Swiss Civil Code

¹ Es­tate ad­min­is­trat­ors are ap­poin­ted:

1.

where such an ap­point­ment is in the best in­terests of an heir who is per­man­ently ab­sent and without rep­res­ent­a­tion;

2.

where none of the claimants may ad­equately es­tab­lish his or her suc­ces­sion rights or the ex­ist­ence of an heir is un­cer­tain;

3.

where not all heirs are known;

4.

in spe­cial cases provided for by law.

² Where the de­ceased had named an ex­ecut­or, ad­min­is­tra­tion of the es­tate is en­trus­ted to him or her.

³ Where the de­ceased was sub­ject to a deputy­ship that cov­ers as­set man­age­ment, the deputy is re­spons­ible for ad­min­is­ter­ing the es­tate un­less oth­er in­struc­tions ap­ply.⁵⁴⁰