Wills, Probate & Estates

If you own property in Northern Cyprus, what happens to it when you die is governed substantially by TRNC law — not by the will you made at home, and not by the assumptions of your own legal system. This is the single most common blind spot among foreign owners here.

Why a local will matters

A foreign will may be capable of taking effect in relation to TRNC assets, but relying on one imports delay, translation, legalisation and argument at exactly the moment a family is least able to deal with it. A separate will dealing specifically with your Northern Cyprus property, drafted so that it does not revoke or conflict with your will at home, removes most of that friction.

There is a further point that surprises people. Common law jurisdictions such as England allow near-total freedom to leave your estate to whomever you choose. Many civil law systems do not, reserving fixed shares for defined family members. Which approach applies to your TRNC property, and whether it can be varied, is a question to settle while you are in a position to do something about it. We advise on the position that applies to your circumstances and draft accordingly.

Probate and administration

Where an owner has died, we act for executors and family members in obtaining the grant required to deal with TRNC assets, identifying and valuing the estate, settling liabilities, and transferring or selling property. Where the deceased was not a TRNC citizen and the family is abroad, the practical work — attendances, filings, dealings with the Land Registry — is handled here under a power of attorney so that relatives do not have to travel repeatedly.

Cross-border estates

Estates that span jurisdictions raise questions of which law governs succession to which asset, how a foreign grant is recognised, and how executors in two countries coordinate. We work alongside the family's lawyers at home rather than duplicating their work, and confine ourselves to what has to be done under TRNC law.

Estate disputes

We act in contested matters: challenges to the validity of a will, disputes between beneficiaries, claims that an estate has been administered improperly, and disputes over property said to have been transferred before death. These matters are handled by the same partner who would conduct any other piece of litigation, with the same candour about cost and prospects.

Powers of attorney

We draft powers of attorney for owners who need someone here to act for them, limited in scope to defined transactions and with a clear end point. A power of attorney is a document that transfers real authority over real assets. It should never be granted to the party on the other side of a transaction, and it should never be broader than the job it exists to do.