~ Legal professionals, some questions/answers to assist you ~

• When the existence of a will has been established, who has to be contacted to obtain information about its content?

Information on the content of the will is sent by the Court of the Peace that opened the will or the notary who drew up the will. They are usually located in the jurisdictional district of the deceased’s last known place of residence. Otherwise, a copy of the protocol covering the opening of the will is sent to the Clerk of the Court of First Instance of Athens, where the country’s central electronic archives are held and where the names of all the deceased persons whose wills have been opened are listed in alphabetical order. This copy is used to identify the court which opened the will and/or the notary who drew it up.

• Who is entitled to receive the information?

The information contained in the will, and if necessary a copy of the will itself, can be sent to public authorities, legal professionals responsible for settling the succession, wherever they are located, and, more generally, any person with a legitimate interest. Evidence of this interest must be provided.

• Is there a particular procedure to be followed? If so, which one?

For the information contained in the will, or a copy of the will itself, to be communicated, the will must have been opened in accordance with Greek law.

• By what means can the information be sent?

The information contained in the will and/or a copy of the will itself are sent by post or electronically.

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