Nico Halle Takes Fight for Family Peace to Wills and Inheritance

Sir. Dr. Barr. Nico Halle Addressing Participants

Preparing a will is not simply about deciding who inherits one's property after death. It is also a way of protecting family relationships, preventing unnecessary disputes and ensuring that a person's wishes are respected.

This was the central message delivered by veteran Cameroonian lawyer, Sir Dr Barrister Nico Halle, during a free legal awareness seminar organized by his law firm, Nico Halle & Co, in Douala.

The seminar, held on Friday, November 6, 2026, at the firm's conference room at Shalom Building, Ancienne Route, Bonaberi, brought together Christians from the Bonaberi Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), alongside a few invited participants from other PCC congregations. Although hundreds had expressed interest in attending, limited space forced the organizers to restrict participation to about 60 people.

Under the theme, “The Establishment and Execution of Formal and Informal Wills,” the seminar provided participants with practical information on how to prepare a will, the legal conditions governing its validity, how it can be amended or revoked, and what happens to property when someone dies without leaving one.

Nico Halle: Preparing for death is a responsibility

Opening the seminar, Nico Halle reminded participants that death is inevitable and that people should not avoid discussing it simply because it is uncomfortable.

Cross Section of Participants During the Seminar

Drawing on his experience as a lawyer and legal educator, he argued that preparing a will is one of the most responsible steps a person can take to protect their family after death.

According to him, when someone dies without leaving clear instructions on how their property should be distributed, the surviving family may be exposed to disagreements, bitterness, divisions and prolonged court battles. He encouraged participants to make arrangements while they are still alive rather than leave their families to struggle with inheritance questions after their death.

Sir. Dr. Barr. Nico Halle also discussed the importance of keeping wills confidential. He explained that people who entrust their wills to lawyers or other trusted individuals should ensure that the documents are kept securely and that their contents remain private until their death.

He noted that some people choose to leave copies of their wills with more than one trusted person to reduce the risk of the document being tampered with or disappearing. However, those holding the different copies should not necessarily be aware of one another's involvement.

A will can be changed or withdrawn

One of the major concerns addressed during the seminar was the fear some people have about writing wills because their family circumstances may change over time.

Lawyers from Nico Halle & Co explained that preparing a will does not mean a person has permanently surrendered control over their property or decisions. A testator, the legal term for someone who makes a will, can amend, update, revoke or replace the document while still alive

Sir. Dr. Barr. Nico Halle, Drilling Participants

The lawyers said changes may become necessary following major developments such as the birth of another child, divorce or the acquisition of additional property. They also stressed that a will only takes effect after the death of its maker. Evidence of death, such as a death certificate, is required before the document can be executed.

This means that someone who prepares a will today can continue to manage their property and make changes to the document throughout their lifetime.

Formal and informal wills

The seminar also examined the distinction between formal and informal wills and the conditions that determine whether a document is legally recognized. The lawyers explained that, under the legal framework discussed at the meeting, a formal will is one that meets the requirements for legal validity, while an informal will does not satisfy all the necessary conditions.

They cited the age of 18 as the legal threshold for making a valid will under the provisions they discussed. However, the legal team raised questions about the circumstances of young people who acquire property or accumulate considerable wealth before reaching adulthood.

One of the Lawyers Addressing Participants

Sir. Dr. Barrister Nico Halle argued that maturity does not always correspond with age, pointing to young footballers, athletes and other talented individuals who earn substantial incomes and acquire property before turning 18.

The lawyers acknowledged that a document prepared by someone below the legal age may not qualify as a valid will. Nevertheless, they argued that recording such a young person's wishes could provide useful guidance to family members on how the property should be handled if the individual dies before reaching adulthood.

Who should write and keep a will?

Participants were also advised that they could prepare their own wills or seek the services of a lawyer to ensure that the document meets the applicable legal requirements.

The lawyers highlighted the importance of witnesses, explaining that a will normally requires two witnesses whose signatures help support the document's authenticity.

The testator may choose relatives or friends as witnesses, but the lawyers advised selecting trustworthy individuals who can maintain confidentiality and avoid disclosing the contents of the will prematurely.

Entrusting a will to a credible lawyer was also presented as an option, particularly because of the importance of proper custody and easy access to the document when it is eventually needed. The lawyers further addressed what happens when someone dies, but the family cannot find the will they are known to have prepared.

They explained that where an original will cannot be found, the law may presume that the testator destroyed it and did not replace it. In such circumstances, the estate may be treated as though the deceased died without leaving a will, with the applicable succession rules determining how the property is distributed.

Participant Presenting a Question During the Seminar

Using the Bayang tradition in the South West Region as an example, the discussion highlighted how, in certain customary settings, the first son may automatically become the next of kin when a man dies without leaving a will, regardless of whether that was the deceased person's preferred choice.

