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If you would like further information about the specialised services we provide, or need a quote for a translation please feel free to contact us.
JurTrans provides specialist Greek inheritance document translation for private clients, beneficiaries living abroad, executors, and private client lawyers managing cross-border estates in Greece and Cyprus. Established in 1997 and led by lawyer-linguist John O’Shea (LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M.), JurTrans translates complex Greek-to-English and English-to-Greek succession, probate, and estate documentation where legal precision is essential.
Many English-speaking individuals in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and across Europe inherit real estate or other assets in Greece or Cyprus without reading legal Greek. In these circumstances, an accurate English translation serves as their window into the legal and financial reality of the estate. It allows beneficiaries and their legal advisers to examine what a will provides, what property rights or liabilities are attached to the estate, and what authority is being granted before signing a power of attorney or accepting an inheritance.
Succession in Greece and Cyprus generates a distinct sequence of legal, notarial, and tax documentation. JurTrans translates the full range of inheritance documents, including:
Cross-border estate administration regularly exposes fundamental differences between Greek civil law and English common law. Greek succession law under the Greek Civil Code operates on the principle of direct universal succession (καθολική διαδοχή), under which heirs step directly into both the assets and the liabilities of the deceased unless they renounce the inheritance within the statutory period (typically four months, or one year where the deceased had their last residence abroad or the heir became aware of the devolution while residing abroad).
Greek law also imposes mandatory forced heirship rules (νόμιμη μοίρα) that restrict testamentary freedom in favour of close family members, alongside complex rules governing the clawback of lifetime gifts (μέμψη αστόργου δωρεάς) and the division of property into bare ownership (ψιλή κυριότητα) and usufruct (επικαρπία). None of these concepts maps neatly onto the administration of an estate by personal representatives under a common law Grant of Probate.
Cypriot succession law presents its own distinct framework. Under the Cyprus Wills and Succession Law (Cap. 195), statutory forced heirship shares sit alongside a system of estate administration derived from English common law. JurTrans takes full account of whether an estate is governed by the laws of Greece or Cyprus, ensuring that terminology from one jurisdiction is never confused with the other.
Translating these documents requires a translator who thinks and writes like a lawyer and understands the nitty gritty of both legal systems. Relying on machine translation, generative AI, or generalist translators without legal training risks obscuring vital distinctions regarding property boundaries, shared ownership percentages, or inherited debt obligations. Over the past 29 years, JurTrans has translated more than 27.7 million words of legal texts and 14.4 million words of financial texts, combining academic and practical legal expertise with rigorous quality control.
JurTrans works directly with English-speaking family members who have inherited assets in Greece or Cyprus, as well as with the probate solicitors, family lawyers, tax advisers, and wealth managers advising them in their home jurisdictions.
When foreign beneficiaries instruct a lawyer or notary in Greece to handle an estate, they are frequently asked to approve draft powers of attorney, tax declarations, and notarial deeds written entirely in Greek. Commissioning an independent, specialist English translation ensures that the family and their home-country solicitors can verify the exact scope of the mandate and the legal description of the inherited properties. Similarly, where UK, US, or Australian probate documents, Grants of Representation, or wills need to be translated into Greek for use before Greek notaries, banks, or tax authorities, JurTrans produces precise Greek legal translations tailored to the target legal system.
All assignments are handled under strict confidentiality, with Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) available on request to protect sensitive family and financial records.
For substantive estate documentation such as Greek wills, notarial deeds of acceptance of inheritance (πράξη αποδοχής κληρονομιάς), property title deeds, and court orders, you should instruct a specialist Greek-English legal translation practice with formal grounding in Greek civil law and English common law. JurTrans, led by lawyer-linguist John O’Shea (LL.B. (Hons.), LL.M.), specialises in translating complex Greek and Cypriot succession files for beneficiaries and law firms worldwide. If an institution or authority has also requested a specific form of official certification for administrative certificates, please inform us of the receiving body’s requirements when requesting a quotation so we can advise accordingly.
Yes. Holographic wills (ιδιόγραφες διαθήκες) in Greece are written entirely by hand by the testator, and inherited family estates frequently rely on older Greek notarial deeds written in formal Katharevousa Greek. JurTrans has extensive experience deciphering and translating both handwritten wills (alongside their official court publication records) and historical property title chains into clear, accurate English.
Yes. JurTrans translates wills, probate documentation, and estate administration files from both Greece and Cyprus. Because Cyprus operates a distinct legal regime for estate administration and succession under Cap. 195, our team ensures that the specific legal terminology of the Republic of Cyprus is accurately reflected.
No. JurTrans is a specialist legal and financial translation company rather than a law firm. An accurate translation enables heirs and their professional advisers to understand the exact contents of the Greek or Cypriot documents, while qualified lawyers and tax accountants in the relevant jurisdictions advise on succession rights, renunciation deadlines, and tax liabilities.
If you are dealing with an estate in Greece or Cyprus and require Greek-to-English or English-to-Greek translations of wills, notarial inheritance deeds, powers of attorney, or property titles, contact info@jurtrans.com. Please attach the documents (or describe the material) and let us know how the translations will be used so that we can assess the file and provide a quotation.
If you would like further information about the specialised services we provide, or need a quote for a translation please feel free to contact us.