How to write your Last Will and Testament as an expat
Why a Will is important
Writing a Will is a part of responsible financial planning which saves your loved ones a bureaucratic headache after you are gone.Your Last Will and Testament is one of the most important documents you will ever write. Unfortunately, most people associate the act of writing a Will with their dying days, and as a result, it is one of those tasks that never quite gets done.
You may feel that the end result is the same whether or not you have a Will; assets will pass to the next of kin. Sadly, this is rarely the case, and the distribution of your assets without a Will varies significantly from country to country and even across jurisdictions within the same country.
A Will not only describes the distribution of your assets, but also allows you to appoint an Executor, or estate administrator who takes responsibility for gathering up your assets and distributing them according to the instructions in the Will.
It is true that your Will only comes into effect after you have died. But that doesn’t mean you should wait until just before you die before getting your estate planning documents in order. Writing a Will is a part of responsible financial planning which saves your loved ones a bureaucratic headache after you are gone.
Wills for assets held in different countries
If you live overseas, but still own a home, or have other assets in your country of origin, we generally recommend that you prepare a Will for each country in which you have assets.Writing a Will is even more important if you have assets in more than one country. Estate planning and inheritance laws vary across countries, so rather than accept the plan that the government has created, you can make your own appointments and distribute your assets according to your wishes, by taking the time to write your own Will.
