Many Argentine Successions which are testamentary or Intestate probates can also involve foreign heirs residing abroad or living overseas. This means the inheritance will be international or multijurisdictional in nature. When this happens, heirs are best served by Argentine lawyers with experience in international estates, which involve two or more countries, court systems and tax agencies, as well as foreign-language documents that must meet several formal requirements to be accepted by Argentine courts. LIMERES is an Argentine law firm with experience handling these cases for heirs who live in the United States. All of the lawyers at LIMERES are bilingual or multilingual and are licensed in jurisdictions across Argentina. No one at LIMERES is licensed to practice law in the United States. Our law firm only specializes mostly in International Inheritance cases and almost the majority of our clients are native English speakers. The firm also represents clients in the sale, lease and purchase of farmland, agricultural and livestock land, and real estate in general.
If you inherited real estate, farmland or assets in Argentina, our law firm can assist in 5 easy steps:
1. Contact us for a free initial consultation for inheritance and real estate matters. We will explain how the succession works and what documents we need.
2. Gather all the necessary documents to send to Argentina [both by email and DHL/Fedex].
3. Upon receiving your documents we can file your probate anywhere in Argentina.
4. Once the court has declared the heirs (or approved the will) and the assets are registered, the heirs can sell them or keep them in their own names or through a company. A straightforward, uncontested succession often takes several months, but timing depends on the court, the province, the number of heirs and how quickly documents arrive from abroad.
5. If there are funds or real estate is sold our law firm can repatriate those funds back to the USA or anywhere in the world per the heirs’ written instructions.
Contact us to arrange a free initial consultation for your inheritance or real estate matter, or call +1 (925) 791-8555.
Inheritance and Probate Lawyers Across Argentina
We handle testamentary and intestate successions, estate planning and probate in Buenos Aires City and Province (including La Plata, Mar del Plata and Bahía Blanca), Córdoba, Mendoza, Santa Fe (including Rosario), San Juan, Santa Cruz, Chubut and the rest of the country. Through our network of 30+ lawyers in 23 provinces, we can open and follow a succession wherever the assets are, and our team works in English and Spanish.
We advise heirs who live abroad and work with their foreign attorneys, executors and administrators. We can obtain missing documents for a succession, such as birth, marriage and death certificates or property deeds (see our document services), and we manage inherited real estate through the Argentine probate courts. Over the last two decades we have helped clients around the world inherit real estate, farms and other assets in Argentina and transfer the proceeds to bank accounts abroad.
In Argentina it is common to die without a will, and intestate successions with several heirs can end in disputes. When they do, we represent our international clients in probate litigation before Argentine courts. To avoid that, we recommend that anyone with assets in Argentina consider an Argentine will.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to open a succession in Argentina if my relative left assets there?
In most cases, yes. To transfer Argentine real estate, bank accounts, vehicles or company shares to the heirs, an Argentine court succession proceeding is usually required, even if an estate was already probated in the United States. The competent court generally depends on the deceased’s last domicile and, for real estate, on where the property is located. A plain-English overview of testamentary and intestate proceedings is on Successions in Argentine Courts.
What is a declaration of heirs?
It is the court ruling that declares who the legal heirs are when there is no will (intestate succession). When there is a valid will, the court instead approves the will. Either ruling is what later allows the assets to be inventoried, registered in the heirs’ names, partitioned or sold.
Can I handle an Argentine inheritance from the U.S. without traveling?
Often, yes. Heirs abroad usually sign a power of attorney before a U.S. notary, obtain an apostille, and send it to Argentina so an Argentine attorney can act for them in court and before registries. Some situations may require additional steps, which we explain at the start.
Which documents do heirs in the U.S. usually need?
Typically the death certificate, birth and marriage certificates that prove the family relationship, passports, a power of attorney and, if there is one, the will. U.S. public documents generally need an apostille and a Spanish translation by an Argentine sworn translator. We send you an exact list for your case.
How long does a succession in Argentina take?
It depends on the court, the province, the number of heirs, whether there is a will, and how quickly documents arrive from abroad. A straightforward, uncontested succession often takes several months; cases with disputes, missing documents or assets in several provinces can take considerably longer. We give you an estimate once we review your case.
Is there an inheritance tax in Argentina?
There is no national inheritance tax. However, the Province of Buenos Aires applies a tax on free transfers of assets (Impuesto a la Transmisión Gratuita de Bienes) that can apply to inheritances above certain thresholds, and court fees and other costs apply in every succession. U.S. heirs may also have U.S. reporting obligations, so we recommend coordinating with a U.S. CPA.
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