By way of update to our previous articles, we confirm that the suspension of Italian court deadlines and all administrative procedures, has been extended by a further month, to further contain the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic (Link to legislation Decreto Legge n. 23 of 8th April 2020.) The suspension was previously ordered up to...
Read MoreParental rights in a time of national emergency
The enforced distance between separated parents and their children has obviously been problematic for many families in this emergency situation. The Court of Bari ruled on 26th March 2020 that visting rights of a father with his child, who is resident in another Comune in Puglia, should be suspended. The court observed that the national lockdown measures...
Read MoreGuidance on Wills for British citizens abroad
Drawing up a Last Will and Testament where there is an international factor is particularly challenging. This post aims to provide straightforward guidance on wills for British citizens who find themselves outside the United Kingdom at this unprecedented time of the global health pandemic. We are aware that people are unexpectedly facing the question of...
Read MoreSuspension of citizenship and immigration applications
The suspension of ongoing administrative procedures, and the extension of deadlines or expiry dates, was formalised by decree dated 17th March 2020, n.70 (more commonly referred to as ‘Decreto Legge Cura Italia’) in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. LINK TO DECRETO: https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/03/17/20G00034/sg By administrative...
Read MorePrivate Foundations and the growth of the “terzo settore”
The name “terzo settore” refers to the sector of institutions and legal entities in Italian society which are not connected to either corporate enterprises or to the state. This so-called “third sector” is made up of organisations such as private foundations that are non-profit making (“senza scopo di lucro“) and is...
Read MoreSuspension of the courts continues up to 15th April 2020
The streets of Rome are eerily silent now as the country waits for news daily from the Protezione Civile hoping for reassurance that the numbers of those affected by the epidemic are starting to decrease. Now three weeks into the lock-down of Italy, this article updates our previous article of 9th March to take into account the constant stream of new...
Read MoreCourt hearings suspended until 22nd March 2020
No need for panic! Life in Italy is going on almost as normal for most of us at the moment, despite the fact that since 10th March the country is on government-ordered lock-down because of COVD-19. We are just trying to keep healthy and look after our loved ones with a few extra precautions to avoid catching any unwanted germs, and hoping that these...
Read MoreInheritance law and estate planning in Italy
There are common misconceptions about inheritance law and estate planning in Italy and what type of will should be made by international residents or property owners, whether a will should be made at all, or whether different wills should be drawn up in every country. There is however no one-shoe-fits-all rule. Advice may differ, and there may be more than...
Read MoreStatute of Limitations
One of the most urgently needed reforms of the Italian criminal justice system is to the Statute of Limitations or the rules on “prescrizione” which determine the date by which a criminal offence can no longer continue to be prosecuted if no verdict has been reached. Legge n. 3 del 9 gennaio 2019 was introduced by the Justice Minister Bonafede...
Read MoreBREXIT IS REALITY…
The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act became law on 23rd January. The next step will be for the withdrawal agreement to be ratified by the European Parliament, scheduled for 23rd January. The UK is then due to leave the EU on 31st January 2020 under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement concluded between the UK and the EU on 19th October 2019, and...
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