Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to DrFfybes,smokey01,bungeejumper,stockton,Anonymous, for Donating to support the site

English Will and Scottish Property

including wills and probate
Dyker
Posts: 10
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:38 pm

English Will and Scottish Property

#584214

Postby Dyker » April 21st, 2023, 9:49 am

I am a house owner resident in England and own a second property in Scotland. Can my will made under English law provide for disposal of both properties, or do I need a second will made under Scottish law for the Scottish property? With thanks for any advice,
Dyker

genou
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1105
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:12 pm
Has thanked: 179 times
Been thanked: 379 times

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584500

Postby genou » April 22nd, 2023, 4:01 pm

Dyker wrote:I am a house owner resident in England and own a second property in Scotland. Can my will made under English law provide for disposal of both properties, or do I need a second will made under Scottish law for the Scottish property? With thanks for any advice,
Dyker


You shouldn't need a second will. Your English will must meet some Scottish standards - so signed on each page if more than one ( but that's the only one I remember). I take it you are domiciled ( rather than merely resident ) in England?

Clitheroekid
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2901
Joined: November 6th, 2016, 9:58 pm
Has thanked: 1417 times
Been thanked: 3846 times

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584575

Postby Clitheroekid » April 22nd, 2023, 9:44 pm

genou wrote:
Dyker wrote:I am a house owner resident in England and own a second property in Scotland. Can my will made under English law provide for disposal of both properties, or do I need a second will made under Scottish law for the Scottish property? With thanks for any advice,
Dyker


Your English will must meet some Scottish standards - so signed on each page if more than one ( but that's the only one I remember).

No, it doesn't need to confirm to Scottish standards. Scottish law recognises the validity of an English Will provided it's correctly executed under English law.

Provided you're domiciled in England the property in Scotland will form part of your estate and be dealt with according to English law, so you don't need to make a separate Will in Scotland.

Lootman
The full Lemon
Posts: 19570
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:58 pm
Has thanked: 663 times
Been thanked: 7015 times

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584597

Postby Lootman » April 23rd, 2023, 6:49 am

Clitheroekid wrote:
genou wrote:Your English will must meet some Scottish standards - so signed on each page if more than one ( but that's the only one I remember).

No, it doesn't need to confirm to Scottish standards. Scottish law recognises the validity of an English Will provided it's correctly executed under English law.

Provided you're domiciled in England the property in Scotland will form part of your estate and be dealt with according to English law, so you don't need to make a separate Will in Scotland.

I seem to recall that Scotland has a law that prevents people from completely disinheriting their children.

If an Englishman leaves his one asset - his Scottish castle - to his maid rather than to his (possibly Scottish) children, then could there not be a challenge under Scottish law against that English will? Even though that English will is perfectly valid under English law?

Dod101
The full Lemon
Posts: 16628
Joined: October 10th, 2017, 11:33 am
Has thanked: 4341 times
Been thanked: 7536 times

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584599

Postby Dod101 » April 23rd, 2023, 7:16 am

Lootman wrote:
Clitheroekid wrote:No, it doesn't need to confirm to Scottish standards. Scottish law recognises the validity of an English Will provided it's correctly executed under English law.

Provided you're domiciled in England the property in Scotland will form part of your estate and be dealt with according to English law, so you don't need to make a separate Will in Scotland.

I seem to recall that Scotland has a law that prevents people from completely disinheriting their children.

If an Englishman leaves his one asset - his Scottish castle - to his maid rather than to his (possibly Scottish) children, then could there not be a challenge under Scottish law against that English will? Even though that English will is perfectly valid under English law?


Legal rights only apply to moveable estate and a castle does not fall into that category so surviving Scottish children would have no claim whether they were otherwise entitled or not. Legal rights only apply to moveable property.

Dod

Clitheroekid
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 2901
Joined: November 6th, 2016, 9:58 pm
Has thanked: 1417 times
Been thanked: 3846 times

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584772

Postby Clitheroekid » April 23rd, 2023, 8:21 pm

Lootman wrote:
Clitheroekid wrote:No, it doesn't need to confirm to Scottish standards. Scottish law recognises the validity of an English Will provided it's correctly executed under English law.

Provided you're domiciled in England the property in Scotland will form part of your estate and be dealt with according to English law, so you don't need to make a separate Will in Scotland.

I seem to recall that Scotland has a law that prevents people from completely disinheriting their children.

If an Englishman leaves his one asset - his Scottish castle - to his maid rather than to his (possibly Scottish) children, then could there not be a challenge under Scottish law against that English will? Even though that English will is perfectly valid under English law?

No, because if he's domiciled in England Scottish law doesn't apply to his estate.

However, his disinherited children could apply for a share of his estate under English law via the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

Dyker
Posts: 10
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 3:38 pm

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584935

Postby Dyker » April 24th, 2023, 3:13 pm

Many thanks to those who replied. A single English will seems to be the way to go.
Dyker

swill453
Lemon Half
Posts: 8040
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:11 pm
Has thanked: 1003 times
Been thanked: 3690 times

Re: English Will and Scottish Property

#584937

Postby swill453 » April 24th, 2023, 3:25 pm

Clitheroekid wrote:However, his disinherited children could apply for a share of his estate under English law via the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

With the big difference being that under English law offspring only have a right to an inheritance if they are dependants.

Under Scottish law offspring have a right to a share even if they're not dependant on the deceased.

Scott.


Return to “Legal Issues (Practical)”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 64 guests