Use this briefing structure to identify the Swedish issue and agree the responsibilities of each adviser. Simon is a Swedish lawyer based in Stockholm; the England and Wales work remains with appropriately qualified local advisers.
Begin with the decision that is being held up
Explain what the executor or solicitor cannot safely do next. The question might concern a Swedish bank's document request, the meaning of a Swedish term, a will affecting Swedish assets or a proposed property transaction. Name the decision and its intended recipient. A request to advise on all Swedish inheritance law is less useful than an identified question with the facts and assumptions behind it. Do not turn a general enquiry into a conclusion about the law applying to the estate.
Keep background facts separate from legal assumptions
Prepare a short chronology of the deceased person's residence, nationality, relevant documents and asset locations. Identify any will provisions that another adviser considers material without paraphrasing them as settled legal conclusions. Record which facts have been verified and which still need checking. An English grant, Swedish nationality or Swedish assets can each be relevant context, but none should be used alone to answer every succession question. The appropriate advisers must assess the actual connecting facts and documents.
Say who the client is and who can instruct
Distinguish the executor, the estate's beneficiaries, an instructing solicitor and any person acting in Sweden. Confirm who is proposed as Simon's client and who is authorised to approve the scope. If several firms or family members are involved, identify a main contact and describe any known disagreement. Matter fit, conflict checks and the engagement need to be addressed before confidential records are sent. A free first call does not itself establish a lawyer-client relationship or permission to act for everyone concerned.
Ask for a defined deliverable
Describe what will make the instruction useful: a Swedish-law explanation addressing named questions, review of a recipient's document requirements, or an agreed administration task. Ask what facts are required and which assumptions will be stated. Agree how the answer will be communicated and who may rely on it. This guide does not promise a particular opinion format or service in every case; Simon first confirms whether the proposed deliverable fits the firm's Swedish legal scope.
Allocate the two countries' work explicitly
The England and Wales adviser retains responsibility for its local probate, succession advice and procedure within the agreed instruction. Swedish legal issues and coordination should be identified separately, with tax and investment questions directed to the appropriate professionals. GOV.UK's probate guidance is a useful orientation for the English process, not a substitute for this allocation. Decide who will contact the Swedish institution, who will explain the documents to the client and who will record any decision arising from the advice.
Agree scope, costs and the next exchange
Mention any genuine deadline and explain where it comes from. Ask how the proposed Swedish work will be priced, which third-party expenses are outside the engagement and how extra work will be authorised. Simon offers the same free first conversation of up to 30 minutes for enquiries from England and Wales. Start with the outline rather than attaching identity records or a complete estate file to an initial email. If the matter proceeds, the scope and engagement are agreed before work and document collection begin.
Prepare for the first conversation
- The decision requiring Swedish advice
- Verified background facts and unresolved assumptions
- Proposed client and authorised instructing person
- Required deliverable and intended recipient
- Division of Swedish and England/Wales responsibilities
- Deadline, scope and agreed document channel
To discuss the Swedish work described here, explore Swedish legal support for England and Wales solicitors, then book a free first conversation with Simon if you need help with the next step.
Official sources and jurisdiction
These sources explain general concepts and procedure. They do not determine the law, documents or outcome for a particular estate.
Related Swedish help
Simon provides Swedish legal services from Stockholm. England and Wales probate, tax and local legal advice remain with appropriately qualified advisers. Do not include confidential documents in an initial email.
Book a free 30-minute first call