Can a will be challenged in court?

Another important issue was whether a will can be contested after its maker has died. The lawyers made it clear that a signed will is not necessarily beyond challenge. Interested family members may approach the courts if they believe the document was made under questionable circumstances or contains provisions that violate their legal rights.

They cited situations where a person may have been forced, threatened or pressured into signing a will that does not reflect their genuine wishes. A will may also be challenged if there are concerns that its maker lacked the mental capacity to understand the decisions being made at the time of preparation.

The lawyers also discussed concerns surrounding unequal treatment of children in inheritance matters. They explained that children who believe they have been unfairly treated in the distribution of their late parent's property may seek legal redress.

It was against this background of frequent disputes over wills and family property that Sir Dr Barrister Nico Halle introduced what he described as a practical approach to preserving family peace: the concept of a family will.

He explained that the idea is based on what he called the rule of love and the law of love, encouraging fathers, mothers and their children to sit together while the parents are still alive and agree on how family wealth and property should be distributed.

Under this arrangement, the family collectively discusses the proposed distribution of its assets and documents the agreement. Both parents and their children sign the document, committing themselves to respecting the decisions reached and maintaining peace when the parents are no longer alive.

Sir. Dr. Barr. Nico Halle explained that, under the arrangement he proposes, children may take possession of the property allocated to them while their parents are still living, but do not acquire legal title or ownership until both parents have died.

He said the approach emerged from his experience handling inheritance matters, particularly the numerous wills he has been called upon to execute that subsequently become the subject of court challenges and family disagreements.

According to him, such challenges often come from children, relatives and children born outside marriage, leaving families divided over property that should have brought them together.

He believes that allowing family members to discuss and agree on the distribution of property before the death of their parents can reduce the likelihood of such disputes. “The family sits down and agrees, and it is documented. That document is called the family will,” Halle explained.

He said the arrangement gives children an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their future inheritance rather than leaving everything to be settled after their parents' death.

For the international legal mind, the ultimate objective is to ensure that families remain united, with love and mutual understanding surviving even after the parents are gone.

He said participants welcomed the proposal, expressing satisfaction with the idea of involving the entire family in discussions about property distribution while everyone is still alive.

His message was that parents should not leave behind an inheritance that becomes a source of bitterness and hostility among their children.

The family will, as proposed by Halle, is therefore intended to make family members active participants in protecting the peace and harmony of their homes.

Children born outside marriage and inheritance rights

The inheritance rights of children born outside marriage generated particular interest during the question-and-answer session. Participants wanted to know whether such children were entitled to the same share of their father's estate as children born within marriage.

In response, the lawyers explained that the law previously provided for children born outside marriage to receive half the share allocated to children born within marriage. However, they said subsequent changes to the law had established equal inheritance rights for all a man's children, regardless of whether they were born within or outside marriage.

The discussion reinforced the importance of recognizing all children when preparing a will and making arrangements for the distribution of family property.

What happens to an unborn child when the father dies?

Another question concerned women who are pregnant when their husbands die. The lawyers explained that a child born within nine months of the father's death is generally presumed to be the deceased man's child under the legal provision discussed at the seminar.

A Cross Section of Participants

They added that an unborn child is also considered when the deceased's estate is being distributed, meaning that a portion of the property should be reserved for the baby. Where doubts arise over paternity, the lawyers said medical testing could help establish the facts.

However, if the pregnancy ends in a miscarriage or stillbirth, the portion reserved for the unborn child is redistributed among the other children, according to the explanation given at the seminar.

A bilingual legal team for a wider audience

The seminar also benefited from the composition of the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm, which brings together Anglophone and Francophone lawyers trained in the Common Law and Civil Law systems.

Participants therefore had the opportunity to hear different legal perspectives, ask questions and seek clarification from lawyers familiar with the two legal traditions practised in Cameroon.

Sir. Dr. Barr. Nico Halle Enlightening Participants on Some Key Issues

Sir. Dr. Barr. Nico Halle moderated the discussions, regularly supplementing the presentations with additional explanations and practical examples drawn from his years of legal practice and teaching. The free seminar formed part of the firm's efforts to make legal information more accessible to ordinary citizens, particularly on issues that directly affect families and property ownership.

By the close of the meeting, participants had received guidance on preparing wills, choosing witnesses, protecting documents, changing or revoking existing wills and understanding the inheritance rights of different categories of children.

For Nico Halle, the message was that people should not wait until illness, old age or a family dispute forces them to think about inheritance. Preparing a will while alive gives individuals an opportunity to express their wishes clearly and can spare their loved ones avoidable conflict after their death.

#Laarry Times