From pbl.legal: Forced heirship rules require that a portion of a deceased individual’s estate be allocated to specific heirs, such as children, regardless of the testator’s wishes, and vary significantly across jurisdictions.

In many European countries like France and Spain, these laws limit the freedom to distribute assets freely through a will, while similar restrictions exist in non-European countries like Japan and Saudi Arabia.

Effective cross-border estate planning involves navigating these laws to ensure compliance while attempting to fulfill one’s distribution intentions, which may include creating local wills and seeking legal advice.