Italy · Inheritance · Fixed-fee law firm
Administering an estate in Italy
Losing someone is hard enough without a foreign legal system to navigate. We take care of the Italian side for you, in plain English, for a clear fixed fee agreed before we start.
Colin comes from a family of lawyers going back to 1888, and today we are a law firm dedicated to cross-border inheritance. We act for international and expatriate families — people who have built their lives across borders and now face a death that touches Italy, Portugal, Spain or France. We work in English and several other European languages, wherever you are. Your matter is handled and signed off personally by Colin Carroll — a dual-qualified solicitor, admitted in both England and Ireland, who has lived and worked on the European continent for twenty-five years. Today he is the registered, insured lawyer with the Ordine degli Avvocati (the Italian Bar) and the bars of Portugal, Spain and France, under EU Directive 98/5/EC, with professional-indemnity insurance in each country of practice.
You don’t have to become an expert in Italian law overnight — that’s our job. We carry the process, and keep you informed at every step.
Italy does not have “probate” in the English sense, and no executor. The estate passes to the heirs themselves, who must accept the inheritance. Heirship is proved by the atto di notorietà (a declaration sworn on the evidence of two independent witnesses); a foreign will must first be deposited and published before an Italian notary (the pubblicazione); the estate is declared to the Agenzia delle Entrate (the dichiarazione di successione, within twelve months); and the property is transcribed to the heirs at the land registry, with the cadastral records updated (the voltura). We handle all of it for you, remotely if you prefer, under a power of attorney, so you do not need to travel.
One warning for day one: in Italy, acceptance of an inheritance can be tacit, by conduct — an heir who starts dealing with the assets may be treated as having accepted, estate debts included, and an heir already in possession of estate property has only three months to complete an inventory if their liability is to stay limited. So tell the family to touch nothing in Italy until the acceptance strategy is settled — and tell us what’s happened first.
All fees are fixed and agreed in writing before work begins, plus third-party costs shown up front (+ VAT).
The four services, at a glance
Transfer a property after a death
they lived abroad — we handle the Italian leg
€5,000 + VAT
See the full service
Cross-border administration
assets in two countries — the heart of what we do
€8,500–€10,500 + VAT
See the full service
Complex estates
trusts, businesses, several properties — bespoke
from €17,500 + VAT
See the full service
Every fee is fixed and agreed in writing before work begins; third-party costs are always shown separately. Once your fixed fee is quoted in writing, the price does not change unless the facts of the estate turn out to be different — and if they do, we tell you and agree a revised scope before any further work.
Transfer an Italian property after a death when they lived abroad
€5,000 + VATFor families where the person who died lived in their home country abroad and owned one property in Italy (perhaps with one Italian bank account). Your home-country lawyer deals with the estate at home; we handle only the Italian leg and keep them updated.
John lived in Manchester and left a valid English will; his solicitor at home is handling the English estate. In Italy he owned one Ligurian apartment and one bank account, leaving two children who agree on everything. We handle the Italian leg alongside John’s solicitor: we have the will published before the Italian notary, prepare our Certificate of English Law in Italian, obtain each heir’s codice fiscale, prove the heirs by the atto di notorietà, file the dichiarazione di successione, and see the apartment transcribed and the cadastral records updated in the children’s names. John’s family also asked us to release his one Italian bank account alongside — a €400 add-on.
What our fee includes:
- Confirming, under EU Regulation 650/2012 (“Brussels IV”), which country’s law governs the property.
- The publication of the foreign will before an Italian notary (pubblicazione) — the formality every foreign will needs before it can operate on Italian property.
- Preparing and signing, in Italian, our Certificate of English Law (drafted in-house).
- An Italian tax code (codice fiscale) for each heir, obtained by proxy, and acting for you under a power of attorney with special powers.
- Proving the heirs — the atto di notorietà (or the lighter self-certification where the institution accepts it; we prepare to the stricter standard from the start).
