Urban Thier & Federer can assist foreign clients who are seeking to administer the estate of an individual who was a resident of Germany. As an example, for probate administration where the main probate proceeding is in Germany and assets are located abroad, an ancillary probate administration at the location of the assets is often required.

As part of the probate proceedings in Germany, steps that need to be taken include: the foreign personal representative of the ancillary proceedings will need to apply at the closest German consulate for a German Certificate of Inheritance (Erbschein), a German probate court proceeding will need to be opened, the German tax authority (Finanzamt) for each municipality where assets are located needs to be contacted, any real property deeds (Grundbuch) will need to be updated to reflect the new owners, assets will need to be accounted for and identified, and a number of other issues will need to be addressed.

Through our German accountants and tax advisors, our German appraisers, and other professionals, we are able to guide our clients through the many hurdles they must face in order to successfully administer an international estate. Urban Thier & Federer routinely works with clients and attorneys abroad who retain the firm to address the German based proceedings and to coordinate with their accountants to take advantage of any applicable double taxation treaty and administer these estates. The firm also routinely works with German clients with inheritance rights abroad, in particular with rights in the United States by assisting them in retaining local counsel and then working with the client and the local counsel to administer the estate.