Christian Fraefel

Christian
Fraefel

Dr. iur. Attorney at Law
Certified Specialist SBA Family Law

German, French, English

  • Career
    Since 2025 Member of the Bar Examination Commission of the Canton of Zurich, State Court of the Canton of Zurich
    Since 2024 Partner at FamPlus AG
    2023 Certified Specialist SBA Family Law and Certificate of Advance Studies (CAS) in Family Law from the Universities of Fribourg and Zurich
    2014 to 2024 Independent lawyer, Anwaltskanzlei Fraefel, specialising in family law and criminal law
    2008 to 2023 Substitute Judge at the Military Court 6,
    Substitute Judge at the Military Court of Appeal 2
    2010 to 2022 Lecturer in civil procedure law at the University of Zurich
    2012 to 2014 Attorney at a medium-sized law firm
    2012 Admission to the bar of the Canton of Zurich
    2011 Doctorate in Law (Dr iur., summa cum laude, awarded the Prof. Walther Hug Prize), University of Zurich
    2010 to 2011 Auditor at the Horgen District Court
    2007 to 2009 Assistant to Prof. Dr Paul Oberhammer, University of Zurich, Chair of Civil Procedure, Bankruptcy and Enforcement Law and Private Law
    2007 Licentiate in Law (lic. iur., summa cum laude), University of Zurich
  • Network
  • Publications / Presentations
    • Criminal law pitfalls in family law practice («Strafrechtliche Stolpersteine im Familienrecht»), presentation held on 28.10.2025 at an event sponsored by the Family Law Section of the Zurich Bar Association
    • Process of separation and divorce: procedural issues. Workshop presentation given at the Family Law Symposium, University of Freiburg, 4–5 September 2025
    • Calculating maintenance in blended family situations («Unterhaltsberechnung in Patchworksituationen»), presentation held on 05.03.2025 at the Schulthess Forum on blended families and cohabitation (together with Eva Viola Bohnenblust)
    • Binding legal effect of (anticipatory) divorce agreements («Bindungswirkung von (antizipierten) Scheidungsvereinbarungen»), FamPra.ch 2025, pp. 36 ff. (together with Marcel Kobel)
    • Commentary on Art. 159-169, 270-270b of Swiss Civil Code, in: Jungo et al. (eds.), Handkommentar zum Schweizer Privatrecht, 4th edition, Zurich 2024 (together with Michael Schlumpf)
    • Case note on BGer 5A_568/2020: payment of an advance on legal costs (provisio ad litem) is not a prerequisite for the initation of divorce proceedings («Entscheidbesprechung zu BGer 5A_568/2020: Die Bezahlung eines Prozesskostenvorschusses ist keine Prozessvoraussetzung im Scheidungsverfahren»), AJP 1/2022, pp. 67 ff.
    • Commentary on Art. 62-66 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (Enrichment Law), in: Honsell (ed.), Kurzkommentar zum OR, Basel 2014, pp. 305–335; 2nd edition (in press) together with Paul Oberhammer
    • Commentary on Art. 243-247 of the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (Simplified Procedure), in: Oberhammer, Domej, Haas (eds.), Kurzkommentar zur ZPO, Basel 2010, pp. 947-970; 2nd edition, Basel 2013, pp. 1119-1147; 3rd edition, Basel 2021, pp. 1373-1405.
    • Enforcement of a non-existent debt: consequences under civil liability statutes and the law on unjust enrichment («Die Betreibung einer Nichtschuld, Haftpflicht- und bereicherungsrechtliche Folgen»), Diss. Zurich 2011 (Zürcher Studien zum Privatrecht, Vol. 234), honoured with the Prof. Walther Hug Prize
    • Commentary on Art. 243-247 of the Swiss Code of Civil Procedure (Simplified Procedure), in: Oberhammer (ed.), Kurzkommentar zur ZPO, Basel 2010, pp. 947–970.
    • Commentary on the Swiss Federal Supreme Court’s definitive judgment on case 5A_673/2008 from 20.11.2008 and the meaning of the expression “since the judgement was given” as construed by Art. 81 Para. 1 of the Swiss Debt Collection and Bankruptcy Act, in ZZZ 19 (2008/2009), pp. 406 ff.
  • Personal
    • Road cycling