- The succession return (dichiarazione di successione) to the Agenzia delle Entrate, filed telematically — including the self-assessment of any tax for deaths since 1 January 2025.
- Transcription of the property to the heirs at the land registry and the cadastral update (voltura).
Timescale: typically 4 to 7 months for the Italian leg once we have the home-country grant and full documents.
Add-ons (each at a fixed price agreed in advance): releasing an Italian bank account alongside €400 per account; discharging a mortgage €350; each additional property €1,000; four heirs included, then €450 per additional heir (each extra heir needs a codice fiscale and their own filings); selling the property afterwards (fixed-fee assistance, priced separately by value from €2,900, with a lower fee for families we’ve already acted for).
Our fee assumes the person lived in their home country (not Italy); a valid will or agreed intestacy; one property with clean cadastral records; heirs in agreement; no trust, dispute, or foreign assets beyond the Italian leg. As a routine part of getting it right, we confirm which country’s law applies — for someone who lived in the UK that is almost always their own home law, exactly as you’d expect. If anything turns out differently, we’ll tell you and agree any extra fee before doing the work.
Working with a solicitor or lawyer at home? They are welcome to bring us in to handle the Italian side — see our For advisers page.
Settle an Italian estate when they lived in Italy
€6,000 + VATFor families where the person who died lived in Italy, with one home and one Italian bank account, direct heirs in agreement, and no assets outside Italy.
Margaret had lived in Liguria for twenty years and made an Italian will. She left her home near Sanremo and one local account to her two children, with nothing outside Italy. We administer the whole Italian estate for them — the acceptance strategy, proof of the heirs, the dichiarazione di successione with the self-assessed tax, the transcription and voltura of the home, and the release of the account (svincolo).
What our fee includes: everything needed to settle the whole Italian estate — confirming entitlement under the will or the Italian rules of succession (including the legittima, the reserved shares of the spouse and children); the acceptance strategy for each heir (express, tacit, or with benefit of inventory where protection is needed); publication of the will where there is one; the atto di notorietà; the dichiarazione di successione and the payment plan for any self-assessed tax; transcription and voltura of the property; releasing the bank account against the succession filing; and accounting to the heirs.
Timescale: on average 6 to 10 months — Italian banks in particular can take three to six months to review a foreign-heir release.
Add-ons (each at a fixed price agreed in advance): each additional bank account €400 (one account is included); four heirs included, then €450 per additional heir; discharging a mortgage €350; each additional property €1,000.
Our fee assumes a valid will or agreed intestacy; one property with clean cadastral records; one account; direct adult heirs in agreement; no foreign assets, trust or dispute; a solvent estate. Where a minor inherits, Italian law requires acceptance with benefit of inventory and the court’s authorisation — a non-contentious protective step we quote separately. If anything changes, we’ll give you a revised scope, timetable and fee before continuing.
Cross-border estate administration the heart of what we do
€8,500 → €10,500 + VATFor estates that span two legal systems — typically someone who lived in Italy but kept assets in their home country, or who owned Italian assets alongside assets abroad. This is the specialist work we are built for. €8,500 for a clean two-system estate; €10,500 where the estate is multi-asset (for example a portfolio, a pension, a life policy, or three or more accounts).
Brian had made Italy his home and left an English will, a house near Imperia, one Italian account and one UK account, and two children — two clean legal systems, for €8,500.
Diane, also resident here, left an English will electing English law, her Ligurian home, two Italian accounts, a UK account, a UK investment portfolio, a UK pension (SIPP) and a life policy, and three children — everything Brian’s estate needed, plus the pension notification, the life-policy claim, the portfolio and deeper tax coordination across both countries, for €10,500.
What our fee includes: the entire Italian side, start to finish — the acceptance strategy, publication of the will, proof of the heirs, the dichiarazione di successione and self-assessed tax, transcription and voltura, and the bank release (the same work, in full, as Settle an Italian estate above) — plus the cross-border layer: the Brussels IV / renvoi / forced-heirship (legittima) analysis across both systems; coordination with your home-country lawyer and institutions; the SIPP/pension notification and any life-policy claim; relief under the UK–Italy double-taxation convention where UK inheritance tax also arises; and tax coordination across both countries.
