Arbitration · Switzerland
Find the right arbitration lawyer in Switzerland for your dispute
Swiss commercial disputes are governed by federal codified law but heard within 26 different cantonal systems, and the language of the proceedings depends on where you are. Tell us what is at stake and we match you, free of charge, with an arbitration lawyer in Switzerland who handles matters like yours.
- One cantonal admission, recognised throughout Switzerland
- Counsel working in German, French and Italian
- Cross-border disputes, including with EU counterparties
Matching is free and carries no obligation. We do not give legal advice and we never share your details without your consent.
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Why this page
Arbitration counsel for Swiss and cross-border disputes
Arbitration is the route many companies and private parties choose when they want a dispute decided outside the ordinary court system, usually because a contract contains an arbitration clause. In Switzerland this choice sits inside a legal order that is federal for substantive private and commercial law but cantonal for the organisation of the courts, which is why the details matter. An arbitration lawyer in Switzerland can read the clause, assess whether the dispute belongs in arbitration or before a cantonal court, and represent you in the language the proceedings require. If your counterparty is based in the EU, the absence of EU membership and the role of the Lugano Convention also shape strategy. Describe your situation and we match you with a Swiss-qualified lawyer who handles your type of case.
Local framework
How arbitration and dispute resolution work in Switzerland
Swiss dispute resolution is shaped by a federal substantive law, 26 cantonal court systems and a multilingual judiciary. The blocks below set out the framework that surrounds an arbitration: how proceedings are organised, who may represent you, which time limits matter and how costs and cross-border enforcement are handled.
A codified, civil-law framework
Switzerland follows the continental civil-law tradition, so private and commercial disputes are decided on the basis of comprehensive codified statutes rather than judicial precedent. The Swiss Civil Code of 1907 and the Code of Obligations of 1911 — its fifth book — regulate contracts, torts, companies and commercial matters. An arbitration clause is itself a contract term, which is why its wording and scope deserve close reading.
Federal law, cantonal courts
The substantive rules are unified at federal level, but the administration of justice and the organisation of the courts remain largely cantonal. Each canton applies its own procedural arrangements, and the designation of the competent court and the language of proceedings depend on the canton. Since 2011 the federal Civil Procedure Code has provided one code of civil procedure nationwide, while court organisation, fees and party compensation stay largely cantonal.
Who may represent you
In order to practise as a lawyer in Switzerland a person must hold a cantonal practising certificate and be entered on the cantonal lawyers’ roll, under the Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers (BGFA). A lawyer admitted in one canton may represent parties before judicial authorities throughout Switzerland, because the certificate is recognised nationally. Cantonal authorities supervise their members and the FSA/SAV is the national umbrella body.
Language and venue
Switzerland has four national languages — German, French, Italian and Romansh — and each canton determines its own official language or languages. Court proceedings are therefore conducted in German, French or Italian depending on the canton, and clients must plan for this. Language is one of the practical reasons to instruct counsel who works regularly in the region where your dispute is heard.
Cross-border disputes and the Lugano Convention
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union; it conducts its relations with the EU through a network of sectoral bilateral agreements. For cross-border civil and commercial litigation it is a party to the Lugano Convention of 2007, which aligns the rules on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments with the EU’s Brussels I regime. This is decisive when Swiss and EU parties are in dispute.
Costs, fees and legal aid
Court costs follow cantonal tariff schedules, and the Federal Supreme Court applies its own tariff; there is no single federal fee tariff for ordinary civil cases. As a rule the claimant pays an advance and the unsuccessful party bears the costs of the proceedings. Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed or set by cantonal schedules. Free legal aid requires insufficient resources and a case not devoid of any chance of success.
Key time limits — Litigation & Dispute Resolution
| Swiss time limits at a glance | Matter | Time limit |
|---|---|---|
| General contractual claims (debt recovery) | 10 years | The standard limitation period for contractual claims under the Code of Obligations. |
| Tort and non-contractual damages claims | 3 years (relative) / 10 years (absolute) | A shorter relative period runs alongside a longer absolute limit. |
All country-specific information on this page is taken from official Swiss sources — Fedlex, the official federal law database, and the Federal Office of Justice — last reviewed in 2025.
