Case Studies - International / Offshore - Overseas Property

Many clients have purchased overseas properties over the past ten/twenty years, mainly in France and Spain but also in other European countries and also USA/Canada. As property prices have risen and the values of European and North American properties have benefited from the rise in euro and US$, overseas properties have become significant elements of the clients’ estates.

In most cases, the question of inheritance was not a major consideration at the time that the overseas properties were acquired. Not only can the inheritance laws, in the country in which the property is located, be rigid and not in-line with the wishes of the owners – but the interaction with UK inheritance laws can add a significant layer of difficulty and expense.

The advice differs considerably, depending on several factors, including the jurisdiction(s) concerned, the age of the clients, the length of time that the property has been owned etc.