Is a Will issued abroad legal in Panama? Part 2

This article is the second of two relating to your last will and testiment. In our first installment we noted that a foreign will can hold force in Panama but the ruling of the foreign probate judge regarding any Panamanian assets needs to be upheld in Panama by a Panamanian judge. The other option is to bring the foreign will to Panama and go through probate here. Then the problem is certifying that the will is consistent with the law of the land in which it was written.

Therefore if it is your intent to have your will opened in Panama you need to make sure that all of the proper legal assessment is included with the will to demonstrate that is proper in the country of origin. 

If you go this route the judge in Panama will submit the will to the proper authorities in the country where the will was written for certification that it follows the proper laws and procedures. If this is not proven your will will be declared invalid and an "Untested Inheritance Process" will be initiated to the detriment of your heirs.

IN short the better process is to have your estate dealt with in the country where the will is written and the Panamanian assets dealt with also. Then when the will is dealt with in court in Panama it does not need to immediately be sent back!

So until our next installment, be safe, be careful and enjoy your life.