Your Indian assets shouldn't leave your heirs
in 18 months of Indian probate.
If you're an NRI with Indian property, NRO / NRE balances, MFs, FDs, or a business interest — and you don't have a properly drafted Indian-jurisdiction Will (and a foreign Will that coordinates with it) — your heirs inherit a paperwork nightmare instead of your assets.
Wills, private trusts, HUF restructuring, succession-certificate assistance — all designed specifically for NRIs with cross-border families. We coordinate with your existing foreign advisor; nothing gets duplicated, nothing falls between the cracks.
What your heirs face if you don't plan
These are the patterns we've helped families resolve — after the fact. All of them are preventable with a few weeks of planning while you're still around.
Indian probate — 6 to 18 months
Without a registered Will, your heirs deal with Indian court probate. Documents from abroad, multiple hearings, court fees. 6–18 month timeline even for clean cases.
Wrong heirs by default
Indian Succession Act / Hindu Succession Act decides if there's no Will. May not match your intent — second spouse, step-children, mistresses, estranged siblings all have statutory positions.
Foreign Will doesn't cover Indian property
Your London or NYC Will technically covers Indian property, but Indian courts demand re-probate in India. Your heirs effectively probate twice — once in the foreign country, then again in India.
Frozen NRO / NRE / MF assets
Banks freeze accounts on the account holder's death and refuse transfer without legal heir certificate, Will probate, or Succession Certificate. Heirs lose access until paperwork clears — months at minimum.
Boardroom stalemate (business holdings)
Director shares + private company stakes need clear transmission. Without planning, valuation disputes and minority-shareholder rights can stall the business for months.
What we deliver
Six services, picked à la carte based on what your situation needs. Most NRIs need 1–3 of these. HNI families with cross-border complexity often need 4–6.
Indian Will drafting
Covers your Indian assets — NRO / NRE / FDs / MFs / shares / property / business interest. Includes executor appointment, witness coordination, optional registration. Drafted under Indian Succession Act 1925 or relevant personal law as applicable.
Foreign Will coordination
If you have a US / UK / UAE / Singapore Will already, we coordinate the Indian Will so the two don't contradict each other. Often the cleanest structure: one Will per jurisdiction, each restricted to assets in that jurisdiction — no cross-border probate.
Private discretionary Trust
For HNI families and complex situations: a Private Discretionary Trust holds your Indian assets during your lifetime + post-death. Trustees manage by your written intent. Useful for asset protection, control across generations, minor-child guardianship, special-needs heirs.
HUF formation / restructuring
Hindu Undivided Family structures for legacy planning + tax efficiency. Best used when one or more heirs is Resident in India. We assess fit honestly — HUFs aren't for everyone post-2020 tax changes.
Succession certificate + probate assistance
After a death in the family, heirs often need a Succession Certificate (movable Indian assets like FDs / shares / MFs) or Letter of Administration (immovable property without a Will). We handle the court filings + bank coordination from India so heirs abroad don't fly in.
Cross-border tax integration
Indian assets passing to heirs have no Indian estate tax today, but US estate tax (40% above the threshold) and UK IHT (40% above £325k) hit foreign-domiciled NRIs. We coordinate with your foreign tax advisor so the structures work both sides.
Who this service is built for
Estate planning is most useful in these six situations. If you see yourself here, the cost of waiting compounds — life events keep adding complexity.
NRI with ₹50L+ Indian assets
Mix of NRO / NRE / FDs / MFs / property / shares. Heirs abroad. Without a Will, Indian succession law applies by default — your assets get split per statute, not per your wishes.
HNI NRI with Indian business interest
Director or shareholder in an Indian company. Without proper structuring, transfer of shares to heirs triggers valuation disputes + tax disputes + boardroom stalemates.
Second-marriage or blended family
Children from a previous marriage + current spouse + step-children. Highest probate-dispute risk. A clean Will + Trust prevents the years-long courtroom fight your heirs will otherwise inherit.
NRI with minor children
If you die without a guardianship clause in an Indian-jurisdiction Will, Indian courts decide who manages your Indian assets for your kids. A Will fixes this in one paragraph.
Cross-border family
Heirs in 3+ countries. Indian Will alone isn't enough — needs to coordinate with US / UK / UAE Wills so they don't contradict each other and force probate-on-probate.
