viljayfirlýsing

Viljayfirlýsing is a unilateral declaration of a person’s will regarding rights, obligations, or the disposition of property or other legal effects. It is distinct from a bilateral contract because it does not require mutual assent to take effect, though its legal force depends on the jurisdiction and the subject matter. A viljayfirlýsing can express the person’s intention to enter into a contract, to dispose of assets (as in a will or testamentary disposition), to grant another person authority to act on their behalf (power of attorney), or to make decisions about medical treatment or other personal matters. In many areas, the law requires certain formalities for the declaration to be valid or enforceable, such as capacity (the person must understand the consequences), voluntariness, absence of coercion, and, in some cases, written form or witness presence.

The declaration may be revocable during the person’s lifetime unless it specifies otherwise, and it may be subject to interpretation if its wording is ambiguous or if its timing affects its effects.

In practice, viljayfirlýsing is used in Icelandic civil law and administrative contexts to capture the will of an individual, facilitating later actions or obligations based on that will. Related concepts include testamentary dispositions, powers of attorney, and advance directives.