In North Cyprus, a will is a legal document by which a person, the testator, expresses their wishes as to how their estate and assets will be distributed at death, and names one or more persons as legal heirs, and the executor, to manage the estate until its final distribution. According to Northern Cyprus’s “Wills and Succession Law 1959” where a person dies leaving a spouse and children, the spouse will receive only 1/6 of the property and the rest will pass on children or grandchildren. In case there are no children or grandchildren the spouse will receive ½ of the estate and the rest will pass to deceased’s siblings or parents or cousins up to 6th degree of kindered. If there are no living children, siblings, parents or nieces and nephews the spouse will inherit ¾ of the estate and the rest will pass to any relatives up to 6th degree kindered. Will should be prepared according to the regulations in Northern Cyprus, then it needs to be registered at the court by a registrar.
Probate is the entire process of administering a dead person’s estate. This involves organising their money, assets and possessions and distributing them as inheritance – after paying any taxes and debts.
If someone dies without leaving a Will, the law will determine who should receive everything he owns.