Returning NRI doing the move-back
Tax residency about to change. Estate planning is much cheaper to do BEFORE the move than after — fewer cross-border tax angles, simpler structures.
How the engagement runs
Five steps. Steps 1 and 2 are free — you see the full picture before paying for any drafting.
- Step 1
Free 30-minute asset-inventory call
A specialist CA + counsel walk through what you own where, who your potential heirs are, and what your default-succession outcome would be without planning. You see the picture clearly. No commitment.
- Step 2
Estate map + recommended structure
One-page summary: every Indian asset, default succession, risk areas, and the recommended structure (just-Will / Will + Trust / coordinated multi-jurisdiction). You decide the scope before any drafting begins.
- Step 3
Drafting + iterations
We draft your Indian Will (and Trust deed if applicable), share for review, iterate until you and your family are satisfied. We coordinate with your foreign-jurisdiction lawyers if needed.
- Step 4
Execution — witnessing, attestation, registration
NRI signs at the Indian Embassy / consulate (or any registered notary abroad). Apostille if required for cross-border recognition. Optional registration with the Indian sub-registrar for added evidentiary weight. We coordinate from India.
- Step 5
Annual review + life-event updates
Wills age badly — new child, marriage, divorce, new asset, sold asset all change the picture. We send a yearly review reminder + handle updates at scoping rates. You don't need to keep this mentally managed.
What this costs
Pricing is scoped per engagement. A basic Indian Will for a single estate is at the lower end; a multi-jurisdiction Trust + Will + coordination with your US/UK advisor sits at the higher end. We quote transparently after the asset-inventory call — no surprise fees.
Compared with what your heirs would otherwise spend on Indian probate (court fees + lawyer fees + 6–18 months of frozen assets), proper estate planning is the cheapest line item in your financial life.
Common questions
I already have a Will in the US / UK / UAE. Do I need an Indian Will too?
Almost always yes. Foreign Wills are technically valid for Indian assets, but Indian courts demand re-probate in India — meaning your heirs probate twice. The cleaner pattern is one Will per jurisdiction, each restricted to assets in that jurisdiction, with explicit non-revocation clauses so they don't contradict each other. We draft the Indian one and coordinate the language with your foreign Will.
Do I need to fly to India to sign?
No. NRIs sign at the Indian Embassy / consulate in their country of residence, or at a local registered notary with apostille for cross-border recognition. We coordinate the witnessing and registration paperwork from India.
Is registration of the Will compulsory?
Not compulsory in India, but strongly recommended for NRIs. Registered Wills have stronger evidentiary value, prevent later forgery claims, and make probate faster. The registration fee is nominal and we coordinate it through your nominated executor.
When is a Trust better than just a Will?
Trusts make sense when you have HNI complexity (multiple income-generating assets), want control to continue past your death (e.g. grandkids' education fund managed by trustees), need asset protection (creditor or matrimonial-dispute risk), or have a special-needs heir. Wills suffice for simpler estates. We'll tell you honestly on the call which is right for your situation.
Does India have estate tax / inheritance tax?
No estate tax in India as of today. However, US-domiciled NRIs face 40% US estate tax above the lifetime exemption; UK-domiciled NRIs face 40% IHT above £325k. Cross-border tax integration is part of our service if you have meaningful foreign-side exposure.
What about HUF — should I form one?
HUF can still be useful in specific cases (one or more Resident heirs, family business holdings, certain tax planning structures), but post-2020 changes have narrowed the benefits. We assess HUF fit honestly — we don't recommend it just because we can set it up.
I need probate assistance — my Indian relative just passed away. Can you help with the heir side, not the planning side?
Yes. Succession Certificate (for movable Indian assets like FDs / shares / MFs) and Letter of Administration (immovable property without a Will) are part of what we handle. We file the court applications and coordinate with Indian banks / AMCs / sub-registrars so heirs abroad don't fly in.
Plan now. Spare your heirs the courtroom.
Free 30-minute asset-inventory call. A specialist CA + counsel review your situation and tell you honestly what structure makes sense — Will, Trust, or both — before anyone bills you for anything.
Adjacent situations we handle
Different problem? Here's the right page.
One NRI tax problem usually opens a door to the next. Here's the most likely next step from where you are right now.