Clear guidance for protecting your Spanish property and assets If you own property in Spain, you’ve probably wondered: Do I need a separate Spanish Will? Which law applies to my estate? What happens if I do nothing? These aren’t simple questions and fragmented or incomplete estate planning can leave your family facing unnecessary complications, delays and tax consequences after you’re gone. We help you create Spanish estate plans that are both legally valid and genuinely effective. Understanding your options For British nationals with Spanish assets, there are three main approaches to Will writing: Include Spanish assets in your UK Will Your UK Will can cover your Spanish estate, but this approach works best with coordinated Anglo-Spanish professional support to ensure it is recognised and implemented effectively in Spain. Create a separate dual-language UK Will for Spanish assets This is a UK Will that deals exclusively with your Spanish estate, incorporating Spanish legal formalities and executed in England and Wales before a UK Notary Public. It can then be Apostilled, registered centrally and used directly in Spain. Execute a Spanish Will in Spain This is a Will signed before a Spanish notary (Notario) in Spain, following Spanish formalities and typically held in their records and registered centrally. All three can be valid. But validity alone doesn’t guarantee effectiveness. A Will that’s valid in Spain prevents intestacy, but if it’s not properly coordinated with your other Wills, tax planning, or family circumstances, it can still produce poor outcomes. Our goal is to make your Spanish estate planning both valid and effective, working with you and your other advisers to ensure everything aligns. How can Morr & Co help with Will writing for Spanish estates? We offer a complete Anglo-Spanish Will-writing service, tailored to your situation and designed to give you confidence that your Spanish affairs are properly arranged. Comprehensive estate planning We work closely with you, and where relevant, your UK solicitors and accountants, to: Assess how your Spanish assets fit within your overall estate plan Identify tax-efficient structures that work across both jurisdictions Ensure your Spanish and UK Wills work together without creating conflicts or unintended gaps Advise on Spanish succession law and how it interacts with UK inheritance rules Coordinate with your existing professional relationships on a strictly non-poaching basis Complex and time-sensitive circumstances We’re experienced in handling Will-writing where circumstances are challenging: Deteriorating mental capacity – where capacity exists but may be diminishing, we move swiftly while ensuring all legal protections are in place Home or hospital visits – we can arrange for execution at your location when travel isn’t possible Deathbed or near-death situations – we provide practical, compassionate support when time is critically short In all cases, we combine hands-on support with technical precision, ensuring your Will is properly executed and will stand up to scrutiny. Our approach is genuinely collaborative. We work with UK and Spanish advisers on a strictly non-poaching basis, ensuring all aspects of cross-border estate planning are handled seamlessly while your existing professional relationships remain intact. Sometimes the referring firm stays as the main client contact while we provide full support behind the scenes. In other cases, we work directly with you. Where you don’t currently have a UK estate planning adviser, or where your UK adviser prefers to hand over cross-border complexity, we can link you directly to our specialist Private Client department at Morr & Co. In every case, we deliver the same high standards and service. Get in touch Why proper planning matters While integrated Anglo-Spanish Will-writing advice involves some upfront cost, it’s modest compared with the potential consequences of getting it wrong. Without proper coordination, your beneficiaries could face: Lengthy delays in accessing Spanish assets Unexpected tax liabilities in one or both jurisdictions Disputes between family members over interpretation or priorities Additional legal costs to unpick problems after your death Proper planning gives you peace of mind that your estate will be managed smoothly and according to your wishes, not according to default legal rules that may not reflect what you intended. Get in touch with our Spanish Will writing lawyers today If you’re looking to create or update a Will that deals effectively with your Spanish estate, or need guidance on protecting assets across borders, contact our Spanish Property and Inheritance team. We’ll outline the process, provide an estimate of costs and timescales and guide you through each step with clarity and discretion. Contact us Contact Dennis Phillips Partner Private Client 020 8971 1050 Message On this page Contact our Spanish Probate team. Get in touch
