# Wills in Georgia — making and challenging a will With a will, you decide who gets your property. We help you make a will that no one can successfully contest — and we protect heirs when a will is unfair or was made in breach of the law. - Confidential - Georgian · English · Russian - Free first consultation - Courts of all instances A will can be made by an adult with legal capacity who, at that moment, can reasonably judge their own actions. A will must be made in person — it cannot be made through a representative. Only spouses can make a joint will, about inheriting from each other. You can change or revoke a will at any time. You can leave property to relatives, to other people or to organisations. But the deceased's children, parents and spouse are entitled to a compulsory share regardless of the will — half of what they would have received without a will (Civil Code, Article 1371). ## Forms of a will FormHow it is madeWhat to knowNotarial willThe testator writes and signs it, a notary certifies itThe most reliable; a notarial will takes priority and cannot be revoked by a will in another formRecorded by a notaryThe notary writes down the testator's words with 2 witnesses presentThe testator reads it and signs it in front of the notary and a witnessHandwritten willThe testator writes it by hand and signs itCan be handed to a notary in a sealed envelope for safekeeping, with 3 witnesses present A witness cannot be a minor, an heir under the will or their close relatives — parents, children, siblings or spouse. The notary and witnesses may not disclose the content of the will before the inheritance opens. ## When a will can be challenged - When making it, the testator could not understand the meaning of their actions — for example, because of a serious illness - The will was made in breach of the legal rules — form, witnesses, signature - The will was made through deception, coercion or another ground that makes a transaction void - The provisions of the will are unclear or contradict each other - The will ignores your compulsory share — in that case you claim the share separately A claim to invalidate a will must be filed within 2 years of the inheritance opening — usually the day the person died. Once the will is invalidated, the estate is divided under the law. ## Our services - Drafting a will and having it certified by a notary - Joint will of spouses - Reviewing and changing an existing will - Lawsuit to invalidate a will - Claiming the compulsory share - Executing the will and registering property to the heir ## Questions & answers ### Is a handwritten will valid? Yes — a handwritten will is valid if the testator wrote it by hand and signed it. But it is easier to contest, so we recommend a notarial will. ### Can I leave my child nothing at all? Children, parents and the spouse are entitled to a compulsory share regardless of the will — half of their share under the law. The exception is when an heir has lost the right to inherit under the law, for example as an unworthy heir. ### How long do I have to challenge a will? 2 years from the inheritance opening. After that, the will can no longer be challenged. ### There are several wills — which one applies? A newer will revokes the older one to the extent they conflict. A notarial will, however, takes priority and cannot be revoked by a will in another form. ## Legal basis - [Civil Code of Georgia](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/31702) - [Law on Notaries](https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/90928) Official texts (in Georgian) — Legislative Herald of Georgia, matsne.gov.ge. ## Related topics - [#Inheritance](https://mmlaw.ge/en/inheritance-lawyer/) - [#Family & children](https://mmlaw.ge/en/family-lawyer/) - [#Property](https://mmlaw.ge/en/real-estate-lawyer/) - - [Inheritance lawyer](https://mmlaw.ge/en/inheritance-lawyer/) - - [Legal help for Georgians living abroad](https://mmlaw.ge/en/georgians-abroad/) - - [Dividing marital property in a Georgian divorce](https://mmlaw.ge/en/marital-property-division/) - - [Gambling debts](https://mmlaw.ge/en/gambling-debts-georgia/) - - [Accepting an inheritance in Georgia from abroad](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/inheritance-from-abroad/) - - [Power of attorney from abroad for use in Georgia](https://mmlaw.ge/en/blog/power-of-attorney-from-abroad/) - - [Accepting an inheritance · Georgians abroad](https://mmlaw.ge/en/georgians-abroad/accepting-an-inheritance/) - - [Real estate lawyer](https://mmlaw.ge/en/real-estate-lawyer/) Practice areas ## Other practice areas - [Criminal defense](https://mmlaw.ge/en/criminal-defense-lawyer/) — Defense at every stage — from investigation and arrest to trial and appeal. - [Drug offences](https://mmlaw.ge/en/drug-crime-lawyer/) — Defence in cases of buying, possessing, selling and importing drugs — and against fines and administrative detention. - [Cybercrime](https://mmlaw.ge/en/cybercrime-lawyer/) — Defense in cybercrime cases and help for victims of online fraud, hacked accounts and blackmail. - [Property crimes](https://mmlaw.ge/en/property-crime-lawyer/) — Defence in theft, robbery, fraud, extortion, embezzlement and misappropriation cases. - [Economic crimes](https://mmlaw.ge/en/economic-crime-lawyer/) — Defence against tax evasion, money laundering, customs and other economic charges. - [Corruption and official crimes](https://mmlaw.ge/en/corruption-crime-lawyer/) — Defence in bribery, trading in influence and abuse of official power cases. - [Violent crimes](https://mmlaw.ge/en/violent-crime-lawyer/) — Defence in assault, bodily injury, threats and homicide cases — including self-defence. - [Juvenile justice](https://mmlaw.ge/en/juvenile-justice-lawyer/) — Specialised representation of minors, focused on their rights and future. - [Civil litigation](https://mmlaw.ge/en/civil-litigation-lawyer/) — Contract, property and damages disputes — negotiated or argued in court. - [Administrative law](https://mmlaw.ge/en/administrative-law-lawyer/) — Challenging decisions of public bodies, fines, permits and licences. - [Labor disputes](https://mmlaw.ge/en/employment-lawyer/) — Unlawful dismissal, unpaid wages and employment contracts — for employees and employers. - [Corporate law](https://mmlaw.ge/en/corporate-lawyer/) — Company formation, contracts, compliance and shareholder matters. - [Real estate](https://mmlaw.ge/en/real-estate-lawyer/) — Due diligence, purchase agreements, registration and property disputes. - [Family law](https://mmlaw.ge/en/family-lawyer/) — Divorce, custody, alimony and division of property — handled with discretion. - [Inheritance](https://mmlaw.ge/en/inheritance-lawyer/) — Accepting an inheritance, the certificate of inheritance, wills and disputes between heirs. - [Intellectual property](https://mmlaw.ge/en/intellectual-property-lawyer/) — Trademarks, copyright and protection of your creative and business assets. --- Source: https://mmlaw.ge/en/wills-in-georgia/ · MMLAW · +995 551 00 43 00 · info@mmlaw.ge