What Information Should Be Given to a Lawyer When Preparing a Will?

Wills and Inheritance Agreements

Prepared by: Constantinople

When preparing a will, we first learn what you wish to leave, to whom and for what purpose. Family ties, citizenship and residence, real estate, bank assets, company shares, debts and previous wills or inheritance agreements must be examined together. Merely giving the address of a home may not suffice. The person’s own assets are distinguished at the outset from values belonging to others or held through a community of owners.

Freedom of disposition, reserved shares and capacity rules affect the plan’s feasibility. Wishing to leave property to a particular person does not remove other beneficiaries’ claims in every case. Testamentary capacity and the general assessment used for all legal transactions cannot be reduced to the same question either. Disclosing health circumstances or suspected pressure during preparation, rather than concealing them, helps assess potential future disputes.

A draft or email text prepared by a lawyer does not automatically replace a statutory form of will. The suitable form is determined together with execution and safekeeping arrangements. Earlier signed documents, desired later amendments and countries where assets are located are checked separately. Conflicting documents should not be prepared on the assumption that a disposition abroad has the same effect in Türkiye.