The Greek government is launching a new digital platform that will slash the time it takes to publish a will from an average of 400 days to as little as three to seven days, a major overhaul aimed at cutting bureaucracy and speeding up inheritance procedures.
The new platform, diathikes.gr, will be implemented on Nov. 1, Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis announced.
The system will initially serve the greater Athens area and the Aegean islands.
The reform is expected to free up approximately 100 judges from will-related casework and provide immediate relief to citizens, who will be able to verify the existence of a will securely and quickly online.
The quicker process will help heirs access inherited assets sooner and is expected to alleviate congestion in the court system.
"The system's role in reducing bureaucracy and improving inheritance tax collection is a benefit to the legal system and the public," said Deputy Justice Minister Ioannis Bougas.
The new platform will also integrate Greece’s registry with the European Network of Registers of Wills, allowing for cross-border verification.
The government plans to introduce legislation in November to transfer thousands of existing pending will cases into the new digital system.