How to write a valid will in Norway

How much you can leave in your will depends on whether your family situation means that you are subject to the rules on  forced inheritance for direct descendants and minimum inheritance for spauses:

• Forced inheritance for direct descendants (children and grandchildren): Two-thirds of the inheritance must go to direct descendants (i.e. children and their descendants). For each heir, the forced share may not exceed 15 times the basic amount of the National Insurance Scheme (15G).
• Minimum inheritance for spouses: Under the law, your spouse is entitled to ¼ if you have direct descendants, and at least four times the basic amount of the National Insurance Scheme (4G). If you do not have any direct descendants, but you have living siblings (including siblings’ children), the spouse’s inheritance is increased to ½, and the minimum inheritance to six times the basic amount (6G). Please note that the spouse must be aware of any reduction to the minimum inheritance, and the reduction must be specified in your will.

Once these requirements have been met, you are free to decide how the rest of your estate should be distributed.

Example:

If you have two children, a spouse and assets worth NOK 9 million (your share of the total estate):

• The forced inheritance for the children is 2/3 of the estate, and never more than 15G (the basic amount under the National Insurance Scheme) for each heir. The basic amount as of 2024 is NOK 124,028, and the maximum forced share is currently NOK 1,860,420. The basic amount is adjusted each year in May.
• The minimum inheritance for the spouse is 4G, which amounts to NOK 496,112.
• The free inheritance that you can dispose of freely will be NOK 4,783,048.

For a will to be valid, it must meet certain formal requirements:

• Written form: The will must be in writing. Audio or video recordings are not valid.
• Signature: The person drawing up the will must sign it.
• Witnesses: Two witnesses must be present when the will is signed or when the signature is acknowledged. The witnesses must also sign the document while the person drawing it up is present. It is no longer a requirement that the witnesses be present at the same time.
• Eligibility: The witnesses must be over 18 years of age, mentally capable of understanding the document, and not beneficiaries of the will. Please note that the spouse, cohabiting partner and children of heirs are not valid witnesses.

A template can be a useful tool, but when using one, it is important to be aware that it does not take into account specific circumstances or special wishes. It is therefore important to adapt the will to your needs, both to ensure the desired distribution of the inheritance and to prevent ambiguities and thus prevent possible different interpretations and conflicts when settling the estate. We therefore generally recommend seeking legal assistance to ensure that everything is taken into account in the will, so that your wishes regarding the distribution of your estate are carried out.

We recommend that you submit the original will to the district court for safekeeping. By storing your will at the district court, you ensure that it will be presented when your death is registered and your estate is to be distributed. If you keep your will at home, there is a risk that it will not be found or presented.

It is important to note that storing and registering your will with the district court does not affect its validity. Storage with the district court is only a means of keeping the document safe.