An example of international inheritance harmonized with the will of the deceased

Background of the case

A single woman living overseas who once consulted with our lawyer died, leaving a holographic will. In the will, she wrote that her ¥20,000,000 in a Japanese bank account  would be donated to a medical research institute and appointed our lawyer as its  executor. Her Japanese friends found it and sent it to our lawyer for execution.

How we solved the case

When our lawyer checked the will, she found that, unfortunately, there were mistakes in the formalities of the will and, it was invalid.

Usually, our lawyer has nothing more to do regarding the lady’s estate.  However, as our lawyer knew and learned from the lady’s friends that the lady wished to contribute to medicine, our lawyer contacted the heirs and explained the will. Our lawyer then asked the heirs to donate a considerable portion of the estate and distribute the balance in full earnest .  

The heirs showed an understanding of the lady’s will. They asked our lawyer to draft and execute an estate  division agreement that reflected the lady’s desire.

Key Point

It was beyond the scope of our lawyer’s assignment that she tried to realize the lady’s will. However, she was touched by the lady’s wish to contribute to the advancement of medicine and sincerely and enthusiastically conveyed the lady’s desire to the heirs.  Our lawyer’s sincerity and enthusiasm moved the heirs and realized the division of legacy which made everyone happy and satisfied.

However, suppose you are single without children or desire to utilize your estate in a certain way after death, it is essential to make a will  as part of your property planning.