If considering emigration, it is vital that you understand the legislation of the country in which you will be resident, with regards to probate and inheritance.
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International probate can be a complicated subject. However, it is worth noting that if you retain your British passport, and still retain some assets in England, you will be considered to be still of English domicile and so the English legal system will be followed with regards to distribution of your assets in this country.
However, if you also have assets in your new country of residence, you will usually be advised to prepare a Will in that country, also. This Will, of course, will be subject to the probate laws of that country.
What must be bourne in mind is that, depending on where you are considering living, this could affect the amount of time it takes to settle your Estate, in the event of your death. In some countries, this can take up to three years, which could of course exacerbate the stress and financial suffering felt by your loved ones.
Many solicitors may find it difficult to work with the laws of another country, and so it is advisable, if you are considering emigrating, to discuss your plans with a professional international Estate planner and probate practitioner. These specialists often have considerable knowledge of the probate process and legislation within specific countries, and will be able to advise you on the best way of organising your financial affairs to ensure that your Estate will be distributed as quickly and effectively as possible.
Many people are scared of leaving their home country for the following reasons:
These fears are perfectly understandable, one should think positively about what the expatriate life can award.
Among the positives of the expat life:
Have a better life, away from family and friends who might be judging and gossiping about peoples' every move (in some cultures).
There are expat investing endless opportunities to network with expatriates, below are the some ways to do so:
Sports:
One could always join a sports club in order to meet other expats from the same country. For example, if you are British, and want to meet British people, you could go to soccer clubs where British like to play soccer.
If you are Indian or Pakistani, you could look for cricket clubs.
One could subscribe to the local events made specifically for expatriates. link expats offers the ability to create and attend events for specific nationalities.
Bars and coffee shops:
In some cultures, bars are considered the main way to meet new people. This is completely different in others such as Muslim ones. If you are from the latter one, you could go to coffee shops where there are some people from your country.
Religious places:
Even though you might not a religious person, you can always start by going to places of worship in your community. You will always find people who are also looking to welcome new members in the community.
Networking Websites
You can always try social networking websites where you can try to meet new expatriates: link expats is a good example. If you are British and live in Italy you can go the website and search for British expatriates in Italy.