Inheritance Law / Estate Planning

The passing of a loved one often brings not only emotional distress but also complex legal challenges. Especially in cases involving family businesses or cross-border inheritance, a legally sound estate planning process is just as essential as a well-structured administration of the estate.

GEMS SCHINDHELM provides comprehensive legal consultancy on all aspects of inheritance law in Turkey, including will drafting, succession planning, and the handling of international inheritance matters. Our team assists clients in safeguarding their assets and transferring them to the next generation with legal certainty.

Consultancy Needs in Inheritance Law

Statutory succession does not always reflect the individual wishes of the testator. A valid last will and testament, inheritance contract, or tailored succession plan allows for clear documentation of one’s final intentions. In the field of international inheritance law, the correct legal structure is crucial.

Another key element is the identification of the entire estate, including real estate, bank accounts, and insurance policies. The application for a certificate of inheritance, the dissolution of co-heir communities, and the enforcement of compulsory share rights require professional legal consultancy.

Our legal services include:

• Applying for a certificate of inheritance and verifying heir status
• Drafting, storing, and executing last wills and testaments
• Structuring and reviewing inheritance agreements
• Enforcing compulsory share rights and pursuing reduction claims
• Planning and legally overseeing estate distribution
• Resolving conflicts between co-heirs and dissolving co-heirships
• Acceptance, rejection, or challenge of inheritance rights
• Identifying and transferring estate assets (real estate, bank assets, valuables)
• Transferring and selling inherited real property
• Accessing bank accounts, investment assets, life insurance policies, and private pensions
• Reviewing and settling estate liabilities

Consultancy Needs in Estate Planning

Forward-looking estate planning is the key to the conflict-free transfer of wealth. The focus is on reducing tax burdens, ensuring the sustainability of businesses, and avoiding intra-family conflicts. A legally sound structure is particularly essential when dealing with cross-border asset arrangements.

Our areas of focus include:

• Designing business succession for family enterprises
• Aligning marital property regimes and inheritance structures
• Developing tax-optimized inheritance strategies
• Drafting family constitutions and contingency planning documents
• Structuring international inheritance scenarios
• Advising on foundations and special asset structures

Our Expertise in Inheritance Law and Estate Planning

The GEMS SCHINDHELM team has extensive experience in international inheritance law and in legally secure succession planning. We work in an interdisciplinary manner with specialists in family, corporate, real estate, and tax law—both nationally and internationally.

Estate Administration

• Handling of inheritance cases involving assets in Turkey and abroad
• Full estate identification and coordination of asset sales
• Enforcing claims from insurance policies, pensions, and financial accounts
• Valuation and settlement of estate debts and liabilities
• Drafting wills and related documents under foreign law
• Recognition and enforcement of foreign inheritance judgments in Turkey
• Consultancy on Turkish inheritance tax matters
• Coordination of consular and notarial certifications

Preventive Estate Planning

• Preventing family conflicts through legally clear arrangements
• Strategies to protect compulsory share rights and optimize tax outcomes
• Succession planning for individuals with multi-jurisdictional assets
• Crisis planning and emergency legal preparedness for families and businesses

Dispute Resolution

• Resolving co-heirship disputes and conflicts over estate division
• Contesting wills, enforcing compulsory share claims, and recovering unlawful gifts
• Conducting mediation and litigation proceedings at national and international level