Should a Zimbabwean in the UK have separate wills for Zimbabwe and UK assets?

If you own property or assets in both Zimbabwe and the UK, a single will is unlikely to serve your estate well, and legal guidance supports using two separate, jurisdiction-specific wills rather than one worldwide document. Zimbabwean law allows this structure directly. The Supreme Court, in Rogers v Rogers and Another 2008 (1) ZLR 330 (S), confirmed that a testator can hold separate wills for assets in different jurisdictions. Section 22(4) of the Wills Act further confirms that for immovable property located in Zimbabwe, a will is formally valid as long as it complies with Zimbabwean law, regardless of where it was actually signed. This means a Zimbabwean will covering your Harare house or rural homestead must still meet Zimbabwe's own formality rules even if you draft it in London. On the UK side, the position mirrors this: UK courts will not accept a will written under foreign law to govern UK assets. Any document dealing with your UK property, savings or investments must comply with English and Welsh legal requirements. Practitioners who specialise in cross-border estates for expats recommend a will for each jurisdiction where you hold significant assets, particularly where probate processes differ or local succession rules are strict. The risk with a single worldwide will is that local inheritance laws in Zimbabwe may apply unexpectedly to assets you intended to pass under UK rules, or vice versa — and forced heirship-type provisions or customary law considerations in Zimbabwe can produce outcomes very different from what a UK will anticipates. If you choose two wills, they must be drafted carefully so that one does not accidentally revoke the other, and so that executors in each country are not left with conflicting instructions. Given the complexity — differing formality rules, potential double taxation exposure, and the interaction between Zimbabwe's Wills Act and English law — it is worth instructing a practitioner qualified in both jurisdictions, or at minimum two solicitors who coordinate directly, rather than relying on a single generic will or a DIY template covering both countries. Sources: https://www.propzone.co.zw/en/knowledge-base/legal-finance/how-to-write-valid-will-zimbabwe-wills-act-requirements, https://bbc-law.co.uk/making-a-will/wills-for-overseas-assets, https://www.expatlegalwills.com/blog/writing-a-will-when-you-live-outside-of-the-uk