Wills don’t travel, and neither do the rules behind them

Moving does not automatically invalidate your will, but it can change which law applies to your estate, because the EU Succession Regulation looks at where you live at death. Updating the will after a move is generally advisable. Consult a qualified cross-border adviser for your situation.

Not yet. Wills and other documents can be prepared now for 🇬🇧 United Kingdom - England, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom - Wales and 🇲🇹 Malta, with more jurisdictions coming soon. When you pick a jurisdiction that is not available yet, we say so and you can register your interest to hear when it launches. The other tools on Orchard72, such as keeping records of your assets and storing documents securely, work wherever you live.

US state rules vary substantially: execution formalities, holographic acceptance, capacity, revocation, and the court process after death differ across states. Wills for US states are coming soon: they are not available to prepare yet, and you can register your interest when you pick your state. For US-domiciled testators, working with a US-licensed adviser is generally recommended regardless of which platform drafts the will.

Under the EU Succession Regulation 650/2012, EU residents can elect the law of their nationality (instead of habitual residence) to apply to their estate. The election needs to be made expressly in the will. Outside the EU, professio juris (choosing the governing law) varies by jurisdiction. This is a planning decision. Discuss it with a qualified cross-border adviser.

During onboarding we record your citizenship, tax residency, domicile and any plans to move, because a conflict-of-laws analysis years later depends on exactly those facts.

The European Certificate of Succession is a document issued under the EU Succession Regulation 650/2012 that proves an heir’s, executor’s, or administrator’s status across EU member states (excluding Ireland and Denmark). It simplifies estate administration when assets are in multiple EU countries. We don’t issue the Certificate (a national authority does), but the evidence pack we produce supports the application.