From setting up inheritance agreements and wills to appointing a "medical power of attorney," Belgians are increasingly thinking forward to end-of-life arrangements.
Plans to manage situations at the end of life and after passing away are becoming more common, either for peace of mind or to avoid conflicts among family members and friends, according to the Family Barometer of the Federation of Notariat (Fednot).
This is mirrored in the number of inheritance agreements that were registered in the first half of 2022, which increased significantly compared to the same period last year. A new inheritance law came into force four years ago, which allowed people to make arrangements about a future estate, giving families more options to settle their inheritance in full transparency.
"An inheritance can bring a family closer together but it can also lead to conflicts between heirs," Fednot notary Anne-Sophie Willems said. This can be the case when just one of several children received a particular gift or sum of money.
"If parents and children conclude an inheritance agreement transparently and under the guidance of a notary, disputes can be avoided."
Wills, gifts and donations
Wills or testaments –the legal documents that detail how a person wishes their property to be handled after their death – are also growing in popularity.
While spouses or children cannot be disinherited (ie. excluded from part of the inheritance), wills can help people retain control over what happens to the rest of their inheritance.
Gifts, both movable and immovable, also remain popular. In the first six months of last year, a record 21,495 donations were made in Belgium; in the first six months of this year, the figure was slightly higher (21,791). The number of real estate donations remained virtually stable.
Health care decisions
The number of Health Care Proxies (by which people appoint one or more people they trust to make decisions for them when they are no longer capable) increased by 21% in the first six months of this year.
"Typically, mainly people over 65 choose a healthcare proxy. In the first six months of 2022, they accounted for a share of about 72%," notary Joni Soutaer said."But younger people are also increasingly considering it: 22.2% of those who took out a healthcare proxy were aged 51 to 65, 4.6% were aged 36 to 50."
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These appointed people are empowered to take specific or general actions over a person's assets, from paying invoices to managing bank accounts and preparing tax return forms.
