The European Commission has just announced proposals to simplify inheritance rights between member states. It is estimated that 450,000 deaths in the EU each year involve an international element, with those estates valued at €120 billion.

It is becoming more common for people living in the UK to have second homes in other European countries, principally Spain and France, or even to retire to the sun, but when they die, it can be very costly and time consuming to wind up their estates, plus there is the language barrier. The red tape can be terrifying, especially for the bereaved relatives who have to try to untangle it. It is even more complicated for those who have lived in various countries throughout their lives.