Bills to bring in significant amendments to the BVI's trusts and probate legislation were gazetted on 12 March 2021. Below is a summary of the headline changes.

The BVI Government has passed new rules governing applications for Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration.

O'Neal Webster is pleased to advise that the Property (Miscellaneous) Provisions Act, 2021 and the Administration of Small Estates (Amendment) Act, 2021 have been passed by the BVI legislature and...

Shareholders in BVI companies risk making the probate and estates process more lengthy, divisive and costly when they die by not making a formal BVI will, says estates expert Fraser Allister.

The Trustee (Amendment) Act, 2021, recently gazetted and expected to be enacted in the BVI shortly, seeks to implement a number of important, cutting-edge changes to the Trustee Act that will further enhance the BVI's reputation ...

Further to our April 2021 news alert (The British Virgin Islands Modernises its Trustee Act and Welcomes Changes to Its Probate Legislation), linked here, the following Acts have been brought...

On 2 October 2020, the High Court of Justice in the Virgin Islands delivered a decision in respect of the BVI Estate of a member of the Qatari Royal family regarding the validity of an oral will.

The Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal recently handed down an important judgment in the case of Al-Thani v Al Thani, permitting the enforcement of foreign oral wills in the BVI.

This briefing details the upcoming changes to British Virgin Islands trusts and probate legislation that were discussed by their Government on 12 March 2021.

The Probates (Resealing) Act, 2021 (the Act) has been in force in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) since 9 July 2021.

With the large number of BVI companies in existence and the general ageing population, succession issues surrounding ownership of shares in a BVI company have become quite prevalent.

When it comes to trusts and succession planning, the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) is a well-established jurisdiction of choice.

Where a person has died and left assets in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), it is not possible to deal with those assets without first obtaining a grant of representation from the relevant local Court.

Aside from being one of the most beautiful sailing destinations in the world, the British Virgin Islands continues to be widely regarded as an attractive jurisdiction...

O'Neal Webster is pleased to confirm that the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Government has introduced a substantial number of changes to its trust and...

Estate litigation continues to be on the rise across both the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Many people tend to put off the preparation of a will to a future date, but there are numerous reasons to grab the bull by the horns, not least because having an up-to-date will...

Traditionally, establishing trusts in the British Virgin Islands ("BVI") by those from jurisdictions which do not recognise trusts or which have forced heirship rights...

When a person has passed away leaving assets situated in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), such assets will generally be inaccessible until a Grant of Probate or Grant of Letters of Administration...

The Probates (Resealing) Act, 2021 (the Act) has been in force in the British Virgin Islands (the BVI) since 9 July 2021, repealing The Probates (Resealing) Act (Cap. 60), 1937 (the 1937 Act).