Have you made a will?

[UglySister]

This popped up in another thread and is smg I´ve been thinking about since DD was born. DH and I have different nationalities and we live in a third country, so for a start I don´t know where best to make a will because of implications on the law in each country. Also, there is nobody I would like my DD to live with in the event something happened to both DH and I. Terrible isn´t it? Anyone got an idea about a way forward?

When I was pregnant with dd, I worried about this too, in particular I was worried about what would happen to dd if we died. I went to the Jugendamt (child welfare) here and they told me she would be put in a home initially and then fostered out as soon as possible. They would make no effort to contact relatives outside Germany.

That got me freaked. I was told that I could make a will (has to go through a notary). In Germany this will is then lodged somewhere centrally. If you die, the authorities check whether you have a will filed in this manner. Any other wills I might make which do not go through this process, would carry no weight in regard to the child's welfare. This is what I was told for Berlin anyway.

I still haven't written the will though...

Oh my God, can´t believer they wouldn´t contact and family outside of Germany! Surely this can´t be right?! I´m going to take action really SOON!

Don't panic now!!!!!!!!!!!This is what they told me but nearly 6 years ago and I never took it further. Here I was told they contact your family overseas IF you've been through a notary and had your will officially lodged in this central register, think it might even be called Zentralregister.

Mind you if you register with your embassy on arrival, they'd have your next of kin, wouldn't they?

Don't panic now!!!!!!!!!!!This is what they told me but nearly 6 years ago and I never took it further. Here I was told they contact your family overseas IF you've been through a notary and had your will officially lodged in this central register, think it might even be called Zentralregister.

Mind you if you register with your embassy on arrival, they'd have your next of kin, wouldn't they?

Don't panic now!!!!!!!!!!!This is what they told me but nearly 6 years ago and I never took it further. Here I was told they contact your family overseas IF you've been through a notary and had your will officially lodged in this central register, think it might even be called Zentralregister.

Mind you if you register with your embassy on arrival, they'd have your next of kin, wouldn't they?

sorry about the triple posting! It was so slow, I kept losing the connection and in the end the posting came up 3x!

Thanks for reminding me of it, I will register with my Embassy and start the ball rolling tomorrow. I´ll also ask them what the procedure here is in case of death. Thanks!