What are assets?

• Your home and any other property you own
• Savings in bank and building society accounts
• National Savings such as premium bonds
• Insurance, such as life assurance or an endowment policy
• Pension funds that include a lump sum payment on death
• Investments such as stocks and shares or investment trusts 

If you have assets in more than one country, or you are living in a different country to your assets, then you need an Expat Will.

Your assets must be probated in the country in which they are located.  Probate is the process by which your Will is validated as your official Last Will and Testament, and by which your Executor is officially granted the powers to act as your estate administrator.  Probate courts in each country will generally only accept a Will written under the laws of the country.

For example, presenting a Will written under the laws of Spain to a probate court in England, is not going to work or will be very costly to your estate.  This is because your UK assets will now pass under the laws of Spain as well as UK.  This is why it is recommended that you prepare a Will for each country in which you hold assets.

• If you are from the UK but living abroad, and need a Will to cover your UK assets.
• If you are not from the UK but have assets in the UK
• You will need a separate Will for each country where you hold assets.
• You must ensure that each Will acknowledges the other and does not revoke each other. 

There is no better time than now to write your Will

Planning to Protect your Wealth for Future Generations

Most people do not have a Will and the number of Expats with an up-to-date Will is even lower.

You may feel that the distribution of. your assets is obvious, or that you r assets are not significant enough to worry about.

Without a Will, you die, intestate and the court will appoint an administrator on your behalf.  Decisions will be taken out of your family and loved ones hands and distribution made according to the court.

The process is long and extremely costly and an additional emotional stress for your family and loved ones.  This can be avoided by making a Will.

When making Wills in separate countries, it’s extremely important to advise each of your lawyers that you either intend to make, or have already made, a Will in another country.

This is to ensure that your Wills don’t contradict each other or inadvertently revoke the other.