Probate & Certificate of Inheritance
We obtain the German Certificate of Inheritance (Erbschein), prepare every court application and coordinate with the probate court — without you travelling to Germany.
For English-speaking heirs worldwide
A letter arrived from Germany.We take it from here.
You live abroad. Somewhere in Germany there is an estate with your name in it — and a legal system written in a language you never had to learn. Our office assumes the entire matter: probate, courts, banks, tax offices, property, distribution.
- Handled by our office
- 100%
- Trips to Germany required
- 0
- First assessment
- 48h
Handled by our office
Trips to Germany required
First assessment
The situation
German succession does not wait for you to understand it
A death in Germany starts a chain of formal steps: the probate court, the Certificate of Inheritance, the inheritance tax return, the bank that will not speak to you, the land registry, and co-heirs who correspond only in German.
Deadlines run whether or not you know they exist. Six weeks to disclaim an estate. Three months to notify the tax office. From the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia or Ireland, that is an unfair race.
What we take off your desk
- German probate court applications
- Certificate of Inheritance (Erbschein)
- Inheritance tax calculation and filing
- Bank, property and asset transfers
- Conflicts between German and local law
- All correspondence with German authorities
Services
One office. The whole estate.
From the first German letter to the final distribution, every legal and administrative step sits with us.
View all servicesCross-border succession
We determine which law governs the estate, resolve conflicts between German law and the law of your country of residence, and structure the process accordingly.
Estate administration
From opening the estate account to settling debts and distributing assets, we run the complete administration on your behalf.
Inheritance tax
We calculate German inheritance tax exposure, apply the available allowances and reliefs, and coordinate with German tax advisors to keep the burden low.
Property & asset transfer
We arrange the transfer or sale of German real estate, securities and other assets, including notary appointments and land registry entries.
Disputes & mediation
When co-heirs disagree, we negotiate settlements, represent you in German inheritance proceedings and protect your share throughout.
How it works
From letter to payout, in five moves
We designed the process so you can resolve a German inheritance without learning German, without chasing authorities, and usually without leaving your country.
Read the full process- 01
Send us the documents
Forward the inheritance letter, will or court notice by email. We review everything and reply in English — usually within 48 hours.
- 02
We analyse the case
We identify the assets, the heirs, the applicable law, the deadlines and the tax exposure, then send you a written plan with costs.
- 03
We run probate
We obtain the Certificate of Inheritance and deal with the German probate court, notaries, banks and land registries on your behalf.
- 04
We settle tax and formalities
We handle the inheritance tax return, estate debts, asset transfers and every piece of cross-border paperwork.
- 05
You receive the inheritance
The net estate is transferred to you, with a final account of what happened and why. Most clients never set foot in Germany.
Why heirs choose us
You should not have to become an expert in a foreign legal system
We combine German inheritance law practice with the plain-English communication international clients expect. One point of contact. Written updates you can actually read.
Whether the estate is a single savings account, an apartment in Munich or a contested cross-border succession, the work is the same for you: forward the documents, then wait for our report.
- English-speaking team with German legal expertise
- One point of contact from start to finish
- No travel to Germany in most cases
- Transparent fees and a free initial enquiry
- Experience with US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish heirs
Start now
Send us the German letter. That is the whole first step.
The earlier we see the documents, the more we can protect — disclaimer deadlines, tax reliefs and your position among the co-heirs. The initial enquiry is free.
- 01Email us the documentsInheritance letter, will, death certificate — whatever you have.
- 02Receive a clear planWe explain the situation, the timeline and the costs before any work begins.
- 03We handle the restYou get on with your life. Germany becomes our problem.