Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Skip to main content

Expertise

Services

We have the expertise to handle the most demanding transactions. Our commercial understanding and experience of working with leading financial institutions, professional advisers and regulatory bodies means we add real value to clients’ businesses.

View all Services

Employment law

Intellectual Property

Listing services

Restructuring and Insolvency

Business Services Team

Executive Team

German Desk

French desk

Accounting and Financial Reporting Services

Cayman Islands AML/CFT training

Corporate Services

Debt Capital Markets

Governance Services

Investor Services

Ogier Connect

Private Wealth Services

Real Estate Services

Regulatory and Compliance Services

Ogier Global

Consulting

View all Consulting

Business Services Team

View all Business Services Team

Sectors

Our sector approach relies on smart collaboration between teams who have a deep understanding of related businesses and industry dynamics. The specific combination of our highly informed experts helps our clients to see around corners.

View all Sectors

Aviation and Marine

BVI Law in Europe and Asia

Energy and Natural Resources

Family Office

Foreign direct investment (FDI)

Funds Hub

Private Equity

Real Estate

Regulatory, Investigations and Enforcement

Restructuring and Insolvency

Sustainable Investing and ESG

Technology and Web3

Trusts Advisory Group

Locations

Ogier provides practical advice on BVI, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Irish, Jersey and Luxembourg law through our global network of offices across the Asian, Caribbean and European timezones. Ogier is the only firm to advise on this unique combination of laws.

News and insights

Keep up to date with industry insights, analysis and reviews. Find out about the work of our expert teams and subscribe to receive our newsletters straight to your inbox.

Fresh thinking, sharper opinion.

About us

We get straight to the point, managing complexity to get to the essentials. Our global network of offices covers every time zone. 

No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Components.General.Banners.BannerComponentVm

New law on validity of wills in Cayman

News

15 February 2019

Cayman Islands

1 min read

The Cayman Islands' Formal Validity of Wills (Persons Dying Abroad) Law, 2018 came into effect on 1 February 2019.

The law is important to people who own shares in Cayman Islands companies or have interests in Cayman Islands investment funds for example, and offers far greater flexibility for international clients who wish to invest in, and do business in, the Cayman Islands.

"This is a welcome piece of legislation that expands the ways in which someone can validly execute a will governed by Cayman Islands law," said Ogier's private client specialist in Cayman, Anthony Partridge.  

Previous rules, based on common law, placed restrictions on how a will dealing with any asset other than land or buildings would be recognised in the Cayman Islands.

With restrictions on where it was signed, where the person making the will was domiciled or habitually resident, and the law of the nationality of the person making the will (in the latter two cases, either when the will was signed or at the date of his or her death), the effect previously was to severely limit who would be able to validly execute a Cayman Islands will. 

"Now, the law allows persons domiciled outside of the Cayman Islands to validly execute wills according to Cayman Islands law. Wills have to be signed at the end of the document and in the presence of two witnesses, which is often different to the rules of other countries." 

The law does not change the rules in relation to wills dealing with real estate in the Cayman Islands, which can only be validly executed under Cayman Islands law.

If you require further information, please speak to your usual Ogier contact or a member of our team listed on the top right.

No Content Set
Exception:
Website.Models.ViewModels.Blocks.SiteBlocks.CookiePolicySiteBlockVm