Effective estate planning requires far more than a will. It demands a coordinated strategy spanning succession law, inheritance tax, family law, and — for clients with assets in multiple countries — the laws of each relevant jurisdiction. LexBerg's estate planning team advises individuals and families on structuring their affairs to ensure wealth passes to the right beneficiaries, in the right way, with the minimum tax burden and maximum legal certainty across generations.
German succession law operates under a strict system of statutory heirs and forced share rights (Pflichtteil). Without a carefully drafted will or comprehensive estate plan, the statutory intestacy rules may produce outcomes very different from what the deceased intended — potentially dividing assets between a surviving spouse and children in fixed statutory shares and creating co-ownership complications that are difficult and expensive to unwind after death. LexBerg ensures our clients' intentions are given full and enforceable legal effect.
We specialise in estates with a German and international dimension — advising on the choice of applicable law under the EU Succession Regulation, the coordination of wills across multiple jurisdictions, and the management of foreign-held assets.
LexBerg works with specialist tax advisers to structure lifetime gifting programmes, trust and foundation arrangements, and corporate holding structures that minimise German Erbschaftsteuer exposure across generations.
We draft German wills — including joint spousal wills (Berliner Testament) — German powers of attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht), and advance healthcare directives that are correctly executed and fully enforceable.
For business owners, succession planning must simultaneously address the continuity of the business itself — including the preparation of a business succession plan (Unternehmensnachfolgeplan), the transfer of shares or partnership interests to the next generation in a tax-efficient manner, and the use of family foundation structures (Familienstiftung) where long-term asset protection and controlled succession are the priority. LexBerg advises on business succession as an integrated component of the overall estate plan rather than in isolation.
- German wills, joint wills (Berliner Testament), and codicils
- Estate administration and probate proceedings
- Forced share (Pflichtteil) claims and disputes
- Inheritance and gift tax planning and structuring
- Cross-border succession and international wills
- Powers of attorney (Vorsorgevollmacht) and advance directives
- Business succession planning
- Family foundation (Familienstiftung) advice
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