Testament – German Law

The Testament app guides you in three steps to your own will under German law. The app asks about your family and your wishes, shows what this means under German law, and uses fixed templates to create a sample will from which you write your will by hand. No sign-up, no internet – everything stays on your device.

STEP 1 – FAMILY Short questions, mostly yes or no: marriage or partnership, children and grandchildren, parents, siblings. The app draws your family tree and shows who inherits without a will – with each person's share and compulsory share (Pflichtteil).

STEP 2 – YOUR WISHES Who should inherit, and in what shares? A detailed questionnaire with an explanation for every question: – Berlin will (joint will of spouses) or individual will, substitute heirs, prior and subsequent heirs – House and flat: who gets them, right of residence or usufruct, mortgage, ban on sale – Protecting your partner, children and grandchildren, balancing earlier gifts fairly – Legacies, pets, charities, grave care, digital estate – Guardian for minor children – Executor – a person you trust or a lawyer, also just for legacies or until the children reach a certain age – Protection for a child with a disability or with debts – Care: thanks to relatives or helpers who care for you, equalisation among children, notes on gifts to care staff Every line of your plan can be changed with one tap.

YOUR PLAN COMPARED On the left the statutory share, on the right the share under your will. "What if …?" shows how your plan works in typical cases – for example if an heir dies before you.

AMOUNTS AND INHERITANCE TAX With rough estimates the app converts the shares into euros, shows the compulsory shares in euros and estimates German inheritance tax by tax class, allowance and rate.

GENERAL NOTES BASED ON YOUR DETAILS The app points out compulsory shares, binding effects, tax questions and pitfalls – in general terms and with the legal reference. If an answer does not fit – such as a date of birth – it tells you and takes you straight to the question.

STEP 3 – WRITE YOUR WILL BY HAND The sample will in German, to be written out by hand, with a non-binding reading version in English and an explanation of every paragraph in plain words. As PDF: sample will with instructions, summary for a notary or lawyer, funeral instructions and a personal letter to your family. A checklist guides you through to safekeeping at the local court. If you wish, the app reminds you after a year to review your will.

FREE AND FULL VERSION Family, wishes, notes and amounts are free. The full version unlocks the sample will and all PDF files – a one-off in-app purchase, no subscription. For advisers there is a separate purchase, client management: any number of clients, each with their own file.

IMPORTANT The Testament app is based exclusively on German law and is intended for wills under German law. The app is a document generator using fixed templates and does not replace advice from a lawyer or notary. Your will only becomes valid when you write it entirely by hand and sign it. Tax figures are estimates without guarantee.

PRIVACY No sign-up, no advertising, no data collection, no internet. Delete everything with one tap.

ADVERTISEMENT – BORGELT & PARTNER Questions about wills and inheritance under German law? The lawyers at Borgelt & Partner in Düsseldorf advise on wills, succession, compulsory shares and estate planning. borgelt.de/erbrecht · info@borgelt.de · +49 211 5858990

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