Last Will and Testament Prepared Under English Law

At Great British Wills, we specialise in providing: The Last Will and Testament, Guardianship and Estate Planning advice on worldwide assets to those who are originally from England or Wales. We also provide Wills for those of any nationality who have assets in England or Wales. If we cannot help, we will search our global network of professional estate planners for someone who can.

The UK contains 3 different legal jurisdictions: England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. There are small but important differences in each jurisdiction. Therefore, it is essential that your Last Will and Testament is prepared under the correct law.

Most expats still have some or most of their assets in their home country, so regardless of the need for a Will in the UAE, there is usually a very good reason to have a Will prepared under the law of your home country for those assets. For information on what happens in England and Wales if you do not have an English Will, known as intestacy, click here.

Next Steps

Before you meet with a Will writer, to write your Last Will and Testament, you will need to read our terms of service and consider some important questions.

When you are sure of your answers, you should click here to access my online diary and to book a meeting or call me on 050 594 5217.

During this meeting, I will answer any questions you have.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP WITH ANYTHING YOU NEED, GIVE US A CALL.
+971 50 594 5217

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“Stuart’s advice, guidance and experience were invaluable to us here in UAE.

He handled a potentially difficult discussion with expertise, confidence and finesse.

I would highly recommend his company.”

Victoria Walker, Student Recruitment Manager, Dubai

“We knew we needed to get Wills in place, as we have young children, but didn’t really know where to start.

Our mortgage broker recommended Stuart to us and we are so glad she did! Stuart is extremely knowledgable and professional.

He took all of the hard work out of the process for us and guided us every step of the way.

I would HIGHLY recommend him and Great British Wills to other expats living in Dubai.”

Henry Jakins, Head of Communications, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, Travelport

“My wife and I worked with Stuart to sort out our new wills.

We were happy with the advice, Stuart is knowledgeable, flexible and very patient!”

Jonathan Kidd, UAE Talent Solutions, LinkedIn Dubai

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT HAVE A WILL?

In England & Wales, where no Will exists the deceased will be treated as having died ‘intestate’. For assets in the UK, married couples with children have a right to all of their deceased spouse’s personal effects as well as the statutory legacy sum (up to £322,000 from 26th July 2023). If the estate is worth more than the statutory legacy sum, 50% of the excess is passed to the surviving spouse and the remaining 50% is distributed equally between the deceased’s children. This can cause problems. For instance, where the main asset is the matrimonial home and one of the children wants their inheritance causing the property to be sold.

Where there are assets in UAE and there is no Will the situation is complex for expatriates, multiple factors such as family structure, type of asset, and the religion of the deceased are taken into consideration when the courts decide how to distribute the deceased’s assets. Recent changes in federal legislation have sought to improve clarity for non-Muslims and time will tell how each Emirate adopts the federal law.

For further information, please contact us.

Last Will and Testament Prepared Under English Law

Next Steps

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO NOT HAVE A WILL?

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