Originally published: December 7, 2025 | Last updated: March 19, 2026
TL;DR: The Expat Legal Wills Blog is your go-to resource for estate planning guidance when you live abroad. Whether you are a US, Canadian, or British expat, this blog covers everything from writing a Will overseas to understanding probate, executors, beneficiaries, and international estate law. ExpatLegalWills.com lets you create a legally valid Will online in about 20 minutes from anywhere in the world.
What Is the Expat Legal Wills Blog?
The Expat Legal Wills Blog functions as the official resource center for ExpatLegalWills.com which offers expatriates the ability to create valid Wills for their Canadian and American and British assets through worldwide access. The blog provides expert guidance on estate planning topics specifically relevant to people living outside their home country.
The world now hosts 6.3 million Americans who live abroad with 4.6 million British citizens and 2.8 million Canadian citizens who have chosen to live outside their home countries. The blog provides essential estate planning guidance through articles which proofreaders with twenty years of expertise in estate planning have written.
What Topics Does This Blog Cover?
The blog provides various estate planning information which targets expat citizens who need such information.
- The blog provides detailed instructions for people who want to write valid Wills when they live outside their home country. The blog explains how expatriate Wills differ from standard domestic Wills which people use for their home country. The selection process for executors involves understanding which people qualify for this role and which duties they must fulfill when they operate through different legal systems. The three countries maintain different rules which determine how property inheritance works under their respective legal systems. The signing process requires witnesses to validate the Will through affidavit creation which establishes its legal authority. The glossary of legal terms provides simple definitions for estate planning words such as probate and intestacy and testamentary trusts. International Wills serve a purpose but they have specific restrictions which make them unsuitable for expatriates who need better estate planning options. The website provides separate sections which offer dedicated content for American and British and Canadian expatriates who need to manage their home country assets.
- Expat Will requirements: what makes an expatriate Will different from a standard domestic Will
- Choosing an executor: who can serve and what responsibilities they carry across jurisdictions
- Beneficiary rules: who can (and cannot) inherit under UK, US, and Canadian law
- The signing process: witness requirements, affidavits, and how to make your Will legally binding
- Glossary of legal terms: plain-language definitions of estate planning terminology like probate, intestacy, and testamentary trusts
- International Wills: why they exist, their limitations, and better alternatives for expats
- Country-specific guides: focused articles for US, UK, and Canadian expats with assets in their home country
Who Should Read This Blog?
The blog offers content which serves readers who belong to these specific groups:
| Reader Profile | Example Scenario |
|---|---|
| Expat with home-country assets | A British citizen living in Dubai who still owns property in the UK |
| Immigrant with foreign assets | A new Canadian resident who holds assets in their birth country and needs a Canadian Will |
| Retiree living abroad | An American retiree in Mexico with bank accounts and real estate in the US |
| Temporary overseas worker | A Canadian on a 2-year assignment in Singapore with assets back home |
| Anyone needing multiple Wills | Someone with assets in 2+ countries who needs complementary, non-conflicting Wills |
Why Is Estate Planning Important for Expats?
When someone dies without creating a Will the government uses its own system to decide who will receive their property instead of following their personal instructions. The situation becomes more complex for expats because their assets across different nations must follow the distinct intestacy rules which each country has established. The main dangers which affect this situation consist of:
- Wills must exist for all countries where expats maintain assets but these documents require professional drafting to create suitable links which prevent document conflicts. ExpatLegalWills.com specializes in exactly this.
- Foreign assets may require a separate probate process in each country
- A Will written under one country’s laws may not be accepted by courts in another country
- Two standard Wills can accidentally revoke each other if not carefully drafted
Key Takeaway
The law demands that surviving spouses must share their inherited property with their children according to most state regulations. Foreign assets require probate administrations to process through each nation which possesses jurisdiction over these assets. Courts from other nations will not accept Wills which people write according to their home country’s legal system. The two standard Wills will cancel each other out when people fail to properly draft them.
How Can You Create a Will as an Expat?
The service at ExpatLegalWills.com allows you to create a Last Will and Testament under the laws of the US, Canada, or UK from anywhere in the world. The process takes about 20 minutes and costs $34.95 USD / £24.95 GBP. The resulting document is word-for-word identical to one prepared by a licensed attorney or solicitor.
Once completed, you simply download, print, and sign your Will in the presence of two adult witnesses who are not beneficiaries. The process does not require any legal assistance from lawyers or notaries and you can avoid going back to your home country.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate Will for each country where I own assets?
Yes. Each jurisdiction controls its own probate and inheritance laws which operate independently from other areas. A Will written under one country’s laws may not be accepted or enforceable in another. ExpatLegalWills.com creates Wills that deal exclusively with assets in a specific jurisdiction and are designed to complement; not conflict with; Wills written elsewhere.
Can I write a Will for my home country while living abroad?
Absolutely. You do not need to be physically present in your home country to create a valid Will for assets held there. ExpatLegalWills.com enables you to prepare US, Canadian, or UK Wills from any location worldwide.
Is this blog written by legal professionals?
Yes. Tim Hewson leads LegalWills as its President and CEO while also running USLegalWills.com and LegalWills.ca and LegalWills.co.uk and ExpatLegalWills.com. He brings two decades of professional experience in estate planning to his leadership role.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
- Expat Wills: What They Are and Why You Need One - April 2, 2026
- Can I Write My Own Last Will and Testament? - March 26, 2026
- The Expat Legal Wills Blog: Your Resource for Estate Planning Abroad - March 19, 2026
