Wills & Estate Planning: what the review can cover
Hukuk&Co can arrange a consultation with the lawyer responsible for assessing your matter. The initial review can clarify the issues below, the documents needed and whether further advice, drafting, negotiation or representation is appropriate.
- Proposed testamentary arrangements
- Cross-border assets and existing wills
- Document form and implementation planning
An initial consultation is not an unlimited engagement. Any document review, written advice, filing, negotiation or proceedings must be included expressly in the agreed scope.
Preparing and reviewing a will for Turkish and cross-border assets
A will should be considered alongside family relationships, asset ownership and the rules that may govern the succession. Begin by identifying what you own, where it is located, whom you wish to benefit and whether earlier wills or other arrangements already exist. The legal assessment should address capacity, formal requirements and any protected inheritance interests rather than rely on a generic template.
A Turkish-law review can consider the available form of will, the intended instructions and the role of the authorised official where an official will is proposed. The Turkish Civil Code recognises different forms, each subject to requirements. An ordinary typed document or a signature alone should not be assumed to create a valid will for every purpose.
For assets in more than one country, coordinate the proposed Turkish arrangements with advice in the other relevant jurisdiction. Separate wills can create inconsistencies or unintended revocation if prepared without coordination. Confirm how names, property descriptions, executors or other nominated persons, and beneficiary instructions are intended to operate.
Our proposed scope may include a planning consultation, review of existing testamentary documents, drafting assistance under an agreed instruction and coordination of the required formal steps. Any notarial act is performed by the authorised notary or official. Later changes in family circumstances, residence or assets may justify another review.
After a death, questions about opening or challenging a will and implementing its provisions are separate from planning it. See probate and estate administration and inheritance disputes.
- Prepare a list of assets, countries, existing wills and relevant family members.
- Identify any intended exclusions, business succession arrangements or potentially disputed instructions.
- Confirm the drafting, formal execution, storage and later review work included in the engagement.
Wills & Estate Planning in practice
Consider the whole estate and existing arrangements
List family circumstances, assets, liabilities and countries connected to the estate. Provide any earlier wills or related agreements, even if prepared abroad. The purpose is to identify conflicts, assumptions and document requirements before new wording is drafted, rather than create an isolated form that may not fit the wider arrangements.
Plan execution and future review
Discuss how the proposed document is to be signed, kept and located when needed. Changes in family circumstances, assets or residence may justify a later review. A Turkish-law engagement should identify where advice from qualified foreign counsel is required and avoid implying that one document resolves every country's succession questions.
Heirship, estate administration and later transactions
An estate can involve several people and more than one country. Provide a consistent family timeline and distinguish confirmed records from family recollection. The lawyer needs the intended use of each document and any known dispute before recommending an application or transfer plan.
| Part of the matter | What to assess | Scope to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Identifying heirs | Assess family links, records and any existing inheritance documents. | Identity differences and foreign records may need additional work. |
| Estate and assets | Identify assets, debts and administration questions. | An inheritance document is not a complete estate inventory. |
| Transfer or dispute | Agree the specific property, banking or contested step. | A later sale, division or court claim may be a separate engagement. |
Points to clarify before you proceed
A template will or translated document is not a substitute for advice on the applicable rules. Do not assume every proposed disposition can take effect as written.
Explain the result you are seeking and which steps have already been taken. A signed agreement, an existing file or an approaching deadline can change the questions that need attention. The appointed lawyer should identify material gaps in the information rather than assume facts that have not been established.
Documents for an initial assessment
Prepare the following where available. This is an initial-review guide, not a complete filing checklist or a requirement to send sensitive documents through an unsecured channel.
| Record to prepare | Why it helps the review |
|---|---|
| Identity and family information | Establishes the starting facts and helps connect the records to the correct person, asset or matter. |
| Asset and liability outline | Shows the current arrangement or procedural position; include complete versions and attachments. |
| Existing wills or related arrangements | Helps explain what has happened and which points are supported by available evidence. |
| Countries connected to the estate | Identifies existing steps, unresolved questions and any timing issue that needs assessment. |
Keep complete versions and any relevant attachments. If records are unavailable, in another language or held by a third party, explain that at the outset. Any retrieval, translation or certification work should be scoped separately.
