It is a sad fact than when you make your final departure you have to leave all your worldly goods behind. Most people – when they reach a certain age – will start thinking about how best to put their affairs in order.

A Will is often the only way to ensure that your wishes are carried out, and a will should be made with the help of a qualified professional. As the laws governing inheritance are unique for each country you must not simply assume that the law in Spain is the same as in your “home” country. IT IS NOT!

So, even if you have made a Will in – let’s say – the U.K. you should consult a lawyer that can help you to make a Spanish will if you live in Spain. For a Spanish Will to be legally binding it must be prepared by a notary (notario), and it must be witnessed and signed in his office.

Notification that a Will has been made, is then sent to the “Central Registry of Wills” in Madrid. When death occurs, a request must be sent to Madrid, who will respond with the name of the Notary who holds the latest registered Will. The Will, itself, remains in the Notary’s office – hopefully for a long time to come!

Inheritance tax
The inheritance tax in Spain is much higher than is many other countries.

Pre Paid Peace
The cost of even a basic funeral has increased dramatically during the past few years and is set to increase in the coming years. We recommend that you plan and pay for your own funeral now.

Why? Because it will make life easier for those who survive you and also ensures that the maximum amount of your estate goes to those you love or who have looked after you.

Many foreigners come to terms with a relatively small Spanish vocabulary and can usually make themselves understood, but what will happen when they or their partner are confronted with the fact that their loved-one has died ­ perhaps quite suddenly?

In the middle of grief, unless a pre-paid funeral has been arranged, you (or your family and friends if it’s you that has died) will be expected to make decisions about choice of coffin and all the other aspects of a funeral ­ which are much more difficult in a foreign land.

If you were an Undertaker, how would you respond if you heard someone say “Nothing is too good for them!?” It could result in you being supplied with a coffin that, alone, might add 500.000 Pesetas to the cost you expected to pay. Afterwards it can result in uncomfortable arguments that live with you forever, and tinge the memories you want to keep of your loved-one.

When you need Help In Spain, you’ll find it at www.helpinspain.org Rev Clive and Ann Read, on Spain’s Costa Blanca.

clive@cliveread.com

Should you lose a loved one in Spain or indeed anywhere else, you will find In Loving Memory Tributes a great help. It is an online memorial service, providing dedicated web pages to display pictures, video, words; but more importantly, memories. We are website with a personal touch, helping you, your friends and family, wherever they may be in the world, through the grieving process.