Wills

If someone dies without leaving a last will, Dutch law regulates how their estate is distributed. If you want to decide who gets what yourself, you need to make a ‘last will and testament’, or simply put: a will or last will.

Who gets what?
If you die without a last will, the law determines who receives your estate and how it is distributed:

• Under Dutch law, your spouse inherits your estate if you are married.
• If you have children, they too share in the inheritance.
• If you are not married and have no children, your relatives inherit: that means your parents, siblings or their heirs by representation. If your parents remarried following their divorce, your half-siblings will also inherit.

When is it wise to draw up a last will?
There are many situations in which a will is a good idea.

• Unmarried partners do not inherit from each other unless they designate each other as their heir in their last wills.
• If you’re married and have children, making a will is sensible, not only for financial reasons but also in terms of deciding who should take care of your children if you pass away.
• You want your stepchildren or grandchildren to inherit from you too.
• You want to specify a charity as your heir, rather than family members.
• You want to prevent your heirs having to share your inheritance with an ex-partner in the event of divorce.

Wondering what you should do? Make an appointment to see one of our civil-law notaries in Nuenen or Eindhoven and get advice on how to ensure the most favourable future for your partner and your children. It makes sense from a tax perspective too.