Wills & Estates · Sweden
Find wills lawyers in Sweden for drafting, probate and disputes
A will only works if it fits Swedish inheritance rules and the deadlines that follow a death. Tell us what you need and we introduce you to an advokat or estate firm that handles your kind of matter. Matching is free and you decide whether to instruct anyone.
- Drafting, review, probate and will disputes
- Swedish advokater and specialised estate firms
- Free matching with no obligation to proceed
Free, confidential and without obligation.
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Wills in Sweden
What a wills lawyer in Sweden actually does
A will in Sweden is a private document, but the rules that decide whether it works are not. Whether you live in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö or anywhere else in the country, the way your estate is distributed depends on how your will interacts with the reserved portion (laglott) that direct heirs can always claim, and on how the estate is inventoried after a death. Wills lawyers in Sweden help you put your wishes in writing, check whether a will drafted abroad will be respected, and act when a will is challenged or an inheritance is disputed. Through our free matching service you describe your situation once and we introduce you to a Swedish advokat or specialist firm who handles the kind of estate matter you have, usually with a first response within one to two working days.
Sweden in practice
How Swedish inheritance rules shape your will
Sweden has a distinctive mix of rules: a reserved portion that a will cannot remove, no inheritance or gift tax, and a short window for the estate inventory after a death. These points are set out below from official Swedish sources.
No inheritance or gift tax
Sweden abolished inheritance tax (arvsskatt) and gift tax (gåvoskatt) with effect from the end of 2004, so no tax is payable on an inheritance received in Sweden. The repealed act still applies only to tax liability that arose before 2005. Where an estate has cross-border elements, the real question is often another country’s tax rules rather than Swedish ones.
The reserved portion (laglott) cannot be willed away
A direct heir, meaning a child or grandchild, is always entitled to their reserved portion, equal to half of their statutory share of the estate. A will cannot take that away. Anyone intending to leave more to a spouse, a partner or a charity must work within this limit, and a heir who wants to claim laglott must do so within six months of being served with the will.
Only members of the Bar may call themselves advokat
The title ‘advokat’ is protected in Sweden. Only a member of the Swedish Bar Association may use it, and presenting yourself as an advokat without membership is a criminal offence. Admission requires a law degree, at least three years of qualified legal practice and a passed bar exam — a useful benchmark when choosing who should draft or contest a will.
Marital property and the surviving spouse
The default regime is joint marital property (giftorättsgods), divided equally on divorce or death unless property has been declared separate (enskild egendom) in writing. A surviving spouse’s protected rights also include a minimum base amount rule ensuring they retain at least four base amounts. A will, a marriage settlement and the property regime therefore have to be read together.
Legal aid (rättshjälp) and hourly rates
State legal aid is generally available to natural persons whose income and assets do not exceed SEK 260,000 per year. Legal advice under the Legal Aid Act is charged at a fixed, state-subsidised rate — SEK 2,032.50 per hour in 2026 — with a reduced fee for lower incomes. Because entitlement depends on your own figures, it is worth clarifying at the first meeting.
All country information on this page is taken from official Swedish and European sources, including the Swedish Government, the Courts of Sweden (Domstol), the Swedish Bar Association, Skatteverket and CEPEJ, current as of 2026.
- Swedish Government — Death and inheritance
- Swedish Bar Association — Becoming an advokat
- Skatteverket — Legal guidance on inheritance and gift tax
- Domstol — Legal aid and fee rates
- Administrative Procedure Act (2017:900)
- Prescription Act (1981:130)
- Employment Protection Act (1982:80)
- Domstol — Divorce and division of property
- Domstol — Renting a home or premises
- CEPEJ — Country profile: Sweden
Common problems
Where wills go wrong in Sweden
Most estate disputes are not about greed. They start with a document that was signed years earlier, in another country, or in a language the family no longer reads.
A will that no longer fits
You signed a will years ago, moved abroad, or used a template from another country. When the estate is opened, the family discovers the document does not do what everyone assumed it did.
A claim to the reserved portion
A child or grandchild claims their laglott, or a relative says the will was never properly made. These arguments run against a fixed period, and the evidence becomes harder to gather as months pass.
Assets in two countries
A holiday home, a bank account or a business abroad can pull the estate into two legal systems at once, while the Swedish inventory still has to be filed inside its own deadline.
How we help
Matching you with the right Swedish estate lawyer
You explain the situation once. We compare it with the profiles of firms and practitioners in Sweden and introduce the ones that fit your matter.
One enquiry, several suitable firms
You describe the estate, the will or the dispute a single time, and we identify advokater and specialist estate firms whose work matches what you actually need.
Clear answers on laglott
Understand what a direct heir can always claim, what a will can and cannot change, and when the six-month period for a laglott claim begins to run.
Cross-border experience
Wills signed abroad, foreign property and heirs living outside Sweden are common in Swedish estates, so we look for firms that handle these regularly.
Fees explained before you commit
Each firm sets its own fees and should set them out clearly, and you can ask how state legal aid (rättshjälp) may apply to your income and assets.
Other countries
Estate lawyers beyond Sweden
If your family, property or business crosses a border, you may also need advice in the country where the assets or the heirs are located.
Questions
Wills in Sweden: frequently asked questions
What does a wills lawyer in Sweden do that I cannot do myself?
Many people draft a will themselves and only later discover a problem with form, interpretation or foreign assets. Wills lawyers in Sweden review the wording, coordinate with advisers abroad and explain how the reserved portion (laglott) limits what you can leave to someone other than a direct heir.
What is laglott and how long do I have to claim it?
A direct heir, meaning a child or grandchild, is always entitled to a reserved portion equal to half of their statutory share of the estate, and a will cannot remove it. A heir who wants to claim laglott must do so within six months of being served with the will.
Is an inheritance taxed in Sweden?
No. Sweden abolished inheritance tax (arvsskatt) and gift tax (gåvoskatt) with effect from the end of 2004, so nothing is payable on an inheritance received in Sweden. The repealed act survives only for tax liability that arose before 2005.
What is a bouppteckning and when is it due?
A bouppteckning is the estate inventory drawn up after a death. Under Swedish rules it is due within three months of the death, and it must be registered within one month after it has been drawn up. Missing the dates creates avoidable complications for the heirs.
Who is allowed to call themselves an advokat in Sweden?
Only a member of the Swedish Bar Association may use the title ‘advokat’, and presenting yourself as an advokat without membership is a criminal offence. Admission requires a law degree, at least three years of qualified legal practice and a passed bar exam.
How much does it cost to work with a wills lawyer in Sweden?
Each firm sets its own fees and should explain them before you commit. If your income and assets do not exceed SEK 260,000 a year, state legal aid (rättshjälp) may be available, with legal advice charged at SEK 2,032.50 per hour in 2026 and a reduced fee at lower incomes. Matching through our service is free.
Next step
Ready to speak to a wills lawyer in Sweden?
Tell us about the will, the estate or the dispute in a few sentences. We will match you with a wills lawyer in Sweden who handles matters like yours — free of charge and with no obligation to instruct anyone.