Berlin Will: What you need to know about estate planning in 2026
The Berlin Testimony is a widely used form of inheritance regulation in Germany. In this, married couples appoint each other as heirs. An overview of what needs to be considered.
A Berliner Testament, also known as an Ehegatten-Testament, is a joint will that allows married couples and registered life partners to secure their surviving partner's financial situation. The testators name each other as sole heirs, and only after the death of the longer-living spouse do the assets pass to the common children or other specified final heirs.
This type of will can be beneficial for couples with a jointly owned home, as it allows the surviving partner to remain in the property. The costs for creating a Berliner Testament can range from free if handwritten to 90 euros if notarized.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
