ESTATE PLANNING · LEGAL REVIEW
Plan Your Estate Around Your Family and Assets
Assess wills, inheritance agreements, company and foundation options against your intended result. Start with the documents and legal limits, then identify the steps that may be available.
Define the Result You Want to Achieve
Estate planning begins with more than deciding who should receive a particular asset. Family circumstances, liabilities, earlier gifts, company shares, assets abroad and the practical implementation after death must be considered together. The same objective does not call for the same document or structure in every matter.
You may wish to prepare a will, review an existing document, consider the future of a family business or dedicate assets to a foundation. At the outset, we identify the objective and the decisions you need to make in writing. We explain the assumptions behind the plan and the matters requiring further investigation.
Assess Wills and Inheritance Agreements Together
A will and an inheritance agreement differ in their formation, binding effect and possibilities for change. The choice requires a review of the person’s wishes, capacity, family circumstances, existing agreements and applicable formalities. The existence of a signed document does not establish that these questions have been resolved.
Reserved shares and the disposable portion of the estate are considered alongside earlier gifts and lifetime transfers. Choosing a template before examining the legal limits of the intended result may create disputes when the document is implemented. The appropriate instrument should be selected after the relevant documents and family circumstances have been reviewed.
Choosing between a will and an inheritance agreement · Points to review before an inheritance agreement
Review the Company and Foundation Aspects Separately
The economic value of company shares, management and authority to represent the company are distinct matters. Review the company type, articles of association, share and register records, arrangements between shareholders, liabilities and continuity requirements together. A provision in an estate plan should not be assumed to resolve every future management issue.
If a foundation is contemplated, its purpose, the assets to be dedicated, its governance and registration process require separate assessment. The possibility of establishing a foundation by a disposition on death does not make it appropriate for every objective. The relationship between the intended purpose and the assets allocated to it must be defined.
Company and shareholder matters · Foundations and institutional structures · Establishing a foundation by will
Coordinate Documents and Implementation Across Countries
Nationality, residence, the location of assets and foreign documents are recorded separately. A document prepared in Türkiye should not automatically be treated as sufficient for assets in another country. Where needed, the scope of coordination with legal and tax assessment in the relevant country is identified.
Holding companies, trusts and similar proposals are considered in that context. Establishing a structure does not itself resolve every inheritance, company, tax and implementation issue. Review the documents, country connections and transaction costs together.
Cross-border inheritance review · Foreign assets, holding companies and estate planning
What Can the Review Provide?
Depending on the agreed scope, a written assessment identifies the documents reviewed, the instruments that may be available, the records still required and the unresolved legal questions. Options are assessed against your objective and possible objections. We distinguish document preparation from steps requiring another procedure or additional expertise.
If drafting, preparation for a notarial act, foreign-law coordination or subsequent implementation is required, its inclusion in the scope is established at the outset. The review does not extend automatically to every later procedure. No outcome or absence of future disputes is guaranteed.
What Can You Prepare for the Initial Review?
- Information about family circumstances, nationality and residence.
- A short list of known assets, rights, company shares and liabilities.
- Existing wills, inheritance agreements, matrimonial property agreements and earlier transfer documents.
- Company documents, share records and any shareholder arrangements.
- For a contemplated foundation, its purpose and the assets being considered.
- A short note describing the intended result and the decision you need to make.
You do not need to send every sensitive document in the first message. The required documents and suitable transfer method are determined according to the matter. See information to prepare when requesting a will.
Agree the Scope and Fee in Writing
Legal assessment of documents is carried out as a paid review. Before work begins, the scope, assessment to be delivered and fee are agreed in writing. Any subsequent transaction or representation is explained as a separate stage where applicable.
Legal Basis and Review Date
Legal review: 14 November 2026. The assessment considers the Turkish Civil Code provisions on freedom of disposition, wills, inheritance agreements and foundations, together with the rules applicable to the particular assets.