Succession, wills and estates

Succession is where the two legal traditions of Cameroon meet most directly, and where families are most often surprised. An estate in Douala and an estate in Bamenda are not distributed by the same rules, and a single family may hold property in both.

Three bodies of law can apply to the same estate. Statute law applies to registered land and to formal wills. Customary law is recognized, subject to the repugnancy test, and continues to govern much family property. The common law of succession governs in the North West and South West Regions. Which of them applies to a given asset is often the whole question.

Our work includes

• Drafting wills, and advising on the formalities that make a will valid in each region
• Obtaining certificates of heirship and letters of administration
• Identifying and valuing estate assets, including land held without a formal title
• Division of estates, and agreements between heirs
• Disputes between heirs, contested wills, and challenges to the appointment of an administrator
• Protection of surviving spouses and of minor children
• Estates with assets abroad, and estates of Cameroonians living abroad
• Transfer of company shares on the death of a shareholder