Will making

[Sue]

There is a company called Global Wills who advertise Will making on the internet. Must admit such a Company I would never use. But they talk about a "New EU Will writing Law" for expats. Supposedly this Law allows for you to make one Will only which covers all assets in all/any EU country thus doing away with large legal bills. I have searched high and low for this "New Law" but to no avail. Has anyone else seen it and read it?

[Allan]

There is a company called Global Wills who advertise Will making on the internet. Must admit such a Company I would never use. But they talk about a "New EU Will writing Law" for expats. Supposedly this Law allows for you to make one Will only which covers all assets in all/any EU country thus doing away with large legal bills. I have searched high and low for this "New Law" but to no avail. Has anyone else seen it and read it?

It's a proposal not yet in law. The UK has opted out of it See below:-

Succession and Wills (Commission Proposal)
The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (Mr. Jack Straw): The Government have today decided not to opt in to the European Commission's proposed regulation on succession and wills. This means the UK will not be bound by this regulation.

Hundreds of thousands of UK citizens live and work in other EU member states, and millions of others enjoy holidays in the EU. The diversity of rules and systems that apply to succession in different member states can make for considerable complications where a person owns property across borders. In principle therefore, efforts to simplify and clarify the rules that apply to international successions could produce huge benefits for UK citizens, and the Government are strongly supportive of the project in principle. However, there are potentially significant problems identified with the proposal that the EU Commission has published. These were set out in a public consultation document, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

That consultation document highlighted two key problems. The first, and most difficult of those, was "clawback", which describes a legal mechanism where gifts made during a person's lifetime can be recouped after their death. The introduction of this concept into the UK could create major practical difficulties, particularly for the recipients of such gifts including charities.

[Sue]

Thanks for that. Makes a nonsense then of the company concerned advertising under a Union Jack flag!!