The Notarial Council has told notaries to supply banks, financial institutions and clients with one simplified succession declaration form when dealing with the inheritance of deceased persons.

It said that the directive came into effect this week after its repeated calls for a single common document for the benefit of everyone were ignored.

"The way things stand, whenever a client has to deal with the transfer of funds / stocks from a dead person’s estate, notaries face multiple different forms from banks and financial institutions that simply lead to more paperwork and time-consuming processes," the council said. 

It said it will be asking for talks with the Malta Bankers Association to crystallise this common document and make it a purely legal one.

In the meantime, notaries have been directed to issue purely legal documentation in the specified format, in the interest of reaching an accord to have one simple document for all similar matters across Malta and Gozo.