Stone King lawyer discusses homemade Wills in French Entrée

Personal law solicitor Raquel Ugalde, part of Stone King’s International and Cross-Border Team, recently discussed homemade Wills with French Entrée.

The article examined the viability of writing a Will without a lawyer’s involvement in England or France and highlighted some key cross-border considerations with relation to estate planning.

Regarding homemade Wills in England and Wales, Raquel highlighted the risk of unclear, contradictory or ambiguous wording. She stated: “Certain key provisions could be inadvertently left out, creating complications when the Will needs to be used.

“Such issues may not cross a non-professional’s mind, whereas they are part of the basic legal expertise that a solicitor would bring to the table.”

Highlighting protections in French law ensuring that an individual’s children receive part of their estate, Raquel commented: “If you are married and have children, even a simple, basic Will leaving everything to your spouse would not be fully valid in France because your children are automatically entitled to a share of your estate.”

Alongside wider discussion of these and similar considerations, Raquel also explained whether Wills drafted in England are valid in France and vice versa.

Read the full article here.