Potecting Assets For The Future

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Has anyone any advice on the following;

We purchased some land a few years back and had it put into my Wife and Son's names (son was two at the time)

Since then, we have built a house on it in which we live.

What is possible legally here to ensure that a) Should I die before my wife, the property and land will be left to my son, and not to a previous child from her previous marriage?

Should she die before me, what will prevent (I heard some strange stories about how an estate is divided up amongst the extended Thai family) any other remaining members of her family having any claim on it.

As I built the house using cash, there is no mortgage, the only documents are verified plans stamped by the Orbitor, and the registration book with my wife and son's names in it.

If anyone has the name of a TRUSTWORTHY (I know contradiction of terms!) Lawyer that could help this would be appreciated.

Also as a foreigner here, am I entitled to make a will? Where would I have it entrusted etc. (For example if I wanted to leave my car (registered in my name only) to a friend who maybe a foreigner too... is it possible?

Many thanks

[kamalabob2]

Myself and several of my Farang friends has employed the services of William White www.usfamilyvisa.com 02-231-6466 on Silom in Bangkok close to a BTS station. My friends expressed complete satisfaction with his services and professional fees. I was very pleased at the quality of the work, reasonable prices and prompt completion of each project. A will in both Thai and English for you, your wife, perhaps children will save you from the "statutory" situation when people die without a will. He can assist you with easements, land leases, and many matters. I e-mailed to over ten different attorneys in Bangkok for specific prices on four legal tasks and he had the lowest price of the total services I requested. None of these services related to visas.

He speaks Thai very well and made my wife completely comfortable with all of the papers she had to sign. His staff also did a fantastic job of translating our home building contract and list of exact building materials from Thai to English. This service of reviewing the building contract and translating the materials list has saved us considerable grief. William White will take the time to fully explain each item with you in person at his office and it will not feel like he has a "revolving door" on that conference room. I could only recommend TWO of the eight attorneys I paid for services in the past 35 years in California. Give him a call and make an appointment. You will sleep better and your wallet will not take a huge hit after your legal tasks are accomplished by William White.

[fletchsmile]

I can't recommend any lawyers to you as I haven't used any here yet myself.

However, I can confirm you are on the right track in needing to make a will for both you and your wife.

From my research, if your Thai spouse (married to a foreigner) dies without a will, then the assets are shared equally between: parents, spouse and children as a first call.

As your wife has children it should stop at this first step, if they are still alive and don't die at the same time or just before, so the question then would be are her parents still alive. If so they are entitled to an equal share too. As would presumably her children from previous marriages as they are still her children. So definitely time for her to get a will.

For info, if your spouse had no children and no parents, it does indeed keep going down the extended family, to brothers/sisters, grandparents, aunties/uncles etc, and you get 50%-66%. Only if she has no relatives would you alone as the spouse get 100% without a will.

Hence the message for anyone with a Thai spouse is get a will for you and your spouse, as you're doing

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Myself and several of my Farang friends has employed the services of William White www.usfamilyvisa.com 02-231-6466 on Silom in Bangkok close to a BTS station. My friends expressed complete satisfaction with his services and professional fees. I was very pleased at the quality of the work, reasonable prices and prompt completion of each project. A will in both Thai and English for you, your wife, perhaps children will save you from the "statutory" situation when people die without a will. He can assist you with easements, land leases, and many matters. I e-mailed to over ten different attorneys in Bangkok for specific prices on four legal tasks and he had the lowest price of the total services I requested. None of these services related to visas.

He speaks Thai very well and made my wife completely comfortable with all of the papers she had to sign. His staff also did a fantastic job of translating our home building contract and list of exact building materials from Thai to English. This service of reviewing the building contract and translating the materials list has saved us considerable grief. William White will take the time to fully explain each item with you in person at his office and it will not feel like he has a "revolving door" on that conference room. I could only recommend TWO of the eight attorneys I paid for services in the past 35 years in California. Give him a call and make an appointment. You will sleep better and your wallet will not take a huge hit after your legal tasks are accomplished by William White.

I can't recommend any lawyers to you as I haven't used any here yet myself.

However, I can confirm you are on the right track in needing to make a will for both you and your wife.

From my research, if your Thai spouse (married to a foreigner) dies without a will, then the assets are shared equally between: parents, spouse and children as a first call.

As your wife has children it should stop at this first step, if they are still alive and don't die at the same time or just before, so the question then would be are her parents still alive. If so they are entitled to an equal share too. As would presumably her children from previous marriages as they are still her children. So definitely time for her to get a will.

For info, if your spouse had no children and no parents, it does indeed keep going down the extended family, to brothers/sisters, grandparents, aunties/uncles etc, and you get 50%-66%. Only if she has no relatives would you alone as the spouse get 100% without a will.

Hence the message for anyone with a Thai spouse is get a will for you and your spouse, as you're doing

Many thanks for your advice.

Will give th guy a call, it is, just to ease the sleep at night and knowing that should anything happen (god forbid) that at least the kids will be looked after,

Cheers!

[AlbertTatlockDeceased]

Myself and several of my Farang friends has employed the services of William White www.usfamilyvisa.com 02-231-6466 on Silom in Bangkok close to a BTS station. My friends expressed complete satisfaction with his services and professional fees. I was very pleased at the quality of the work, reasonable prices and prompt completion of each project. A will in both Thai and English for you, your wife, perhaps children will save you from the "statutory" situation when people die without a will. He can assist you with easements, land leases, and many matters. I e-mailed to over ten different attorneys in Bangkok for specific prices on four legal tasks and he had the lowest price of the total services I requested. None of these services related to visas.

He speaks Thai very well and made my wife completely comfortable with all of the papers she had to sign. His staff also did a fantastic job of translating our home building contract and list of exact building materials from Thai to English. This service of reviewing the building contract and translating the materials list has saved us considerable grief. William White will take the time to fully explain each item with you in person at his office and it will not feel like he has a "revolving door" on that conference room. I could only recommend TWO of the eight attorneys I paid for services in the past 35 years in California. Give him a call and make an appointment. You will sleep better and your wallet will not take a huge hit after your legal tasks are accomplished by William White.

Are You On Commision - LOL, Only joking!

Many thanks for your reccomendation - I e mailed Mr. white last night (early morning) and had a really great reply before mid day!

He sounds like a reputable guy.

Thank you so much for this, I am sure we can sort things out with him, headache almost gone.

cheers!