From your first enquiry to an agreed scope
- Describe the matter.
Identify the parties, countries and current stage. State any notice, hearing or transaction deadline. For this assessment, begin by identifying identity and family information; asset and liability outline.
- Confirm the consultation and document review.
Availability, potential conflicts, the responsible provider, meeting format and fee are confirmed. Agree the questions and document set to be considered.
- Assess options and define further work.
The appointed lawyer can explain the next steps supported by the available information. Any legal work beyond the consultation is agreed separately, including its limitations, deliverables and external costs.
Starting from abroad: documents, language and authority
An initial consultation can be arranged online while you are outside Türkiye. Give the appointed lawyer your current location, the countries involved and any existing representation. The initial meeting helps identify what can be considered using copies and which later steps require originals, certified documents or authority to act.
Do not assume that remote consultation makes every subsequent procedure remote. The lawyer should confirm any power-of-attorney requirements and whether your personal participation is needed. Translation, certification and foreign-law advice depend on the intended use and should be coordinated under clear arrangements.
Fees, deliverables and timing
A defined scope
Agree the questions, document set, meetings and deliverables before work starts. Identify any exclusions and the approval needed for additional work.
Separate cost items
Professional fees, official charges, translation and external-provider costs should be distinguished. Ask what is included and when payment is due.
A realistic next step
Timing depends on the records, third parties and relevant procedure. No completion date or outcome is promised by an initial enquiry.
For wills & estate planning, the first discussion should identify the immediate task and what information is missing. If the matter changes, ask for confirmation of the revised scope and any fee implications before further work is undertaken.
Questions about wills & estate planning
Should a foreign will simply be translated for use in Turkey?
The lawyer should review the original document and its context before advising. Its form, intended effect and relationship with other estate documents need assessment beyond translation alone.
What should I prepare for the first assessment?
Start with identity and family information, asset and liability outline. Add a short timeline and identify the decision, transaction or question you want assessed. Ask how to share sensitive records before sending them.
Can I begin while I am outside Türkiye?
An initial consultation can be online. Further steps depend on the matter, required documents and authority to act. Personal attendance, certified documents or qualified local counsel may be needed; these are assessed separately.
What work is included in the consultation?
An initial consultation is not an unlimited engagement. Any document review, written advice, filing, negotiation or proceedings must be included expressly in the agreed scope.
How are fees and external costs agreed?
The consultation and any further work are priced after the proposed scope is defined. Ask which document review, meetings and deliverables are included. Official charges and external-provider costs are distinguished from professional fees.
Does an enquiry mean the matter has been accepted?
No. Availability, potential conflicts and the service scope must be checked before an engagement is confirmed. Sending documents or a message does not protect a procedural deadline or create ongoing representation.
Which issues should I explain before the assessment?
List family circumstances, assets, liabilities and countries connected to the estate. Provide any earlier wills or related agreements, even if prepared abroad. The purpose is to identify conflicts, assumptions and document requirements before new wording is drafted, rather than create an isolated form that may not fit the wider arrangements.
What should the first review focus on?
Discuss how the proposed document is to be signed, kept and located when needed. Changes in family circumstances, assets or residence may justify a later review. A Turkish-law engagement should identify where advice from qualified foreign counsel is required and avoid implying that one document resolves every country's succession questions.
Can I get a written assessment as well as a meeting?
A written assessment can be considered under an expressly agreed scope. Confirm the questions, document set, intended audience and deliverable. A consultation does not automatically include drafting or an ongoing written advisory service.
What if another country or professional is involved?
Identify that at the outset. Foreign-law advice, technical assessment, accounting, translation and official acts may need separate qualified providers. The responsible provider, scope and external costs should be confirmed rather than assumed to form part of the initial engagement.
Official references and review status
These sources provide a starting point. The applicable rules and procedure depend on the facts and current law.