Inheritance and wills

In Spain, succession is carried out through a notarized process based on the deceased’s will, if one exists. The will must be signed in front of a notary and registered in the Central Registry of Last Wills. Only heirs or their legal representatives can obtain an official copy after the testator’s death.

If there is no will, an intestate succession begins with a declaration of heirs. In cases of disagreement among heirs, judicial proceedings may be necessary.

If the will was signed abroad, the laws of the deceased’s country of origin must be followed. Succession in Spain can be complex due to legal differences between regions and the process of legalizing foreign documents. Our team offers assistance in all procedures to ensure the proper registration of assets in the heirs’ names and the correct payment of taxes.

Powers of Attorney
A power of attorney is a written authorization allowing one person to act on behalf of another. Assistance is provided with the signing of powers of attorney before a Spanish notary, and necessary documents are prepared in two languages to ensure their use before notaries abroad. This guarantees that the power of attorney is recognized and used effectively both in Spain and other countries, simplifying international procedures.

Wills
Since succession laws vary between countries, it’s important to consider the need to sign a will in Spain.

Apostille
When someone is involved in an international legal process (whether judicial or non-judicial), they should be aware that, in most cases, they will need to “validate” documents for use in a foreign country through an apostille. At The Office, we not only manage the apostille process for documents issued in Spain, but also provide guidance and detailed instructions on how to obtain an apostille for documents in our clients’ home countries. This ensures that all documents are legally recognized abroad, simplifying the international process.