Last Will and Testament Documents

A last will and testament is a legal document that communicates a person’s final wishes with regards to their assets and dependents. It outlines what to do with their possessions and what is to happen to other things that he or she is responsible for when they die. A will names a still-living person as the executor of the estate, meaning that they are authorised to distribute the estate when the person dies.

For a last will and testament to be legally valid, it needs to be formally witnesses and signed.

When the deceased person held assets overseas there are legal barriers to managing those assets. Documents that are needed to manage the estate, namely the death certificate/coroner’s certificate, a grant of probate and last will and testament will most likely need to be notarised. Depending on where the assets are held, the documents may also need to be apostilled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and legalised by the embassy of the country where the assets are.

A Notary can notarise both the original and a copy of the last will and testament.