May I write my own will by hand in Liechtenstein?
Yes — the holographic will is the simplest route. Under § 578 General Civil Code (ABGB, LR 210.0) you must write it entirely by hand and sign it with your name — nothing more is needed: no witnesses, no certification. Adding the day, month, year and place is expressly „not necessary“, though „advisable to avoid disputes“. The myth: „A handwritten will without a date is invalid.“ Wrong for Liechtenstein — that is the Swiss rule: there Art. 505 ZGB expressly requires the date, and a missing one can topple the will. Liechtenstein follows the Austrian ABGB, not the ZGB. What stays important is the compulsory portion of descendants and spouse — so you are not entirely free in how you distribute.
📋 The rules
- Holographic will (§ 578 ABGB): written entirely by hand and signed — valid without witnesses. Date and place are not necessary, but expressly recommended to avoid later disputes.
- An allographic will needs witnesses (§ 579 ABGB): a will not written by your own hand (for example typed) is valid only with three capable witnesses and the prescribed confirmations. Typed and merely signed is not enough.
- Testamentary capacity from 18 (§ 569 ABGB): a written will can be made by anyone who is of age. Capable minors (14 to 17) can — except in an emergency — testate only orally before a court or notary; below 14 a person is incapable of making a will.
- The compulsory portion limits your will: descendants and the spouse are entitled to a compulsory portion (half of the statutory share) and can be passed over only where a statutory ground for disinheritance exists.
- A different source from Switzerland: Liechtenstein inheritance law derives from the Austrian ABGB; the estate is settled in the probate proceedings before the Landgericht. The Swiss form rule, by contrast, sits in Art. 505 ZGB.
🔓 Exceptions
- Allographic or notarial: anyone who cannot or does not want to write it out themselves makes an allographic will with three witnesses (§ 579) or a public will before a notary or court — both valid alternatives with a stricter form.
- Capable minors: between 14 and 18 a will is possible only orally before a court or notary; the declaration is recorded in a protocol. Writing it by hand alone is not enough here.
- Emergency will (§ 584 ABGB): in a genuine emergency a relaxed form (orally before witnesses) is permitted — but it is only valid for a limited time and does not replace a regular will.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Get the form wrong and you are not punished — but the last will evaporates. A sheet typed on the computer and merely signed is not a valid holographic will; if an allographic one lacks the three witnesses, it is ineffective. Then the statutory succession applies — and your assets may go to entirely different people than you wanted. A will that passes over the compulsory portion of children or spouse is reduced on their claim to that portion. If the (recommended) date is missing and several versions exist, it is unclear which one applies — leading to costly disputes in the probate proceedings before the Landgericht. Not obvious: a will hidden at home can disappear or be overlooked; safer is deposit with the court or a notary.
📎 Official sources
- LILEX — General Civil Code (ABGB, LR 210.0), § 566–584 (inheritance law, form of wills) (legal register) →
- National Administration — Office of Justice, inheritance and estate (home page) →
- National Administration service portal — death, inheritance law and wills (home page) →
❓ Frequently asked
Must my handwritten will bear a date?
No, under § 578 ABGB stating the day, month, year and place is not necessary but only advisable to avoid disputes. That is the difference from Switzerland, where Art. 505 ZGB expressly requires the date.
Do I need witnesses for my will?
Not for a holographic will; it is enough that you write it entirely by hand and sign it. You need witnesses only for an allographic will, which under § 579 ABGB requires three capable witnesses.
May I type my will on the computer?
A typed will that is merely signed is not a valid holographic will, because that must be written entirely by hand. Typed, it would be effective only as an allographic will with three capable witnesses.
From what age may I make a will?
A written will can be made by anyone who is of age, that is 18. Capable minors between 14 and 18 can testate only orally before a court or notary, and below 14 a person is deemed incapable of making a will.
Can I fully disinherit my children?
As a rule not, because descendants and the spouse have a compulsory portion amounting to half of the statutory share of the estate. A complete exclusion is possible only where a statutory ground for disinheritance exists.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “write own will liechtenstein”
- “handwritten will liechtenstein”
- “holographic will liechtenstein”
- “will without notary liechtenstein”
- “will date liechtenstein”
- “compulsory portion liechtenstein”