Do You Need an Inheritance Lawyer in Greece? Lawyer vs Notary Explained

Your parent died in Crete and left a house. A Greek friend says you need a notary. The embassy says get a lawyer. The funeral director is handing you business cards for both. Nobody explains the difference, and every day that passes eats into your strict statutory deadlines.

Here is exactly when you need a Greek lawyer (Δικηγόρος), when a notary (Συμβολαιογράφος) is enough, and what each one actually does in the inheritance process.

What a Greek Notary Does (and Does Not Do)

A Greek notary is not the same as a notary public in the US or UK. In Greece, the notary is a public officer who drafts legally binding deeds and registers them with the state. For inheritance, the notary handles two critical tasks:

• Deed of Acceptance of Inheritance — the formal document that transfers ownership of real estate from the deceased to the heirs. Without this notarial deed, you cannot register property at the Hellenic Cadastre.
• Will publication — if the deceased left a holographic (handwritten) will, a notary must present it for digital publication under the new 2026 electronic Wills Registry.

Notary fees for acceptance deeds are regulated at 0.8% to 1.2% of the property's municipal "objective value" plus VAT. On a property valued at €100,000, expect roughly €800–€1,200 plus tax.

What a notary cannot do: represent you in court, search land registries for hidden debts, file a renunciation on your behalf, or negotiate with banks to release frozen accounts.

When You Absolutely Need a Lawyer

A Greek inheritance lawyer becomes essential — not optional — in these situations:

Debt risk. If you suspect the deceased had outstanding loans, tax arrears, or unpaid social security contributions, a lawyer must conduct a title search at the local Land Registry (Υποθηκοφυλακείο) before you accept anything. Under Greek law, accepting an inheritance means accepting all debts too — and for deaths before September 16, 2026, those debts attach to your personal assets.

Renunciation filing. If the estate is debt-ridden, someone must file a formal renunciation (αποποίηση κληρονομιάς) at the local Magistrate's Court. You have 12 months if you live outside Greece, or just 4 months if you are a Greek resident. Miss this window and you are personally liable. A lawyer drafts and files this declaration.

Foreign will probate. If the deceased left a will drafted in the US, UK, or Australia, a lawyer must petition the Court of First Instance to have it formally published and recognized under Greek probate law.

Remote management. If you cannot travel to Greece, you can execute a specialized Power of Attorney at a Greek consulate in your home country. Your lawyer then handles all tax filings, land registrations, and bank account releases on your behalf.

Court disputes. Any challenge to a will, forced heirship claim, or dispute between co-heirs requires legal representation.

The Power of Attorney Trap After Death

One of the most dangerous mistakes families make: trying to use a Power of Attorney that the deceased granted during their lifetime.

Under Article 223 of the Greek Civil Code, every Power of Attorney is automatically terminated the moment the grantor dies. It does not matter that the document is notarized, apostilled, or filed with a bank. The instant the death is registered, that POA is legally void.

Attempting to withdraw funds or sign documents using a deceased person's POA is a criminal offense in Greece and carries severe financial penalties. Banks actively check death registrations against their POA records.

If you need someone to act on your behalf after the death, you must execute a new Power of Attorney in your own name — either at a Greek consulate abroad or through a local notary in Greece.

Law 5095/2024: The Fee Cap You Should Know About

Law 5095/2024 introduced a statutory fee limit of €200 for certain inheritance certificate acts. This applies specifically to the issuance of certificates of inheritance (κληρονομητήριο) in straightforward, uncontested cases.

When hiring a lawyer, ask explicitly whether your case qualifies for the Law 5095 fee cap. Many firms still quote legacy rates that exceed this statutory limit for simple certificate work.

For complex cases involving property searches, court filings, or cross-border probate, lawyer fees are negotiated separately and can range from €1,000 to €3,000+ depending on the estate's complexity and the number of properties involved.

How to Find an English-Speaking Inheritance Lawyer

The Athens Bar Association and Thessaloniki Bar Association both maintain directories, but neither filters by language. More practical approaches:

• Your embassy's list. The US Embassy in Athens and British Consulate both maintain lists of English-speaking lawyers who handle estate matters. Ask the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit directly.
• Specialist firms. Look for lawyers who specifically advertise inheritance law (κληρονομικό δίκαιο) and cross-border estate work, not general practitioners.
• Written fee agreement. Greek law requires lawyers to provide a written fee agreement before engagement. Get the full scope, timeline, and cost in writing before signing anything.

If the estate involves real property, the lawyer should be familiar with both the old Land Registry system (Υποθηκοφυλακείο) and the Hellenic Cadastre (Κτηματολόγιο), since Greece is still transitioning between the two systems depending on the region.

The Bottom Line: Lawyer, Notary, or Both?

For a simple inheritance with no debts and no property — such as a bank account with a clear will — you may only need a notary and an accountant. For anything involving real estate, potential debts, cross-border wills, or family disputes, you need a lawyer first (to audit the estate and handle court filings) and a notary second (to execute the acceptance deed once everything is clear).

The Someone Died in Greece guide includes a complete professional engagement timeline showing exactly when to hire each professional, what documents they need, and the statutory deadlines that govern every step.

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