Inheritance Lawyer — Estate Administration and Inheritance Disputes

Legal Assistance with Inheritance, Estates and Succession

The death of a relative, assets located in another country, missing documents, a missed deadline for accepting an inheritance, or a dispute between heirs can significantly complicate the administration of an estate. An inheritance lawyer can assess the circumstances, prepare the necessary documentation, and protect the client’s interests before notaries, public authorities, and courts.

Legal Support in Inheritance Matters and Estate Administration

Estate administration is an important legal process that requires a thorough understanding of the laws of the relevant country. Our law firm handles inheritance procedures, provides legal services relating to succession and estate matters, and assists clients with registering their inheritance rights.

An estate may include various types of property and proprietary rights owned by the deceased at the time of death. In practice, inherited assets may include apartments, residential properties, land, commercial real estate, bank accounts and deposits, shares, securities, interests in companies, and corporate rights. Heirs may also inherit vehicles, insurance proceeds, certain property rights, and other assets recognised under the laws of the relevant country. Establishing inheritance rights to such assets often requires additional verification, obtaining documents from public authorities, archives, banks, or other institutions and, in certain cases, protecting the heirs’ interests through court proceedings.

When You May Need an Inheritance Lawyer

Matters involving the transfer of a deceased person’s property frequently require professional legal assistance. A missed inheritance deadline, missing documentation, an heir residing abroad, a dispute between interested parties, or the need to administer assets located in another country can significantly complicate the process.

Legal assistance may also be required to establish family relationships, protect heirs’ rights, challenge a will, obtain judicial recognition of property rights, retrieve archival records, and obtain information from public registers.

Every inheritance case has its own particular circumstances and requires a careful analysis of the available documents, the circumstances surrounding the deceased’s death, the composition of the estate, and the applicable law.

Inheritance Disputes and Court Representation

Inheritance disputes may arise between heirs, relatives, spouses, creditors, or other interested parties. In practice, disputes frequently concern the validity of a will, the size of inheritance shares, the composition of the estate, recognition of ownership rights, restoration or extension of inheritance deadlines, and the establishment of legally significant facts. Our lawyers represent clients before courts at different levels and help protect inheritance rights in complex and contentious cases.

Inheritance Lawyer Services

Our principal areas of practice include estate administration under intestacy laws and wills, legal support in inheritance proceedings before notaries, restoration or extension of deadlines for accepting an inheritance, recognition of ownership rights to inherited property, and representation of heirs in court proceedings. Legal assistance is also provided in disputes between heirs, challenges to wills, establishment of family relationships, and other legally significant circumstances.

We also assist with establishing and registering inheritance rights to real estate, land, commercial property, corporate rights, company shares, bank accounts, securities, and other assets. Additional services include obtaining documents from archives and public authorities and handling international inheritance matters involving foreign nationals or assets located outside the country.

The scope of legal assistance is determined individually, taking into account the country in which the estate is being administered, the composition of the assets, the availability of documents, and the specific circumstances of the case.

International Inheritance Cases

Our law firm handles inheritance matters involving assets located in different countries and assists heirs who reside outside the country where the estate proceedings have been opened.

Legal assistance in international inheritance matters includes establishing rights to assets in Ukraine and abroad, coordinating inheritance procedures in European countries and other jurisdictions, obtaining required documents from foreign archives and public authorities, preparing powers of attorney for remote case management, arranging translations and notarisation of documents, obtaining apostilles and legalisation, liaising with foreign notaries, lawyers, and government institutions, and representing heirs who permanently reside outside the country in which the estate is being administered.

We handle inheritance matters in various European countries and other jurisdictions:

International inheritance cases require consideration of the laws of several countries, proper preparation of documents, and compliance with the procedures applicable in each individual jurisdiction.

How We Handle an Inheritance Case

Initial Consultation

We review the circumstances, available documents, and relevant facts of the case. Potential risks, the appropriate course of action, and the documents required to proceed are identified.

Legal Review

We assess the inheritance rights of the interested parties and verify available information concerning assets, existing estate or inheritance proceedings, restrictions, attachments, and other circumstances that may affect the outcome.

Strategy Development

We determine the most appropriate procedure for establishing and registering inheritance rights, including notarial procedures, obtaining documentation, dealing with public authorities, or pursuing court proceedings where necessary.

Document Preparation

We prepare applications, powers of attorney, formal requests, procedural documents, submissions to public authorities, and other required materials.

Representation of the Client’s Interests

We provide legal representation and assistance before notaries, government institutions, archives, registration authorities, and courts.

Completion of the Estate Administration Process

Once all necessary procedures have been completed, the rights to the inherited assets are formalised, ownership rights are registered, and the final documents are obtained.

Cost of Legal Services for Inheritance Matters

The cost of legal assistance is determined individually and depends on the complexity of the inheritance matter, the country in which inheritance rights are to be established, the nature and value of the assets, the availability of the necessary documents, the number of heirs, the existence of disputes between interested parties, the need for court proceedings, the urgency of the matter, and the extent of international coordination required when an estate involves several jurisdictions.

After reviewing the documents and circumstances of the case, we provide an individual fee estimate and an expected timeframe for completing the work.

The costs of registering inheritance rights, taxation, official fees, and available exemptions or relief depend on the heir’s relationship to the deceased and the laws of the relevant country.

The cost of legal services for estate administration and inheritance disputes varies by jurisdiction. Indicative fees are provided on the relevant pages covering inheritance matters in each individual country.

Our lawyers also assist foreign nationals with estate administration, obtaining documents, establishing family relationships, registering rights to real estate, bank accounts, corporate rights, and other assets.

Our lawyers provide additional services, including obtaining certificates, preparing documents, translating documents and arranging certification of translations, preparing formal lawyers’ requests in inheritance disputes, valuing property and other assets, and calculating and paying taxes and official fees. Court representation includes proceedings for the restoration or extension of deadlines, establishment of legally significant facts relating to family relationships or death, recognition of inheritance rights, increasing or reducing inheritance shares, division of an estate between heirs, and resolution of disputes concerning wills.

Request Legal Assistance with an Inheritance Matter

Briefly describe the inheritance matter, the countries involved, your relationship to the deceased, and any available information about the assets or existing inheritance proceedings. We will review your enquiry and advise you on the possible next steps.

• more than 25 years of legal practice
• handling international inheritance cases
• assistance for clients living abroad
• obtaining documents through archives and public authorities
• liaising with notaries and courts
• representation in inheritance disputes