30 Mar Wills and Inheritance: how can I better protect my heirs?
In Spain, the procedure of inheritance requires, as in other countries, the intervention of a notary. In this blog, we will try to see what are the points to take into account at the time of resolving an inheritance and also the importance of having left a will before dying.
- The Law applicable to inheritances in Spain:
Obviously we will not go into all the details of the inheritance in Spanish law which would involve writing a law book on this complicated subject. We will try through this article to explain the most relevant points.
In Spain, the inheritance must be resolved before a Notary or in complicated and extreme cases before a Court. They are the only two authorities authorised to have access to the property registry and to authorise the unlocking of bank accounts and other properties of the deceased.
The regulations that apply to inheritance must be established according to several criteria: nationality of the deceased, of the heirs, place where the assets are, etc …
Since August 2015, the scheme has changed for citizens of the European Union due to EU Regulation 650/2012 of 04 July 2012. Before this reform, the applicable law was always the law of the nationality of the deceased. Now, the applicable law will be the law of the country in which the deceased had his domicile.
These changes involve international inheritances problems with heirs who fail to understand why they can not apply the right of their passport as in their country. In order to overcome these problems, the only solution will be the drafting of a will in which the nationality of the deceased will be designated as the applicable law.
- Why should I make a will?
As we have said before, you can choose the applicable law for inheritance in the will. This tool therefore seems crucial at the time of resolving an inheritance and lacking it, will impose rules that may not be enjoyed by the heirs.
The next step we should analyse is about the validity of foreign wills in Spain. Indeed, writing a will in accordance with the aforementioned European Regulation can be done anywhere in the European Union. But will this testament be valid in Spain at the time of the Heritage?
The regulations tell us that the foreign will shall be valid while it can be legalised (Apostille of the Hague, diplomatic way, etc …) and does not contravene the Spanish Public Order. In other words, to avoid surprises, we recommend that you consult with your lawyer in Spain if your will can be legalised and will not be declared contrary to Spanish Public Order.
If your idea is to have your domicile in Spain, we recommend writing one directly in Spain which will save many problems when it comes to inheritance. In these cases it would also be interesting to integrate a Will executor or Trustee into your own will to help your heirs solve the inheritance without problems.