How to proceed with a will? Please share experiences and tips!

I only recommend the notary - that is then rock-solid.

Yes, the calculation behind it is outrageous, but that's just how it is. And you quickly have 4k€ together with a normal single-family house.

Take a look at Yourxpert, they were at some point endorsed as good by Wieso etc. but I have no personal experience with them. At least you could reduce your uncertainty with it. My parents went to the notary back then and 25 years later there was still mail from a lawyer, even though everything was settled and it wasn't about a large sum; there was trouble nonetheless because anyone can sue anyone at will and some lawyers take on cases without any actual chance of winning. Now we have also found and written a suitable Berlin will but our focus is not primarily on bequeathing our children maximum wealth, but rather on guaranteeing ourselves maximum security during our lifetime, and that mostly depends on many other factors. The times when (as with us) parents were obviously supposed to be with their children and both sides were looking forward to it have changed significantly; in our neighborhood this rate is zero! Of course, I don't have to intentionally reduce our capital but our security is the sole aspect of our will. If someone were to stand out or commit reliably and dependably to take care of us, I would immediately change that and financially "prefer/support" that person clearly, because he/she would also take on a great responsibility. That was the case with my parents and us at least.

One can also convince the children with an advance gift approximately equal to the compulsory portion to sign a waiver of the compulsory portion in return, so that it is regulated in advance. My parents had it notarized that way.

My parents also have a Berlin will. My brother and I signed the waiver of the compulsory portion without any gift at all. It is our parents' assets and their right to arrange it as they wish. Their interest was the following by the way: a situation could arise where a child has to claim the compulsory portion (at that time, for example, when receiving citizen's allowance or at that time still Hartz IV). They wanted to prevent that.

I only recommend the notary - that is then rock-solid. Yes, the calculation behind it is outrageous, but that's just how it is. And you quickly come up with 4k€ with a normal single-family house.

Yes, the notary is the only thing that really makes it watertight. Whether the calculation is outrageous. 4,000 scoundrels for legal certainty and peace of mind, the average annual vacation already costs more than that.

However, one should not underestimate what such decisions do within the family. I would be very pissed if my parents made a will like that, because it clearly shows that they consider me a greedy bastard who is just waiting to get their compulsory portion.

Is there a justified assumption that the children would ruin the widower or widow because they want their compulsory portion?

I would be very pissed if my parents made such a will, because that clearly shows that they consider me a greedy bastard who is just waiting to finally get his rightful share.

What nonsense! What kind of broken family do you come from if you think like that? I would be happy that my parents (if I still had both of them - but they actually made a Berliner Testament almost 30 years ago, which existed but was ignored when my father died, as it was only for the "emergency" that did not occur due to good children) think sensibly so that the surviving spouse is secured.

Is there a justified assumption that the children would ruin the widower or widow because they want the compulsory portion?

I wrote something about that: there can be cases where they have to. If they receive corresponding social benefits. Or more precisely, they don't have to, but then they simply no longer receive the benefits. They are entitled to assets they can live off. What is then the alternative for the child? Becoming a beggar and homeless?