Wills and legal provisions: what you can freely dispose of ⚖️

More and more doubts have been raised about the usefulness and validity of a will, which is often seen as a solution to future problems in the inheritance process, in an attempt to avoid conflicts between heirs. However, it is not always the ideal mechanism for this purpose, which is why we are clarifying how and when it is the appropriate means.

article published in several newspapers and radio stations – 11/06/2025

According to Article 2179 of the Civil Code (hereinafter referred to as the “C.C.”), a will is a “unilateral and revocable act by which a person disposes of all or part of his property after his death”, i.e. a document in which someone declares the destination of his property after his death. A will can be made in public, before a notary, in a notary’s office, where it will be read aloud in the presence of two witnesses; or in closed form, written by the testator himself or someone else, but it must
be handed to the notary, who will draw up an opening statement and authenticate it; or in private form, which is less common and will only be valid in exceptional situations, such as danger of death, a fact that must be confirmed by the court.

This act will only be valid if the testator carries it out in the fullness of their faculties, i.e. perfectly aware of the act they are carrying out. Otherwise, if the testator has not “clearly expressed his will, but only by signs or monosyllables, in response to questions put to him”, the will will not produce any effects (Article 2180 of the Civil Code).

However, in Portugal, a testator cannot freely dispose of all their assets, and there is always protection for their legal successors. There is always a part of the estate that must go to the legitimate heirs – children, spouse and, in their absence, parents. This part of the estate is called the unavailable share, which is two thirds of the total assets. The rest will be the available share, one third, which the testator can dispose of as he or she sees fit, either by giving it to friends, charity, a more distant relative, etc. It’s important to note that if the deceased was a foreign national and habitually resided outside Portugal, he or she can still draw up a will in Portuguese territory, as long as he or she owned property in Portugal. In these situations, as a rule, the succession will be governed by the law of the testamentary beneficiary’s domicile at the time of death, as stipulated by Regulation (EU) No. 650/2012, although the beneficiary may still choose to have his or her nationality take precedence by making an express declaration in the will.

In this way, a will is a legal instrument that, like many others, has its limits and allows the testator to express their wishes as to the destination of their assets after their death. Therefore, in order to avoid possible obstacles, the will expressed in the will must comply with all legal requirements, maintaining a balance between the provisions and the inheritance rights of all the legal heirs.

Therefore, careful drafting of the will, preferably with legal assistance, is essential to ensure that the provisions contained therein are valid, effective and carried out in accordance with the testator’s wishes.

Judith Teodoro,

With the collaboration of the collegues,

Catarina Menezes and Filipa Cabral