How to make a WILL in Santa Maria

    Hello my name is Jacqui
I will be arriving next week hoping to do a WILL on property I own in Santa Maria.
I just need some information please.
Can I just take my written Will into the Notary office ?
I can translate it onto Portuguese before arriving.
Do I have to make a appointment at the Notary before I arrive?
I believe I will need a translator , how do I contact one ? or does the Notary office have one?
Also I have been told I need two witnesses but there is just me and my husband traveling
How much are the Notary and translator fees?
I would be so grateful to have any replies.
I did contact a lawyer but she wanted to charge me €700 without notary and translation fees, which I think is mega expensive.
Many thanks for reading this. Have a healthy and happy day
   

    -@jacquillull

Hi Jacqui,

In Cape Verde, this is NOT something you need a lawyer for, although lawyers can certainly help those who cannot help themselves. The fee of €700 is actually quite cheap for a local lawyer. Their fees normally start around €1.000 for foreigners. Maybe you have CV roots...thus the discount. In any event, I've answered your questions below:

Can I just take my written Will into the Notary office?  I can translate it onto Portuguese before arriving.

You MUST NOT write your will yourself, NOR should you bring a written will with you! The Cartorio will write the will for you in accordance with Cape Verde law! You see, here in Cape Verde, the majority of the people are poor and cannot afford lawyers, etc. So the writing of wills is a service that is provided by the Cartorio. The have templates already written. They will simply chage the names and assets to conform with your desires. So you will need to walk with your passport, the names of the heirs and a copy of their ID (passports) including names of each of their mothers and fathers, plus of course, the document identifying the property and stating that you are the current owner of said property (the cadastro/certidão predial) which you should already have in your possession. They (the notary) will provide you with the will document (called the testimonial). You can of course, translate it into English later on. It can even be officially translated by the translator (at 20 euro per page) so that you can use the English version in your home country if needed.

Do I have to make a appointment at the Notary before I arrive?

The Cartorios are first come first served. Take a number and await your turn. If they need to set up a specific time, they will indicate the date and time to return. But for something so siimple, you may just get it done right away once your turn arrives.

I believe I will need a translator , how do I contact one ? or does the Notary office have one?

Yes, you will need a translator because everything will be in Portuguese. You will need a translator to explain to the folks at the Cartorio what it is you need done. The tramslator will also need to read the final will back to you and you have to acknowledge that you understand what is is you are about to sign.

The Cartorio has a list of translators. Just call one of them up and speak with them about what it is you want help with.

Also I have been told I need two witnesses but there is just me and my husband traveling.

Yes, you will need another witness, besides your husband who can be a witness. You don't know anyone there?  They are just there to state that they saw you sign that document. Anyone can serve as a witness (but they need to say that they know you and how). The witnesses need to have their ID cards or passports with them.

How much are the Notary and translator fees?

The notary will charge around €30-40 (same fee as all Cartorios across the country). The witnesses you can offer say €10-20 each unless they are friends. The translator may charge around €30-50. I'm not sure what they charge in Sal. But it should not be much more than what I've indicated.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Angelo

Hi Jacquill,

I have also been through this process and live now in Santa Maria. I could witness for you, have a couple translators I could refer, and also can take you to notary in Espargus as the office in SM is a little slow (if needed.) Send me a private message if you like~