Law of persons and family law

 "My 16-year-old daughter, from a previous relationship, has had no contact with her biological father for almost 12 years. I don't even know where he lives. I've been remarried for 10 years and have had two other children. My husband has watched my daughter grow up and considers her...

"I'd like to have a dog. A French friend told me that owning a pet has become very difficult in France. What is the situation in Switzerland and Geneva? Tania, Geneva The federal law on the protection of animals states that all animal owners must ensure the well-being and protection of their animals. They must...

Business for sale "My husband and I have a business in another canton that is being sold and forms part of our acquests. Can my husband sell it without my signature on the deed? Eline, Cointrin In 1984, a federal law changed the ordinary matrimonial property regime...

Maintenance contribution and AHV The issue raised is the influence of the existence of an occupational pension scheme on the child's maintenance contribution, which is set by the divorce judge on the basis of the child's needs and the situation and resources of the father and mother. This is set by the divorce judge on the basis of the child's needs and the situation and resources of the father and mother.

Maintenance contributions: what if my ex-husband dies before me? I'm nearly 78 and have been divorced for 5 years, after more than 40 years together. I currently receive around CHF 2,000 in AHV pension and around CHF 1,700 in pension from my ex-husband. I'm wondering how...

Becoming Swiss and living in France "I'm a French citizen who grew up in Geneva, but now I'd like to move to France and obtain Swiss nationality at the same time. Is this possible?" Anita (Lancy) Swiss law provides for two separate naturalisation procedures. The first is the facilitated naturalisation procedure, which is available to all...

Discriminating against a man is illegal " When I was looking for a job, I was surprised to be told by the boss of a company that she only intended to take on a woman for a position that suited my skills perfectly. I know it's illegal to discriminate against women, but is it legal to discriminate against men?

Say it with flowers... In my local newspaper, which is published every month, one of my fellow residents was interviewed and clearly implied that the local florist (that's me!) is not very talented and offers cheap goods, the quality of my bouquets leaving something to be desired, even though I'm...

Amicable divorce First and foremost, you should be aware that only a judge has the power to declare that a marriage has been dissolved and to grant a divorce. There is therefore no such thing as an amicable divorce that does not involve going to court, which can be approached in three different ways.Firstly, it is possible to divorce...