Opinion ID: 1948241
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Swiss Law

Text: M.R.Civ.P. 44A, incorporated into probate proceedings by M.R.Prob.P. 44A, states that a determination of foreign law shall be treated as a ruling on a question of law. [1] Our review of the Probate Court's decision on the issue of foreign law is de novo. See Richard H. Field, Vincent L. McKusick & L. Kinvin Wroth, 1 Maine Civil Practice § 44A.3 at 619 (1970); cf., Matter of McLinn, 739 F.2d 1395, 1398 (9th Cir.1984); Charles A. Wright & Arthur R. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure § 2446 at 414; 5 James W. Moore et al., Moore's Federal Practice ¶ 44.1.05 (2d ed. 1985). The issues presented in this appeal are determined by an 1850 Swiss-United States treaty (the Treaty) and a Swiss federal law enacted in 1988. The Treaty, [2] which deals partly with probate issues, provides: Any controversy that may arise among the claimants to the same succession, as to whom the property shall belong, shall be decided according to the laws and by the judges of the country in which the property is situated. (emphasis added). At the time the Treaty was entered into, Swiss law did not allow foreigners domiciled in Switzerland to adopt a choice-of-law provision in their wills. Sometime after 1850, Swiss law began to allow such provisions. This allowance of choice-of-law provisions currently appears in Article 90 of the Swiss Federal Law on Private International Law (Article 90), enacted in 1988, which provides: The estate of a person whose last domicile is in Switzerland is subject to Swiss law. A foreigner can nevertheless through a last will and testament or an irrevocable contract regulating the succession subject his estate to one of his national laws. This stipulation becomes ineffective if at the time of death he is no longer a citizen of this State or has become a Swiss citizen. (emphasis added). The Children argue that laws in the Treaty refers to substantive law and not to conflict-of-law rules. As such, they argue that Article 90, which is a conflict-of-law rule, cannot be applied to this case through the Treaty. Thus, the Children conclude that the substantive Swiss Civil Code, which imposes forced shares in their favor, is applicable. The Estate claims that the Treaty includes conflict-of-law rules. Both parties agree that if the Treaty incorporates Article 90, the Testator would be lawfully permitted to choose Maine law to govern the distribution of his Estate. Thus, the main issue is whether the Treaty refers to conflict-of-law rules, therefore allowing Article 90 to validate the Testator's choice-of-law provision. Two decisions of Swiss cantonal courts hold that the Treaty applies to substantive law and not to conflict-of-law rules. [3] Both decisions found choice-of-law provisions in wills of U.S. citizens domiciled in Switzerland to be invalid. However, these holdings are not dispositive since they are decisions of cantonal courts, not federal courts. In Switzerland, federal courts have final authority and are not bound by cantonal decisions when ruling on federal law. Further, the persuasiveness of these cantonal decisions is undermined because Switzerland, a civil law country, does not recognize the concept of stare decisis, by the fact that the cantonal decisions are not recent pronouncements, and by the fact that two decisions of the New York Surrogate Court have held differently. [4] In the absence of stare decisis, a Swiss federal court, in attempting to interpret the Treaty, would give some consideration to the opinions expressed in legal commentary. The Estate's expert, to whom the Probate Court attached the better reasoning and greater credibility, testified that most modern Swiss scholars and governmental authorities believe that the Treaty should be interpreted to include Swiss conflict of law rules. After reviewing the testimony and credentials of both party's experts, we also find the testimony of the Estate's expert most persuasive. Finally, we recognize that [t]he primary purpose of the treaty was to assure to the citizens of each country equality of treatment with the nationals of the country in which they might reside.... In re Estate of Prince, 267 N.Y.S.2d at 141-42. A finding that a U.S. citizen domiciled in Switzerland is not entitled to adopt a choice-of-law provision, which Swiss law enacted subsequent to the Treaty's adoption allows to all other foreign domiciliaries, would run counter to this purpose. After reviewing the evidence that was presented to the Probate Court, we find that a Swiss federal court would hold that the Treaty includes conflict-of-law rules and that Article 90 applies to U.S. citizens who are domiciled in Switzerland. Thus, we find that a Swiss court would give effect to the Testator's choice-of-law provision.