Heirs: we obtain an Italian codice fiscale for the heirs wherever in the world they live — four heirs are included, then €450 per additional heir, with no limit on the number we can act for.
Timescale: typically 9 to 15 months, depending on the foreign institutions and any property sale.
Our fee assumes the heirs are in agreement; no trust; no dispute; and the asset mix matches the tier quoted. The legal work in the other country — including any home-country grant of probate and the administration of the assets there — is carried out by a lawyer qualified in that country, which we coordinate with but do not undertake ourselves; their fees are separate. Trusts, contested estates, businesses or multiple properties move the matter to Complex (below).
Working with a solicitor or lawyer at home? They are welcome to bring us in to handle the Italian side — see our For advisers page.
Complex estates bespoke
from €17,500 + VATFor estates involving a trust, multiple properties or countries, a business or farm, an insolvent estate, historic cadastral or title irregularities that must be put right before anything can move, or a minor or incapacitated heir (where Italian law requires acceptance with benefit of inventory and the court’s authorisation — a non-contentious protective step).
Robert died resident in Italy, leaving a Turin apartment and a Ligurian villa (one mortgaged, one with an unregistered extension to regularise), a UK family trust holding investments, and a small lettings business — with three children, one still a minor. We lead the whole non-contentious succession: the trust and structure analysis, the protective authorisation for the minor heir, both properties, the regularisation, the business, and tax coordination across both countries.
What our fee includes: because every complex estate is different, the exact scope is set out in your written quote — but it typically covers leading the whole non-contentious succession across both countries: the trust or structure analysis; any protective authorisation the court requires for a child or vulnerable heir; every property, any mortgage and any title regularisation; a business or farm; the tax coordination across both countries; and a codice fiscale for the heirs wherever they live.
We are a non-contentious firm: where there is an actual dispute between heirs that needs to be litigated, we’ll introduce you to a trusted specialist litigator — and continue to handle the non-contentious administration alongside.
Our price: bespoke, from €17,500 + VAT, agreed in advance — by reference to the work involved and the value and complexity of the estate. Complex estates commonly take 18 months or more.
Working with a solicitor or lawyer at home? They are welcome to bring us in to handle the Italian side — see our For advisers page.
Only an Italian bank account to deal with, and no property? You may not need a full estate service — our Bank & Asset Release service handles the account on its own. Tell us what’s happened and we’ll point you the right way.
Third-party costs (disbursements) — never included in our fee
These are official costs payable to third parties, not to us. We keep them separate and transparent.
| Disbursement | What it is | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|
| Publication of the will (pubblicazione) | The notarial act by which a will — including a foreign will — is deposited and published in Italy before it can operate on Italian property | quoted in advance |
| Notarial acts, where the file needs one | For example a formal deed of acceptance, or acts required at a later sale | quoted in advance |
| Inheritance tax (imposta di successione) | 4% for spouse and children above a €1,000,000 allowance each; 6% for siblings above €100,000; 6%–8% for others — self-assessed in the return for deaths since 1 January 2025 | flagged, never part of our fee |
| Cadastral and mortgage taxes (ipocatastali) | 2% + 1% of the cadastral value of Italian real estate (minimum €200 each; fixed €200 each where a qualifying heir claims first-home relief) | by cadastral value |
| Stamp duties and registry fees | Filing stamps, cadastral inspections, land-registry fees | a few hundred euros |
| Codice fiscale | The Italian tax code each heir needs — no state fee; obtained by proxy | — |
| Sworn translation (traduzione asseverata) | Italian courts and notaries require foreign documents in sworn Italian translation, with revenue stamps | quoted in advance |
| Apostille / legalisation | Of the home-country grant, will and death certificate — you arrange this yourself at home (for example the UK FCDO); we don't get involved in it | ~£45 per document |
Two things are never part of our fee, listed separately so there are no surprises: (1) the third-party costs above; and (2) where there are assets in your home country, your home-country lawyer’s own fees.