- Fedlex — Federal Constitution and judicial organisation of the Confederation
- Fedlex — Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers (BGFA)
- Fedlex — Code of Obligations (limitation periods)
- Fedlex — Swiss Civil Code (succession and matrimonial property)
- Fedlex — Civil Procedure Code (costs, party compensation and legal aid)
- Fedlex — Federal Administrative Procedure Act (appeal period)
- Federal Office of Justice — Lugano Convention 2007
Common problems
What clients bring to us
Most enquiries start with one of these three situations.
The clause decides your route
An arbitration clause can send a dispute that looks like an ordinary commercial claim into a private procedure. Before you file anything, someone has to read the clause, the contract and the correspondence and tell you which route you are actually on.
Federal law, cantonal practice
Substantive commercial law is federal, but court organisation, fees and party compensation stay largely cantonal, and the language of proceedings depends on where the case is heard. That variation is hard to navigate without counsel who works in the relevant canton.
Cross-border enforcement questions
If your counterparty sits in the EU, jurisdiction and the recognition of judgments are governed by Switzerland’s participation in the Lugano Convention, not by EU membership. Working out where a decision can be enforced is often the first strategic question.
What you get
How we match you
A short brief from you is enough for us to identify the right lawyer profile.
Nationwide admission
A practising certificate issued in one canton is recognised throughout Switzerland, so the lawyer we match you with can act for you well beyond the canton where they are entered on the roll.
Language fit
Proceedings run in German, French or Italian depending on the canton. We take your working language and the region of your dispute into account when we select counsel for your case.
Costing clarity
Lawyers’ fees in Switzerland are freely agreed or based on cantonal fee schedules, and court costs vary from canton to canton. We put you in front of counsel who can explain how fees build up before you commit.
Cross-border experience
Disputes involving an EU counterparty raise jurisdiction and enforcement questions that Swiss non-membership and the Lugano Convention shape. Tell us the countries involved and we match accordingly.
Cross-border
Disputes with counterparties across Europe
Arbitration and enforcement questions rarely stop at a border. If your contract, your counterparty or your assets sit in another European country, say so in your brief — it changes which lawyer profile fits.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does an arbitration lawyer in Switzerland actually do?
An arbitration lawyer in Switzerland advises on the wording and scope of arbitration clauses, represents parties in private proceedings and, where a dispute ends up before a cantonal court instead, handles that too. Because Swiss substantive private and commercial law is federal, the same contract rules apply across the 26 cantons, while court practice and language differ.
Do I need a lawyer admitted in the canton where the dispute is heard?
No. Under the Federal Act on the Free Movement of Lawyers, a lawyer entered on one cantonal roll may represent parties before judicial authorities throughout Switzerland. Admission is recognised nationally, so you are not tied to the canton of the proceedings when choosing counsel.
What language will the proceedings be in?
Switzerland has four national languages, and each canton sets its own official language or languages. Court proceedings are conducted in German, French or Italian depending on the canton. Language is worth settling early, because it affects both the choice of counsel and the practical running of the case.
Does EU law apply in Switzerland?
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. Its relationship with the EU rests on a network of sectoral bilateral agreements, and for cross-border civil and commercial litigation it is a party to the Lugano Convention of 2007, which aligns jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments with the EU’s Brussels I regime.
Which time limits should I watch in a commercial dispute?
Contractual claims generally become time-barred after 10 years, while periodic payments such as rent, interest and salaries carry a 5-year period. Tort claims follow a 3-year relative and a 10-year absolute limit. Because these periods run quietly in the background, it is worth having the file reviewed early.
How much does it cost to be matched with a lawyer?
Nothing. You describe your dispute, we review it and we put you in touch with a lawyer who handles that type of matter; matching is free and carries no obligation. Fees for legal work are agreed directly with the lawyer, in line with Swiss practice where fees are freely agreed or follow cantonal schedules.
Next step
Tell us about your dispute
Describe your contract, the clause you are relying on and the outcome you need. We will match you with an arbitration lawyer in Switzerland who works in your language and on your type of case.