Will in Switzerland: template, forced-share calculator and your freely disposable portion

Without a will, the law decides, and it distributes differently than you think. Since 2023 you can freely dispose of at least half of your estate (the children's forced share dropped from three quarters to half, the parents' share is gone entirely). But only if your will holds up on form: handwritten, dated, signed (Art. 505 CC).

📜 Why a will changes everything: the law distributes differently than you think

Without a will, statutory succession applies, and it does not know your wishes. It distributes by fixed quotas: if you leave a spouse and children, each side inherits half (Art. 462 CC), the children dividing their half among themselves. Anyone who wants to better protect their partner, favour a child, a godchild or a foundation cannot avoid a will. That is exactly what the Civil Code (CC) created the disposition upon death for.

The will is your lever, but it has a limit: the forced share. You freely dispose of everything that is not a forced share, that is the freely disposable portion. And this is exactly where the 2023 Civil Code revision noticeably widened your room to manoeuvre. Anyone planning their estate often also thinks about lifetime gifts; for that, see the advance-on-inheritance guide with its equalisation calculator.

⚖️ The forced share since 2023: what changed for your room to manoeuvre

This is the most important change. Since 1 January 2023, the descendants' forced share is only half of their statutory share, down from three quarters (Art. 471 CC). The parents' forced share was abolished entirely. The forced share of the spouse or registered partner stays at half. In short: you can now freely dispose of at least half of your estate, considerably more than before.

After succession comes the tax, and here Switzerland is generous: 23 of 26 cantons fully exempt direct descendants from inheritance tax. Only three tax your child, per the ConvivaPlus analysis of FTA data: Appenzell Innerrhoden (1%), Neuchâtel (3%) and Vaud (3.5%).

🧮 How much can you freely dispose of? The forced-share calculator

Now to the figure that really matters. With CHF 800,000 of estate, a wife and two children, you can freely decide on CHF 400,000, the other half is a forced share. Enter your estate value below, tell us whether you have a spouse and how many children, and you'll instantly see the statutory shares, the forced shares per heir and your freely disposable portion. Anyone who gives during their lifetime also checks the equalisation in the advance-on-inheritance calculator.

The ConvivaPlus forced-share calculator computes the forced shares under the revised 2023 Civil Code (descendants 1/2, spouse 1/2, parents' forced share abolished) and shows your freely disposable portion in francs, according to ConvivaPlus's analysis of the Civil Code sources.

✍️ Handwritten or notarial: which form of will to choose

Swiss law knows two practical forms. The handwritten (holographic) will (Art. 505 CC) you write entirely by hand, with place, date and signature, free and without a notary. The public will (Art. 499 ff. CC) you draw up before a public official, usually a notary, with two witnesses; it costs money but is particularly secure and probative. For most people the handwritten will is enough, as long as the form is correct. Anyone with complex circumstances rests easier with the notarial version.

⚠️ These mistakes make a will void

A will rarely fails on content, almost always on form. These four mistakes are the most common in practice, and each can topple your last wishes:

• ✕Typed instead of handwritten: a handwritten will written on a computer is void. The whole text must come from your hand (Art. 505 CC).
• ✕Date missing or incomplete: without day, month and year, the handwritten will is contestable. The date also determines which of several wills prevails.
• ✕Signature missing: without a handwritten signature at the end, the document is not a valid will, just a draft.
• ✕Forced share violated: if you bypass a forced heir, the will remains valid, but the bypassed heir can bring an action in abatement and claim their forced share.

📝 Drawing up a will correctly in 5 steps

Five steps, and your handwritten will is legally sound, formally valid and does exactly what you want.

1. 1
   Clarify estate and heirsGet an overview of your assets and of who is protected by a forced share (descendants, spouse). From this follows your freely disposable portion, which the calculator above gives you.
2. 2
   Set your wishesDecide who gets what: who becomes an heir, who receives a specific legacy (an object or a sum of money), who should be favoured within the free portion.
3. 3
   Write the whole text by handDraft the will entirely by hand. Typing on a computer makes a handwritten will void (Art. 505 CC). Phrase it clearly and unambiguously.
4. 4
   Place, date and signatureAt the end, add the place and the full date (day, month, year) and sign by hand. Without these three elements the will is contestable.
5. 5
   Store safelyKeep the will so that it is found after your death, but safe from loss. In many cantons you can deposit it officially. Tell a trusted person where it is.

Note: journalistic orientation based on the current Civil Code rules, not legal advice. With larger assets, blended families, businesses or real estate, a visit to a notary or specialist is advisable. The applicable version of the Civil Code (SR 210) prevails.

A will is not a sign of distrust towards your family, but a gift to them: clarity instead of a dispute at the open grave. And since 2023 you have more room for it than ever.

Templates · 06/30/2026