German / Australian Law
German / Australian Law
German / Australian Law
About Asquith Legal
Asquith Legal is a boutique German / Australian law firm whose lawyers assist individuals and small business owners in the areas of wills & estates and business succession planning. The German and English-speaking lawyers assist German and Australian clients with their probate, wills and estate planning requirements in Sydney, Wollongong and Australia. Asquith Legal also assist German based clients with their estate administration and cross borders estates remotely.
About the Principal
Markus Christmann, Asquith Legal’s principal lawyer is one of very few German speaking lawyers that has obtained two German state degrees in law and is admitted to practice in Germany. Markus has worked for international law firms Norton Rose and Kau Attorneys (formerly Graham & James) in Germany and for an Australian boutique M&A law firm in Sydney and most recently, before starting Asquith Legal for Hunt & Hunt lawyers in Sydney as Special Counsel in the wills & estates team assisting high net worth Australian families with their estate planning, estate administration, trust and probate needs. Markus is the only German speaking lawyer in Australia with a Master of Laws in Wills & Estates. Markus also holds a Master of Laws in International & Comparative Law. Markus has extensive experience in the areas of wills & estates. Due to his unique background, Markus can also handle estate mattes that involve corporate businesses, shares and real property.
International Probate and Estate Administration
If you have loved a loved one who was a German citizen with assets in Australia or if you have inherited assets in Germany, our international probate and estate administration lawyers can help you obtain probate and to manage the estate.
For an inheritance in Australia, Asquith Legal can:
- Assist with obtaining Probate (if there is a well).
- Assist with obtaining Letters of Administration.
- Provide expert opinions in German Law (required if there is no will). Only lawyers admitted in Germany can provide such an opinion.
- Locate benficiaries in Australia.
- Assist with administering the estate in Australia, call in assets, pay debts, instruct accountant to finalise tax affairs.
- Advise you on your entitlement under Germany intestacy law.
- Advise on obtaining an Erbschein in Germany.
- Assist on obtaining certificates in Germany (e.g. certificates of pre-deceased family members).
German Expat Estate Planning
If you are a German Expat and have either beneficiaries in Germany or assets in Germany, Asquith Legal can help you to make a cross border estate plan, draft your will and set up an estate/life plan.
We can assist you with your estate planning under consideration of the EU Succession Regulation 650/2012 to ensure that the estate is passed on to the person you want it to be passed on.
Asquith Legal can assist with:
- German / Australian wills (valid in both countries).
- Advice on whether one or two wills are required.
- Appointment of guardians for children.
- German Inhertiance Tax.
- German and Australian Power of Attorney.
- German and Australian Enduring Power of Attorney.
International (Cross Border) Probate Disputes
If you have been left out of a will or have received less than what you believe you are entitled to, Asquith Legal can assist you with your Family Provision Claim and can help to assess the situation and prepare and deliver a claim.
Asquith Legal can assist with:
- Assessing your prospects of success of a Family Provision Claim in New South Wales (Australia), if you have been left out of an estate or not received a fair share.
- Commencing proceedings in courts in New South Wales to help you get your fair share.
International Estate Planning
The owner of Asquith Legal, Markus Christmann, initially worked as a lawyer in Germany before emigrating to Australia. Markus has been advising on German/Australian inheritance law for more than 10 years, with professional expertise in German inheritance law and issues specific to German immigrants. Prior to founding Asquith Legal, Markus served as Special Counsel on the inheritance team at national law firm Hunt & Hunt. There he assisted Australia’s oldest families and international clients with estate planning and administration. Markus has also worked in commercial law for international law firms Graham James and Norton Rose.
