Wills, Drafting & Safekeeping
A will that fails on form defeats its own purpose: an estate that should have passed as its author intended instead falls back to the ordinary rules of intestate succession, at the worst possible moment for the family left behind. We currently offer this service to private clients in Côte d'Ivoire and Sénégal — advising on which form of testament suits the client's situation, drafting or reviewing it against the formal requirements each country's law imposes, and arranging its safekeeping so that it is found, intact and unambiguous, when it is needed.
What we do for you
Choice of testamentary form
Advice on which recognised form fits the client's circumstances — a holographic will (entirely handwritten, dated and signed by the testator), a notarial or public-act will executed before a notary or judge, or a sealed will deposited under secret cover — each with its own formalities, evidentiary strength and exposure to challenge.
Drafting and formal review
Drafting a new will, or reviewing one a client has already written, against the exact formal requirements the applicable law imposes for its chosen form, so that a defect in form never becomes the reason a client's wishes are set aside.
Forced heirship and reserved-share coordination
Testamentary freedom is not unlimited: both jurisdictions reserve a share of the estate for certain heirs. We test a draft will against the applicable reserved-share rules before it is signed, so the client understands what can be freely disposed of and what cannot.
Safekeeping and deposit
Arranging deposit of the will with a notary, or another safekeeping route the applicable procedure allows, so that it survives the testator, is not misplaced, altered or contested for want of proof, and can be located and produced when the succession opens.
Cross-border and mixed-asset estates
For clients with assets or heirs in more than one country, coordinating a Côte d'Ivoire or Sénégal will with succession planning elsewhere, and flagging where the two may conflict rather than leaving the question to be resolved after death.
Revocation and updates
Reviewing and updating an existing will as family or business circumstances change, and ensuring a revocation or a new will is itself executed with the formality needed to be effective and to be recognised as superseding an earlier instrument.
How an engagement unfolds
- QualificationYou describe your matter through our form; a partner calls you back within 24 hours.
- Engagement letterScope, deliverables, timing and fees are agreed in writing before work begins.
- ExecutionAn integrated legal, tax and regulatory team, led by a partner who remains your single point of contact.
- MonitoringTailored alerts on the texts that affect your matter, through the regulatory library.
Other practice areas
Frequently asked questions
Which form of will is recognised in Côte d'Ivoire and in Sénégal?
Both jurisdictions recognise the same three classical forms: a holographic will written, dated and signed entirely by hand by the testator; a notarial or public-act will executed before a notary (or, in Sénégal, before a judge); and a sealed ("mystic") will, written by the testator and presented under seal to a notary, who records its deposit. Each form has its own formal conditions, and a will that departs from them risks being void for defect of form rather than merely irregular.
Can a will override the rights of my children or spouse?
Not entirely. Both Côte d'Ivoire and Sénégal reserve a share of the estate to certain heirs, and a will cannot dispose of more than the freely disposable portion without exposing itself to a reduction action once the succession opens. We size the disposable portion for the client's family situation before the will is finalised, rather than after a dispute has already started.
What happens if my will cannot be found after my death?
A will that exists only as a private document in a drawer carries a real risk of being lost, altered, or simply never produced. Depositing it with a notary, or through whichever safekeeping route the applicable form allows, creates a record of its existence and content independent of where the physical document ends up — the single most effective protection against a will failing for reasons that have nothing to do with what it says.
A matter in wills & estates?
Describe your matter in two minutes. A partner — not an intake team — responds within 24 hours.