Schaub | Hochl Rechtsanwälte AG, Winterthur

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An established firm serving multiple legal needs

Schaub Hochl Rechtsanwälte AG is a law firm in Winterthur with four attorneys on staff. The practice covers a wide range of civil law matters, but immigration (Ausländerrecht) is explicitly listed alongside family law, inheritance, real estate, labor law, social insurance, and criminal matters. The firm frames itself as "well-networked" and experienced, established long enough to have built a stable client base across multiple practice areas.

For someone relocating to Switzerland, the immigration dimension is the entry point. The firm is equipped to handle the permits and residence documentation required for arrivals, but the breadth of other specialties means that clients with complex situations can address multiple issues under one roof. A family move requiring both immigration and custody decisions, or an arrival buying real estate while settling their status, can be managed by the same firm.

The four attorneys are Dr. Marianne Schaub-Hristić, Karin Hochl, Dinah Hetata, and Mirjam Stanek Brändle. The site does not list their individual specialties or years of experience, and it does not say which attorney handles which practice area or whether clients can request a particular lawyer.

Immigration and settlement

The firm explicitly assists clients with "Einreise- und Aufenthaltsbewilligungen und Einbürgerungen" (entry and residence permits and naturalizations). The phrasing covers both the initial permit decisions and the longer-term process of seeking Swiss citizenship. For someone arriving from abroad, these services form the core administrative foundation for the move.

The site does not detail the specific permits the firm handles or the typical timeline for applications. It does signal readiness to work with both individuals navigating personal status questions and professionals relocating for work, though the site does not quantify how many immigration cases the practice takes on or what its relative size in the firm's overall workload is.

The firm also works in social insurance and employment law, which means arrivals facing questions about social security contributions, health insurance, or employment contracts can address those alongside immigration status. A newly arrived worker might hire Schaub Hochl for both the residence permit and a review of employment terms in a Swiss context, eliminating the need to coordinate with multiple firms.

Multiple specialties under one roof

The firm covers inheritance law with foreign elements. For someone moving to Switzerland to be near family members or to manage an inheritance that involves property in Switzerland and assets abroad, that paired capability is useful. The firm mentions "Absicherung Ihres Konkubinats" (securing your unmarried partnership), which signals experience with modern family structures and cross-border estate planning.

Family law encompasses divorce, separation, spousal support (Alimente), prenuptial agreements, and what the site calls "moderne Familien" and "Fortpflanzungsmedizin" (modern families and reproductive medicine). The site specifically mentions support for same-sex couples, joint parenting arrangements, and surrogacy, which indicates openness to non-traditional family configurations. For arrivals relocating with a partner or planning to start a family, those specialties matter.

Real estate and construction law covers rental law, lease disputes, and property transactions. Labor law handles employment contracts, termination, and wage disputes. Tenant issues such as notice to vacate, repairs, rent increases and decreases, and evictions are the everyday problems arrivals face when entering the rental market for the first time.

The firm also handles criminal matters, including defenses against criminal orders and traffic violations, and representation of crime victims in proceedings. That breadth is less relevant to someone simply arriving and relocating, unless the arrival involves criminal consequences from a prior situation.

The attorneys and their capacity

The site does not indicate which attorney has which specialization. Dr. Marianne Schaub-Hristić's doctoral title suggests advanced qualification, but whether her expertise lies in immigration, family law, or another area is not stated. Similarly, the site does not publish the years of practice each attorney brings, their language abilities, or their specific experience with international clients.

The site mentions that the firm offers legal representation for children and young people in all civil and criminal proceedings, suggesting the practice includes a child advocacy component or expertise in family court matters affecting minors. That detail matters for relocating families with children who may need legal representation or protection in custody or welfare proceedings.

The firm's location in Winterthur serves both the canton and the broader German-speaking region. Winterthur is the second-largest city in Zurich canton and a major employment center, making it a natural choice for professionals relocating to northern Switzerland.

What the site does not clarify

The site does not publish fee structures, whether the firm charges for initial consultations, or the typical scope of work for different types of matters. Someone calling about immigration assistance would need to inquire about cost before committing.

The site does not say what languages the attorneys speak. For an arrival from a non-German background, language availability is often a practical barrier. Winterthur is German-speaking Switzerland, and the firm's website is available in German, English, French, and Serbian, which suggests multilingual capability, but it does not state which attorney speaks which languages or how the firm handles clients without German.

The firm does not say how long immigration cases typically take, what the client's own responsibilities are during the process (gathering documents, communicating with authorities), or whether the firm represents clients at immigration authority interviews or only handles the written application stage. Those practical details shape the cost and effort a client must invest.

The site lists recent publications but does not display them or say what legal topics the firm has written about. That omission means someone considering the firm for a complex immigration matter cannot verify whether the attorneys have published scholarship on their practice area or demonstrate recognized expertise.

Who should approach this firm

Schaub Hochl suits someone relocating to the Winterthur or northern Zurich region who needs immigration assistance and possibly other legal support. The four-attorney size means the practice has capacity beyond solo immigration specialists, and the breadth of services means a relocation involving family, property, or employment issues can be addressed in parallel.

It suits families relocating together, particularly those with custody or inheritance dimensions. It suits same-sex couples or unmarried partners relocating, given the explicit mention of those configurations on the site.

The site does not indicate whether the firm prioritizes immigration work or treats it as one specialty among many. For someone with an urgent or complex immigration matter, the firm's scale and generalist positioning is neutral. It may have deep expertise or it may be one corner of a broad practice. The only way to know is to call and describe the situation.

It probably does not suit arrivals who need immigration work done in a language other than German, English, French, or Serbian, unless one of the four attorneys happens to speak that language. The multilingual website is not a guarantee that every attorney is multilingual.


For a relocation to the Winterthur region that touches multiple legal domains, immigration, family law, real estate, Schaub Hochl's established presence and practice breadth make it worth a consultation. The firm's presence suggests stability and experience, and its willingness to take on complex, multi-faceted situations makes it suitable for relocations that are not purely immigration matters.

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