Inheriting debt unknowingly

My dad died around a year ago and left money to my sister and I. At the time we were not told about any debts. Just this week I got a letter from a woman claiming that she lent my father money which he did not pay back, and that she has a signed contract to prove it. Apparently she only found out about my dad's death now.

She wan't my sister and I to pay my dad's debt. The money we got from my dad is long gone (my share went into my mortgage), so there is no way I could pay it back even if I wanted to. Are we legally required to repay the loan?

Hi there,

In Switzerland, when a legal heir chooses to accept an inheritance, they agree to accept responsibility for all possible debts owed by their benefactor.

A lender may claim repayment of a debt within 10 years of the loan's issuance. That means that if the loan was made less than 10 years ago, it will have to be repaid. The debt must be repaid in equal portions by each of the legal heirs.

If you and your sister cannot settle the debt, the lender has the right to have the debt entered into a debt collection register. This can have a number of negative consequences for you.

Best regards from Moneyguru

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Swiss inheritance rules explained