You've inherited property in Ireland. Here's what happens next.

If you live outside Ireland and inherit property or money there, Irish law will apply to that inheritance regardless of where you are. The Succession Act 1965 is the main law that controls how estates are divided in Ireland, and it applies to all Irish assets no matter where the person who died lived or where the beneficiaries live. This means you cannot simply ignore Irish inheritance laws or use the laws of your own country instead. You will need to go through the Irish probate process, which involves the Irish courts, and you may face Irish tax bills on the inheritance. For many people inheriting from abroad, this feels overwhelming because they are not familiar with Irish procedures or Irish property law, but the good news is that a qualified Irish solicitor can handle nearly everything for you without you needing to travel to Ireland. When someone dies owning property in Ireland, the first step is usually to get a document called a grant of probate from the Irish courts. This is a court order that confirms who has the legal right to deal with the dead person's estate. If the person left a valid will, the court will issue probate to the executor named in that will. If there was no will, the court will grant administration to the next of kin according to the rules set out in the Succession Act 1965. A solicitor will prepare all the paperwork needed for this court application, gather evidence like the death certificate and details of the estate, and submit everything to the Irish probate office. You do not have to attend court yourself, and the solicitor can handle all the correspondence by post, email, or phone. Once the grant is issued, the solicitor can then collect in the assets, pay any debts or taxes owed, and distribute what is left to the beneficiaries. If there is property involved that needs to be sold, the solicitor can arrange that too. The costs of inheriting from abroad do include solicitor fees, court fees, and potentially taxes owed to the Irish Revenue. The amount of tax you pay depends on your relationship to the person who died and the value of what you inherit. Your solicitor will advise you on all these costs upfront and will be able to give you an estimate before starting the work. Because the solicitor acts for you as your legal representative throughout the process, you remain in contact with them from abroad and receive regular updates, even though the real legal work is happening in Ireland. This remote arrangement is standard practice for Irish solicitors dealing with beneficiaries overseas, so inheriting property in Ireland while living abroad, although more complex than a simple domestic inheritance, is a process that experienced solicitors manage routinely.