You're reading: Ukraine joins international wills registration system

Ukraine is to join the unified system of the registration of wills and inheritance contracts, the press service of the Justice Ministry of Ukraine has reported.

This system is used by the countries that are signatories of the Convention on the Establishment of a Scheme of Registration of Wills.

A respective instruction of the Ukrainian government, which was drawn up in connection with the ratification of the abovementioned convention by Ukraine, envisages the state registration of wills and inheritance contracts in the Testament Register.

"The envisaged system of registration will help reduce the risks of a testament remaining unknown or being delayed in discovery. In addition, [the system will be aimed at] revealing testaments after the death of a testator. The system will also facilitate a rapid search for testaments registered in other countries that are members of the Convention on the Establishment of a Scheme of Registration of Wills," reads the press release citing Ukrainian Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych as saying.

He noted that the Testament Register would be an electronic database of wills, inheritance contracts, inheritance cases, and licenses for inheritance.

The Justice Ministry will be the holder of the Testament Register.

According to the convention, the ministry is obliged to provide requests for information from foreign states.

As of today, Belgium, Estonia, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, and France are the member-states of the Council of Europe that have signed the convention.