How to Make a Joint Will of Husband and Wife under Vietnam Laws?

How a will lawyer in Vietnam could help? 

Under Vietnam culture, marriage is a special relationship that is not considered as a contract.  Hence it could become a delicate matter when material comes into play.  And talking about death while still living might trigger emotional reaction especially the concerning matters could arise is how to make a will for the assets owned by husband and wife. 

We have come across such situations and as a will lawyer in Vietnam, we could help the potential client to understand the need to have a will and have the estate planning.  But to get a will and statement service in Vietnam for a joint will or separate will could also be a question.  The following will discuss the matter in details.

In fact, a few spouses desire to make joint will to dispose of their common assets. The prevailing law does not yet stipulate joint testament of husband and wife. Hence how to proceed with the application of law for the cases where husband and wife intend to make joint testament?

Legal grounds for joint will and statement in Vietnam

In the legal document system, the “joint testament of husband and wife” was most recently stipulated in the Civil Code 2005, which has now been superseded by the Civil Code 2015. Accordingly, it can be understood that: a joint testament of husband and wife is an expression of the will of the spouses intending to transfer the common assets of the spouses to another person after the death of both husband and wife. With regard to joint testament of husband and wife, the Civil Code 2005 devotes three articles stipulating particulars of this type of testament including concept; amendment, supplementation, replacement, cancellation; legal effect.

Under the abovementioned understanding, after the Civil Code 2005 expires, among prevailing legal documents, especially the Civil Code 2015 directly regulating inheritance and testament by its sphere, there is no provision on “joint testament of husband and wife”. Thus, the joint testament of husband and wife is not recognized but also not prohibited by the law.

Therefore, it is possible to apply the law for cases where spouses intend to make “joint testament of husband and wife by the understanding of the Civil Code 2005” after the Civil Code 2005 is no longer valid as follows:

Joint testament of husband and wife as a type of testament

According to the basic principles of civil law, individuals shall establish, perform and terminate their civil rights and obligations on the basis of free, voluntary undertaking, agreement; any undertaking or agreement which does not violate a prohibition of law or is not contrary to social morals shall be binding on the parties and be respected by other subjects; the establishment, performance and termination of civil rights and obligations may not infringe upon national or ethnic interest, public interest, or legitimate rights and interest of other people.

Accordingly, husband and wife are completely free to agree on the making of a testament that expresses the joint will of both husband and wife towards common assets but must comply with the law on testament.

As such, to be protected as a legitimate testament and as a legitimate testament under Civil Code 2015, apart from general regulations on testament, the joint will of husband and wife shall comply with following regulations:

Firstly, to be a legitimate testament:

First, common will shall first be a testament as provided by law, which is for the purpose of transferring the common assets of husband and wife to other people after the death of both husband and wife.

Second, the testament shall satisfy the criteria of legitimate testament, including: i) the testator was of sound mind when he/she made the testament; and he/she was not deceived, threatened or coerced; ii) the contents of the testament do not contravene the prohibition of law or contrary to social morals; the testament shall be made in writing, it may be made orally if it is unable to be made in writing.

The testament of the incapacitated or the illiterate shall be made in writing notarized or certified by a witness. A written testament which is not notarized or certified shall be deemed lawful only if the testator is of sound mind when he/she made the testament; and he/she was not deceived, threatened, coerced; contents of the testament does not breach the prohibition of law, not contrary to social morals; formality of the testament complies with the law.

An oral testament shall be deemed lawful only if the testator orally expressed his or her last wishes before at least two witnesses who recorded those wishes in writing and signed or fingerprinted the document immediately after the testator orally expressed his or her last wishes. Such testament must be certified by a notary public officer or an authorized agency, verifying signatures or fingerprints of the witnesses within five working days of the of expressing the last wishes.

Secondly, to amend, supplement, supersede, cancel:

Testators may amend, supplement, supersede or cancel the testament at any time, as a result, spouses may amend, supplement, supersede, cancel the made testament at any time upon mutual agreement.

Thirdly, the time of effectiveness:

The testament shall come into effect as of opening the inheritance. On the other hand, the time of opening the inheritance shall be the time when the testator dies. Therefore, the time of effectiveness of the joint testament shall be from when both husband and wife die.

 Joint testament of husband and wife as a conditional contract.

Also based on the free, voluntary undertaking, agreement of civil law subjects, husband and wife have right to make a civil contract agreeing on the disposal of common assets that may occurring rights and obligations of the third person; meanwhile, defining the specified event where both husband and wife die as the time of commence of the contract and it is not obliged for the contract to be implemented by spouses themself. As such, to be protected and as protected as a civil contract, the joint testament of husband of wife shall comply with civil contract law.

Firstly, to be the conditional contract as provided by law:

As a civil contract, the joint testament of husband and wife shall be the agreement between husband and wife on occurrence, modification, or termination of rights, obligations to the common assets of husband and wife.

Hereunder rights and obligations may occur to the third person, must not be performed by husband and wife themselves. Not an ordinary civil contract, the joint testament of husband and wife is a conditional contract under whereby the performance depends on the occurrence, modification, or termination of a certain event. Thus, in this contract, husband and wife will agree on the time of division of the common assets.

Secondly, to amend, supplement, supersede, terminate, cancel:

As provided by contract law, husband and wife may negotiate to amend, supplement the joint testament. Spouses may also agree on replacing the made joint testament by a new joint testament after terminating the made joint testament or completely terminating the joint testament in accordance with regulations on contract termination. The notable point of cancelation, termination of the joint testament as a contract is the fact that husband and wife may unilaterally cancel, terminate in accordance with law. 

Thirdly, the time of effectiveness:

Not as a testament, stated contract may take effect as of the time of entering contract or the time upon mutually agreed, nevertheless, the effectiveness of the contract is inherently not critical as the establishment, change, and termination of common assets.

For that reason, it is understood that the contract shall take effect from the time as mutually agreed by both husband and wife, otherwise as the time of entering contract. Despite that, apart from the effectiveness of the contract, spouses must also concur on the time of division of the common assets. It is noteworthy that for the purpose of division of the bequests, the abovementioned time shall not fall in the time when it is stated to divide the common assets of husband and wife during the marriage period as prescribed by law on marriage and family.

Application of law to resolve matters relating husband and wife joint testament

Not provided by law, in cases where spouses desire to make joint testament but it is neither applicable for by abovementioned provisions nor agreed upon by the parties, customs can be applied but the customs must not contravene the basic principles of civil law.

If practices are unavailable, provisions of the law governing analogous civil relations shall be applied.  Where analogous law cannot be applied, the basic principles of civil law, case law or equity shall be applied.

In short, because the law leaves open joint testaments of husband and wife, thus, husband and wife who have the will to execute a joint testament shall freely agree in the form of a testament or conditional contract according to the corresponding provisions. For related issues that are not reached with an agreement, customary practices, analogy of law, basic principles of civil law, case law, and equity shall be sequentially applied to resolve.  The individuals are recommended to consult with a will lawyer in Vietnam to help with will and statement service in Vietnam under Vietnam laws.

About ANT Lawyers, a Law Firm in Vietnam

We help clients overcome cultural barriers and achieve their strategic and financial outcomes, while ensuring the best interest rate protection, risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. ANT lawyers has lawyers in Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi,  and Danang, and will help customers in doing business in Vietnam.