RELAY service

After a death, we take over your paperwork, one task at a time.

So that you do not have to carry everything, or understand everything, on your own.

Talk about my situation See the 53 tasks

The letters keep arriving. Organisations need to be informed. Documents need to be found. It becomes hard to know where to start.

Legal deadlines, meanwhile, start running from the very first hours. Informing institutions, contacting banks, notifying the property management agency about the lease, liaising with the notary and the Justice of the Peace: all this takes time and energy that no one has while grieving.

Ailes&Vous clarifies the situation and takes over the tasks agreed together.

The scope of our work

We are a discreet relay that takes care of the paperwork, so that this period does not bring you any extra burden. We work in coordination with the professionals already involved (notary, accountant, funeral directors, medical facilities) without taking their place.

Any bank or personal access you entrust to us is always governed by a written mandate or a limited power of attorney.

What we take care of

53 tasks identified after a death, across 9 areas.

Immediate steps

Coordination with the funeral directors
Follow-up of the order for several copies of the death certificate Usually handled by the funeral directors, with direct handling on our part if needed (for example, a delay caused by foreign documents).
Search for a funeral plan and any wishes expressed
Coordination of the parties involved and monitoring of deadlines
Rehoming of pets

AVS/AI (old-age, survivors’ and disability insurance): notification of the death
Application for a survivor’s pension Widow’s, widower’s or orphan’s pension, depending on the family situation, from the AVS/AI.
Repayment of pensions paid after the date of death Claimed back automatically if not reported.
Pension fund: notification and survivors’ benefits LPP/BVG, 2nd pillar.
Pillar 3a and 3b institutions
Employer: notification, final salary and work certificate

Banks and insurance

Formal notification of the death to the banks
Suspension of direct debits and standing orders
Closure or transfer of accounts
Inventory of known accounts, safe deposit boxes and assets
Outstanding loans and mortgage commitments
Health insurance: cancellation and final statement
Household contents and personal liability insurance
Life insurance: notification and claim for benefits
Vehicle insurance: cancellation and statement

Notary, Justice of the Peace and estate

Gathering the necessary documents and information, then passing them on to the notary to obtain the certificate of inheritance
Administrative follow-up with the Justice of the Peace
Search of the Swiss Register of Wills
Reminders and monitoring of the deadlines to accept or disclaim the estate Generally three months, one month for acceptance subject to public inventory.
Help listing the assets for the inventory In liaison with the notary.
Coordinating the exchange of information between heirs

International

Assets and property abroad Coordination with a local notary or lawyer, based on the information provided by the heirs.
Follow-up of the file with the notary handling double taxation matters Supplemented as needed.
Coordination with heirs living outside Switzerland

Contracts, subscriptions and mail

Energy suppliers SIG and cantonal equivalents.
Telecommunications: telephone, internet
Newspaper and media subscriptions
Radio and television licence fee SERAFE.
Public transport passes
Mail redirection and follow-up with Swiss Post
Sorting administrative papers and identifying creditors
Online accounts and personal data
Cancelling sports memberships, clubs and associations
Cancelling loyalty cards and commercial programmes

Housing

Notifying the property management agency or the landlord of the death
Termination of the lease and management of the statutory notice period
Return of the rent deposit
Preparing the check-out inspection and handing over the keys
Coordinating a house clearance with trusted partners In Switzerland or abroad.
Organising certain matters relating to personal belongings
Notifying the cantonal population office and the municipality of the departure

Vehicle

Return of the licence plates
Dealings with the road traffic office
Cancellation of car and motorcycle insurance
Transfer or sale of the vehicle

Estate taxation

Notification to the cantonal tax authority
Coordination with your accountant for the estate tax return and the deceased person’s tax return
Follow-up of outstanding tax instalments and refunds

What it changes for you

You can catch your breath.: We take care of the paperwork that piles up: AVS, banks, property management agency, taxes, vehicle and licence plates, insurance.
You no longer face the home alone.: Sorting, clearing, organising and coordinating: we help you put the home in order, at your own pace. You do not have to carry this often demanding step alone, emotionally as well as physically.
You know where your file stands.: One person follows your file in Geneva and keeps track of the deadlines. You know what has been done and what remains to be done.

Remotely or from abroad

Do you live in another canton or abroad, and need to settle a loved one’s estate in Geneva? Ailes&Vous provides local coordination: presence on the spot, receiving and handling mail, organising exchanges with local professionals and regular progress reports.

Step by step

How it works

Within 24h

Free initial call, with no obligation

By phone, message or WhatsApp.
Within 48h

Review and deadlines

We look at your situation, current deadlines and legal time limits, including the three-month period to accept or refuse the inheritance. For that decision, we refer you to a notary.
Once you have decided

Handling and follow-up

Power of attorney signed by the heirs, then we take care of the paperwork and follow up on every letter and reminder.

Fees

CHF 120.— /hour: Handling of the agreed tasks

As a guide, support usually takes 10 to 20 hours of work.

The time needed does, however, depend on the situation: some files require less, while particularly complex situations may call for more extensive support.

Precise quote after a free initial call.

Frequently asked questions

Are you available at short notice?

We reply within 24 hours and can start handling your file within 48 hours of your request.

What needs to be done in the 48 hours after a death?

The first steps concern the medical certificate of death, registration with the civil registry office and the choice of funeral directors. We can step in from this stage to coordinate the next steps and make sure nothing is overlooked in the days ahead.

How is your role different from a notary’s?

The notary handles the legal acts reserved to them: certificate of inheritance, notarial deeds, legal division of the estate. We take care of the day-to-day administration and practical matters, alongside their work.

How much does after-loss administrative support cost?

The scope of each file varies widely: administrative tasks but also, depending on the case, returning licence plates or coordinating a house clearance. A personalised quote is presented to you after the free initial call, before any commitment on your part.

How do you know how much time will be needed?

After the free initial call, we give you an estimate of the number of hours based on the complexity of your situation, before we begin.

Can I delegate only some of the tasks to you?

Absolutely. We tailor our mandate to exactly what you need.

Does the residential lease have to be terminated immediately?

The lease does not end automatically when the tenant dies: it passes to the heirs, and the rent keeps running until it is terminated. The termination must be signed by all the heirs. Before acting, you need to know whether the inheritance will be accepted or refused, as some actions can be treated as acceptance. We help you secure the home in the meantime, then coordinate the termination at the right time, once the decision has been made.

Do you offer practical, on-site help with personal belongings?

Yes. Returning licence plates, cancelling the vehicle insurance, coordinating the clearance of the apartment so that the keys can be handed back to the property management agency.

I am a cross-border commuter, or my relative lived in France: can you help me?

Yes, with the practical side in Switzerland. For cross-border tax or inheritance matters, we refer you to the appropriate professional.

Didn’t find your answer? Write to us, we reply within 24h.