If you are an expatriate, cross-border issues will almost certainly complicate your inheritance arrangements. It is important to know that in many countries it is difficult or impossible to supersede the laws of succession, in particular those that relate to forced heir ship. These laws stipulate that individuals must leave a certain fixed percentage of their estate, in particular property, to their spouse and children and they cannot be overridden by a will.

If you have property (including land, homes, personal belongings, bank accounts or stocks) in a country, regardless of whether it is officially your country of domicile or residency, you should have a will which is written and executed under the law of that land to ensure that your legacy is distributed according to your wishes.  The will should deal only with each particular territory’s assets, and care should be taken that it does not revoke any other international wills.

For some international families, life and employment may dictate that you move many times throughout your life.  As you accumulate assets internationally, it is important that your will and estate planning account for the geographic distribution of your assets.  Contact Wills World Wide to ensure that you succession planning reflects your international legacy.