Practice areas · Estates
Drafting the will that does what you intend, and administering estates for families here and overseas.
Two kinds of client come to us on estates. The first wants a will that will actually work — clear, valid, and drafted with an eye to the property and the family as they really are. The second has lost someone and needs the estate administered, often from another country, often while a bank will not release anything without a grant from the court.
Barbados does not levy inheritance tax on beneficiaries, which removes one worry. What remains is procedure, and procedure is where estates stall.
Drafting and executing wills, including for clients with assets in more than one country.
Applying to the Probate Unit of the Supreme Court Registry where there is a will.
Where there is no will, obtaining the court's appointment of an administrator.
Recognising a grant already made in another Commonwealth jurisdiction so it can operate over Barbados assets.
Collecting assets, settling liabilities, transferring property, and distributing to beneficiaries.
Claims against an estate, disputed wills, and disagreements between beneficiaries.
If you own land in Barbados but live elsewhere, your executors will need a Barbados grant — or a resealing of the grant made where you lived — before that land can be sold or transferred. Dealing with this in your lifetime, while the deeds and the survey plan can still be found, spares your family months of work at the worst possible time.
Court fees on an application for a grant are fixed by the Supreme Court (Non-Contentious) Probate Rules and scale with the value of the estate. Timelines depend on the completeness of the papers and the Registry's workload, and we will give you a realistic estimate for your matter at the consultation rather than a figure on a website.
Barbados