Our Succession and Inheritance Planning service is a fundamental component of responsible asset ownership, designed to protect your family’s future and ensure the seamless transfer of your Georgian assets to your chosen beneficiaries. For international asset owners, the complexities that arise when foreign estate plans intersect with mandatory Georgian inheritance procedures can create significant legal and administrative burdens for their heirs. We provide comprehensive legal counsel covering both proactive estate planning and the subsequent administration of the estate, offering the peace of mind that your legacy will be preserved and distributed precisely according to your wishes.
The cornerstone of effective succession planning in Georgia is the creation of a legally valid local will. In the absence of a will, your assets are distributed according to the rigid rules of intestate succession outlined in the Civil Code of Georgia, which follows a strict statutory order of heirs that may not align with your personal intentions. Our legal experts draft clear, unambiguous, and legally unassailable notarized wills that fully comply with Georgian law. A well-drafted will clearly identifies your heirs, specifies the bequests of your Georgian assets, and can appoint a trusted executor, thereby providing a clear and legally binding roadmap for the distribution of your estate.
Navigating cross-border inheritance requires specialized legal expertise due to conflicts of law. Under Georgia's Private International Law, the succession of immovable property is governed by the law of the country where it is located (lex rei sitae). This means that regardless of your nationality or the existence of a primary will in your home country, the transfer of your Georgian real estate must comply with Georgian law and procedures. Our firm specializes in harmonizing your global estate plan with these local legal realities, ensuring that your foreign will is properly recognized and that all necessary steps are taken within the Georgian system to lawfully execute your wishes.
A critical and immovable deadline exists within the Georgian inheritance process. According to Article 1421 of the Civil Code, all heirs have a strict six-month period from the date of death to formally accept the inheritance by filing an application with a Georgian notary. Failure to meet this deadline can result in the forfeiture of inheritance rights, a devastating outcome for uninformed heirs living abroad. Our firm acts as an essential partner for international beneficiaries, managing this entire time-sensitive process on their behalf to ensure their legal claim to the estate is secured correctly and on time.
Following a death, our firm provides comprehensive services for the administration of estates located in Georgia, relieving your family of a significant burden. We can be appointed to act as the official Administrator of the estate, a fiduciary role in which we manage all necessary tasks. This includes identifying and securing all estate assets, preparing an official inventory for the notary, settling any of the deceased's local debts and taxes, and ultimately managing the legal transfer of property titles and funds to the rightful heirs after the Certificate of Inheritance is issued.
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