A note on tax. Italian succession taxes are declared on the cadastral value of real estate — usually well below market value — and for deaths since 1 January 2025 the tax is self-assessed in the return and paid within 90 days of the filing deadline. The Italian declaration is part of our work — we compute the tax, prepare the declaration and file it. Your home-country tax is not ours, and we say early where an adviser at home is needed.
Certificates of foreign law
Because Colin Carroll is both the regulated local lawyer and an English-qualified solicitor, we can produce, in-house, the cross-border law certificates these matters need — in the right language, ready to file. Where a certificate is needed for a succession we’re already handling, it’s included in our fee; the prices below are for a certificate on its own.
- Certificate of English Law for the notaio or registry — explaining your home-country will so the Italian process can act on it. €1,200 (standard) / €2,200 (complex), + VAT.
- Certificate / opinion of Italian law for the England & Wales Probate Registry — for UK solicitors and executors. From €1,200 + VAT.
Advisers: full detail on our For advisers page and the Italy certificate page.
Our promise on fees (the no-surprises clause)
Our fees are based on a standard matter with no unforeseen complications. In the unlikely event something arises that would increase the fee, we will explain it to you in full — the issue, the extra work, and the additional fee — and agree it with you before doing the work. You will always have a written quote before you instruct us.
How you pay
We agree your fixed fee in writing before any work begins — and we keep things clear and predictable on both sides.
- To open your matter, we ask for the first part of our fixed fee — invoiced and receipted immediately.
- As the work reaches its milestones — the succession filing, then the transcription of the property — further instalments fall due, so only a small final amount remains at the end. There’s never a single large bill.
- Third-party costs are never part of our fee and are never held by us. For each one — the notary, the taxes, the translations — we prepare the payment for you: who, how much, and the exact reference; you pay it directly and we confirm and file the proof. Small administrative items we simply pay ourselves and re-charge at cost on your next invoice. We never hold client or estate money. Why we never hold your money →
Unlike in the UK, where one executor administers the whole estate, here each heir inherits directly and we act for you personally — so, as is standard in Italy, Portugal, Spain and France, we ask for a payment on account and settle the fee in stages as the work is done.
Common questions
Is there probate in Italy?
No — Italy has no probate in the English sense and no executor administering the estate. The estate passes to the heirs themselves, who must accept the inheritance; heirship is proved by the atto di notorietà, the estate is declared to the Agenzia delle Entrate (the dichiarazione di successione), and the property is transcribed to the heirs at the land registry.
What does it cost to administer an estate in Italy?
A fixed fee agreed in writing before we start: €5,000 to transfer an Italian property when the person lived abroad, €6,000 to settle the estate of someone who lived in Italy, €8,500–€10,500 for a cross-border estate, and from €17,500 for complex estates. Third-party costs are shown separately.
Do I have to travel to Italy?
No. We act for you under a power of attorney with special powers and handle everything remotely, in plain English — including each heir's Italian tax code (codice fiscale), obtained by proxy wherever in the world they live.
Is there inheritance tax in Italy?
Yes, but a gentle one by European standards: spouse and children pay 4% only above a €1,000,000 tax-free allowance each; siblings 6% above €100,000; others 6% or 8%. On real estate, cadastral and mortgage taxes (2% + 1% of the cadastral value) also apply. For deaths since 1 January 2025 the tax is self-assessed in the return and paid within 90 days of the filing deadline. We compute, prepare and file the succession tax return as part of the work; tax back home is not ours, and we say early where an adviser at home is needed. The tax itself is never part of our fee.
Should the family touch the Italian assets before the estate is settled?
No — this matters in Italy. Acceptance of an inheritance can be tacit, by conduct: an heir who starts dealing with the assets may be treated as having accepted the estate, debts included, and an heir in possession of estate property has only three months to complete an inventory if their liability is to stay limited. Tell us what's happened before anyone touches anything.