In Oradea, Romania: Drafting a Will and What Lawyers Actually Charge

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I never thought I’d be sitting in a small office in Oradea, staring at a piece of paper that might outlive me.

It’s not the kind of thing you plan for when you’re 50, living between a dusty factory in Gansu and a cluttered warehouse in Romania. I came here to sell desktop robotic arms—tiny, elegant machines that can pick up screws and place them like a surgeon’s fingers. My customers? Mostly small workshops in Transylvania who can’t afford big automation but dream of it. I’ve been optimizing my listings for months. The real work, though, wasn’t on Amazon or Alibaba. It was in the quiet corners of bureaucracy: tax codes, residency renewals, and now—this.

A will.

Not because I’m dying. But because I’m living too far from home.

The Weight of Planning Across Borders

I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “Today, I’ll write my last will.” It crept in slowly. Like the way the winter fog settles over the Someș River here in Oradea—silent, thick, inevitable.

It started with a phone call from my sister back in Gansu. “Your father’s memory is fading,” she said. “He keeps asking when you’ll come home.” I told her I was busy with orders. Then I looked at my calendar: five months since I last saw my parents. I hadn’t even sent them a proper photo in a year.

I realized: if something happened to me here—on a road, in a clinic, in my rented apartment with the broken radiator—no one in China would know what I owned, where I banked, or who I wanted to take care of my tools, my savings, my half-finished business.

So I went to a lawyer.

I found him through a Chinese expat group on WeChat. “Mihai,” he said, shaking my hand. “I’ve helped three other Chinese entrepreneurs with wills.” He spoke English with a gentle accent, like someone who’d learned it from old BBC broadcasts.

I asked: “How much?”

He smiled. “It depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether you want to leave assets in Romania, in China, or both. On whether you have children. On whether you want the will to be notarized under Romanian civil law, or if you want to reference Chinese inheritance rules.”

I stared at him.

I thought I was asking for a price. He was asking me to map my entire life.

That’s when I realized: I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

The Fog of Legal Translation

Here’s what I learned:

• In Romania, a Last Will and Testament (Testament) must be written in Romanian if it’s to be filed with the Notary Public (Notar Public). If you want it recognized in China, you may need a Chinese Consular Authentication—but only if the will complies with Chinese inheritance law and Romanian formalities.
• Fees? There’s no public tariff. I was quoted €250 for a basic draft. Then another €150 for notarization. Then €80 for translation. Then €60 for apostille. Then… maybe more if I want to include my digital assets—my Amazon seller account, my Alibaba supplier contacts, my domain names.
• No one told me upfront. Not the lawyer. Not the translator. Not the expat forum.

I asked: “Is this typical?”

He shrugged. “It’s what I’ve seen. But every case is different.”

That’s the thing about cross-border legal matters: there is no standard. Only patterns.

I sat in my car after the meeting, staring at the Oradea skyline. I thought about how much time I’d spent optimizing product titles for German buyers, tweaking keywords for French searchers, and yet here I was, paralyzed by something far more important—something no algorithm could fix.

I had spent 18 months learning how to sell machines.

But I hadn’t learned how to protect the life that made the selling possible.

My Framework: Three Questions Before You Draft

If you’re reading this because you’re thinking about drafting a will in Romania—whether in Oradea, Cluj, or Bucharest—here’s what I wish someone had told me before I walked into that office:

1. Where are your assets?

   • Real estate? Bank accounts? Intellectual property? Online businesses?
   • Each jurisdiction may require separate documentation. A Romanian will may not cover your Chinese property. A Chinese notarized will may not be recognized here.

2. Who will act as executor?

   • Can your sister in Gansu handle Romanian paperwork?
   • Do you have a trusted local contact who speaks Romanian and understands probate?
   • If not, you may need to appoint a local notary as executor—this adds cost, but reduces chaos.

3. What’s your language safety net?

   • Never rely on Google Translate for legal documents.
   • Hire a translator certified by the Romanian Chamber of Notaries.
   • Ask: “Can you provide a sworn translation with the notary’s stamp?”
   • If they say “no,” walk out.

I didn’t do all this perfectly. I still haven’t signed anything. But I’ve drafted three versions—on paper, on my laptop, and in my head.

And for the first time in months, I feel a little less anxious.

✅ 3 Action Steps (No Promises, Just Paths)

If you’re in Romania and thinking about a will, here’s where to start:

1. Visit your local Notary Public (Notar Public)

   • Find one in your city (Oradea has several).
   • Ask: “Can you assist with a will for a foreign national who owns assets in multiple countries?”
   • Request a written estimate—in writing—before any work begins.

2. Contact the Chinese Consulate in Bucharest

   • Visit: https://ro.china-embassy.gov.cn
   • Ask about Consular Certification for foreign wills.
   • Bring: your passport, proof of residence, draft will (if any), and a list of assets.

3. Talk to a bilingual legal aid NGO

   • Try Romanian Association of Foreigners’ Rights (Asociația Drepturile Străinilor)
   • They offer free 30-minute consultations for non-EU residents.
   • Website: https://adstranieri.ro
   • They don’t draft wills—but they’ll tell you who can.

Reflection

I used to think execution was about shipping products faster, hitting sales targets, optimizing PPC campaigns.

Now I know: true execution is showing up for the things that don’t have a KPI.

I’m 50. I’ve built a business that barely pays the rent. I’ve missed birthdays. I’ve forgotten to call my mother on her birthday last year.

But I’m writing this will—not because I’m afraid of dying.

I’m writing it because I don’t want to leave my family wondering.

And I’m writing it because I finally understand: a business can be optimized. A life? You just have to live it.

📌 FAQ

Q1: Can I write my will in English and have it valid in Romania?
A: Not as a standalone document. Romanian law requires the official will to be in Romanian. But you can draft it in English first, then have a certified translator convert it. The notary will require the Romanian version to be signed and stamped. Always confirm with the local Notary Public.

Q2: Do I need to register my will anywhere?
A: In Romania, wills are registered in the Central Register of Wills (Registrul Central al Testamentelor) after notarization. Your notary will handle this. In China, you may register at a local notary office if you have property there. No single global registry exists.

Q3: How do I know if a lawyer is trustworthy?
A: Ask:

• “Have you handled wills for Chinese nationals before?”
• “Can I see your license from the Romanian Bar Association?”
• “Will you provide a written quote before starting?”
  Avoid anyone who says “I’ll make sure it’s valid in China.” That’s not their job. Their job is to make it valid under Romanian law.

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我前几天和编辑 JingJing 聊起这件事，她没说“我能帮你”，而是说：“我们这里，有人经历过同样的沉默。”
她微信是 lvga2015。
不是推销，不是承诺。
只是——如果你也坐在某个黄昏的办公室里，盯着一张写了一半的遗嘱，
也许，你不是一个人。

欢迎你，加她。

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