CHANGES IN INHERITANCE LAW AT A GLANCE

/ / Published in Legal Issues for Individuals
  • Wills must be made exclusively before a notary. Even if someone has made a handwritten will (at home or elsewhere), it will no longer be considered valid.
  • Time limit for accepting a will. From now on, an heir will not have unlimited time to accept or renounce the will. A specific deadline will be set, although it has not yet been clarified.
  • Inheritance rights for partners. Life partners, even if not married or in a civil union with the deceased, will now have inheritance rights. Until now, such people were excluded by law.
  • Inheritance rights in formal marital relationships. Inheritance rights will be limited for spouses in formal but separated relationships (e.g., those living apart). They will have reduced rights to the deceased’s estate.
  • Inheritance rights abolished for very elderly parents. Elderly parents will be excluded from inheritance, which will instead be directed to younger relatives.
  • Inheritance contracts. Inheritance contracts will be made during the lifetime of the parties involved, to arrange matters clearly and avoid disputes among heirs in court.