Don’t be afraid of Clients with Foreign Assets!

Crash Course for UK Inheritance Lawyers: Will Preparation for International Families and Expats. Obtaining Foreign Probate

Solicitors working in the field Wills & Probate, sooner rather than later, are faced with clients who own foreign assets, are married to non-British spouses or are sent abroad as expats by their employers. These international clients, in most circumstances, will rely on their Will to also cover their non-UK assets and to function in foreign jurisdictions, i.e. the Will must enable their executors or beneficiaries to efficiently obtain foreign probate. Some solicitors’ answer to these client’s expectations is: “An English Will only deals with English assets. Please make a separate Will to cover your assets in other jursidctions.” Well, that’s one way to go about it, but this is hardly the answer modern clients in a global work environment expect from their lawyer.

German Rechtsanwalt Bernhard Schmeilzl and English Solicitor Elissa Jelowicki specialise in British-German probate matters and in drafting Wills for international clients. For details see: International Wills and Estate Planning for British-German Families

Seminar for International Will & Probate Lawyers

In their seminar “Wills & Probate in Germany for British Lawyers“, Bernhard and Elissa discuss the typical problems which often arise in international probate matters. Based on “what can go wrong” case studies within a German/British legal context, the speakers provide practical tips on how to avoid mayhem for clients with foreign assets by preparing a Will with an eye also to non-British jurisdictions, especially those jurisdictions which do not apply the concept of a personal representative (executor or administrator).

In particular, the presentation deals with how to:

• Understand German Wills and Intestacy Rules
• Make English Wills work in Germany
• Access Foreign Assets: Is German Probate unavoidable?
• Speed up Probate Procedure
• Mitigate Inheritance Tax in both Countries
• Deal with Contentious Probate

Expect lively presentations from probate practitioners with real life case studies and helpful checklists. For seminar dates please call +49 941 463 7070 or email to info (at) grafpartner.com.

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The law firm Graf & Partners was established in 2003 and has many years of experience with British-German and US-German probate matters. If you wish us to advise or represent you in a German or cross border inheritance case please contact German solicitor Bernhard Schmeilzl, LL.M. (Leicester) at +49 941 463 7070