art. 629 and 777 Swiss Code of Obligations). A lasting power of attorney may also be publicly notarised (Art. 361 Swiss Civil Code) — which is advisable in more complex situations.

Who may notarise is a matter of cantonal law. In the Canton of St. Gallen, admitted lawyers act as public notaries — except in land registry matters, which are reserved to the land registrar (Art. 15 EG-ZGB). We therefore notarise marital and inheritance contracts, wills, lasting powers of attorney and incorporations ourselves; in a real estate transaction the land registry notarises, and we stay on your side of the table.

Real Estate Transactions

When buying or selling a property, we accompany you from the draft contract to filing with the land registry. We draft and negotiate purchase agreements, easements and mortgage rights, agree the wording with the land registry, coordinate the payment process and make sure that tax issues — such as real estate capital gains tax — are clarified early. In the Canton of St. Gallen the transaction is notarised by the land registrar; we accompany you to the appointment.

Family, Inheritance and Business

Marital agreements and inheritance contracts only develop their full effect in combination: those who wish to benefit their spouse or arrange business succession often need both. We draft and notarise these contracts in coordination with your estate planning. In corporate matters, we notarise incorporations, capital increases and amendments to the articles of association — efficiently and in close coordination with the commercial registry.

Procedure and Certifications

Everything starts with a draft, which we discuss and finalise with you. All parties meet for the notarisation; the deed is read aloud, explained and signed. We then file the transaction for execution. In addition, we certify signatures and copies — often at short notice and without great effort.

Notarial Services in Wil SG and Teufen AR

Our notarial practice is located at our head office in Wil SG (Villa India), a few minutes' walk from the railway station, where our public notaries of the Canton of St. Gallen practise. For Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Manuel Steuri is admitted as a notary and notarises and certifies at our Teufen office — there too with the exception of land registry matters, which remain reserved to the land registry. We thus cover the regions of Wil, Gossau SG, the Appenzell region and the St. Gallen area.

Your contact persons.

Livia Danton

Partner · MLawAttorney at Law and Public Notary

+41 71 511 45 05 l.danton@steurifisch.ch

Fabian Steuri

Partner · M.A. HSGAttorney at Law and Public NotaryCertified Specialist SBA Inheritance Law

+41 71 511 45 05 f.steuri@steurifisch.ch

Kim Ana Wegmann

MLawAttorney at Law and Public Notary

+41 71 511 45 05 k.wegmann@steurifisch.ch

Manuel Steuri

MLawAttorney at Law and Notary (Appenzell Ausserrhoden)

+41 71 511 45 05 m.steuri@steurifisch.ch

Request an appointment +41 71 511 45 05 info@steurifisch.ch

Frequently asked questions.

Which transactions require public notarisation?

Public notarisation is required, among other things, for property purchases (Art. 216 Swiss Code of Obligations), marital agreements (Art. 184 Swiss Civil Code), inheritance contracts (Art. 512 Swiss Civil Code) and the incorporation of companies and LLCs (Art. 629 and 777 Swiss Code of Obligations). We clarify for you whether your transaction requires notarisation.

What is the difference between notarisation and certification?

In a public notarisation, the notary draws up the legal transaction itself in a public deed after advising the parties. A certification merely confirms the authenticity of a signature or that a copy corresponds to the original.

How much does notarisation cost?

Costs are based on the cantonal notarial tariff and the transaction value. We inform you transparently about the expected costs before we start.

How does a public notarisation proceed?

We prepare the draft, discuss it with you and clarify open points. At the notarisation, the deed is read aloud, signed by all parties and then filed for execution — for instance with the land registry or the commercial registry.

Do I have to appear in person for notarisation?

As a rule yes. For many transactions — a purchase of land or an incorporation, for instance — a party may be represented by an authorised person; the deed is read out and signed. For strictly personal transactions this is not possible: a will, an inheritance contract and a marital agreement require personal participation, and an inheritance contract requires both parties to declare their intention simultaneously before the notary and two witnesses (Art. 512 Swiss Civil Code). You must also appear in person to have your signature certified. Tell us which transaction is involved when you make the appointment — then we can clarify this in advance.

Which identity documents do I need?

A valid official identity document (passport or identity card). If you act for a company, additionally a current commercial register extract or proof of your signing authority.

Who notarises my real estate transaction?

The law of the canton where the property is located applies. In the Canton of St. Gallen, land registry matters — purchase, easement, mortgage right — are notarised by the land registrar of the municipality where the property lies (Art. 15 EG-ZGB); notaries in private practice may not notarise them. We draft and negotiate the contract, clarify tax and financing questions and accompany you to the notarisation and through completion.

Notarial Services