Dealing with overseas assets can give even the most patient executor a continent-sized headache. Nicholas Beetham looks at how Kings Court’s in-house expertise calmly deals with an element of estate administration whose frequency is on the increase.

There seem to be many reasons for dying intestate. Inertia may be the culprit; or the (usually mistaken) beliefs that “my partner will get everything” or “I haven’t got anything to leave.” Occasionally intestacy may arise accidentally, for example where a will has been prepared but not signed, or, for whatever other reason, fails.