The testator is free to decide how much he wants to bequeath to whom

The testator is completely free to decide what should happen to his assets after his death. However, in order for a will to be truly valid, it is important that the testator is familiar with the specifics of drafting a will. Small mistakes in the wording can already lead to parts of the will not being interpreted correctly or not being valid in the first place. For this reason, it is of absolute necessity that the will is legally unambiguous.

Facts about the compulsory part

Close relatives cannot be completely excluded from the testator’s inheritance. Even in the event of disinheritance, which was agreed in the will, the relative can sue for the statutory compulsory portion. Incidentally, disinheritance can be effected without giving reasons.

Therefore, it does not make sense for the testator to disinherit a person who is entitled to the compulsory portion. This only leads to disputes. Inherited is nevertheless.

The compulsory portion is half of the statutory share of the inheritance. The compulsory portion is not automatically awarded to the heir by the probate court. The compulsory portion is also not noted in the certificate of inheritance. This means that the compulsory portion must first be claimed by the beneficiary of the compulsory portion from the other heirs.

However, there are special circumstances in which the testator is entitled to disinherit the child in such a way that the child cannot inherit the compulsory portion. This is the case if the child has been sentenced to a prison term of at least one year without probation for a criminal offence.

If a child is also to be deprived of the compulsory portion, the testator must record the motives in the will. Another legally valid reason is when the beneficiary of the compulsory portion seeks the life of the testator or another close person. If the beneficiary of the compulsory portion is guilty of a crime such as theft or bodily harm against the testator, he or she may also be deprived of the right to the compulsory portion.

Entitled to a compulsory share?

But which persons count as next of kin and are therefore entitled to a compulsory portion? This includes children. It does not matter whether they are biological or adopted children. If the testator was married at the time of death, spouses also count as close relatives. The same applies to a registered civil partnership. If the deceased has no children, the parents count as close relatives. Siblings of the deceased, on the other hand, are not entitled to a compulsory share.

The heir’s compulsory portion may be increased if the testator made gifts to other relatives up to ten years before his or her death. This is a claim to a supplement to the compulsory portion. This is the case, for example, if the testator gave away a property five years before his death. The beneficiary of the compulsory portion can demand that the compulsory portion is now calculated as it would have been if the gift had not been made. His or her compulsory portion increases as a result.

It should be noted that the beneficiary of the compulsory portion is not the owner of the estate. He therefore has no say whatsoever in what is to be done with the estate.

The legal succession must also be observed in the will if it is not to lose its validity. If the succession was not observed by the testator, the person concerned can enforce his or her claims in court.

If the claim to the compulsory portion is not asserted within 3 years after the death of the testator, the claim loses its validity. In addition, the claim to the compulsory portion only becomes valid when the testator has died. The compulsory portion cannot be claimed during the lifetime of the testator.

Inheritance and bequests: Compulsory portion

Calculate compulsory part – instructions

Legal succession in the case of inheritance

Legal succession always applies if the testator has not made a will. If there are no relatives, the inheritance passes to the state. However, this is hardly ever the case in Germany.

In the law of succession, kinship is divided into different degrees of order.

If heirs of order I exist, heirs of order II are completely excluded.

The children of the deceased as well as the grandchildren belong to the degree of order I. The children inherit in equal shares. If one of the children is already deceased, his or her children inherit.

Second cousin

If a deceased dies leaving neither children nor grandchildren, the second-degree relatives inherit. These include the parents of the deceased and the siblings. If a sibling has already died, the inheritance passes to their children, the nieces and nephews. If there are no second-degree relatives, the third-degree relatives are the grandparents and their children. These are then the aunts and uncles and the cousins.

Spouse

If no marriage contract has been agreed and the principle of community of accrued gains applies, the spouse of the deceased receives half of the inheritance alongside the children. In addition to the parents and siblings, the spouse even receives three quarters of the inheritance.

This can become dangerous if, for example, a property is inherited. In this case, the spouse has no sole claim to the property. In order to avoid this problem, many spouses opt for the Berlin will.

Berlin will

In a Berlin will, the longer-living spouse inherits everything. The children are excluded as heirs. Only after the death of the second spouse does the inheritance pass to the children. In this way, the property passes to the spouse without an inheritance dispute. However, even in this case, children can override the testator’s last will and claim the compulsory portion.

To prevent this from happening, the will can be amended to include a penalty clause in the event that the compulsory portion is claimed. However, this usually does not have the desired effect of the testator. Children can nevertheless claim their compulsory portion after the death of one parent. However, this becomes economically less attractive, as the inheritance is higher after the death of the second parent.

Parents are not obliged to treat their children equally in their wills

Parents are not obliged to treat their children equally in the will, even if this could avoid disputes after death. However, it is not possible to bequeath certain items of the estate only to certain children. For example, that the first child should inherit only the real estate, while the second child should become heir to the securities. Instead, it is only possible to determine with which quota the individual child receives how much of the total inheritance.

Will and custody

For the testator’s will to be valid, it must be handwritten and, of course, signed. It is absolutely fatal to type the will on the computer for the sake of better legibility. Even if it is signed, it is not valid.

Most testators choose to keep their wills at home. However, this carries the risk that it will be lost, cannot be found after death or that one of the heirs will make it disappear if it falls into their hands and disadvantages them.

It is therefore more advisable to place the will in the care of the probate court. This ensures that the will will be used in any case after the death of the testator. Anyone who decides against this form of safekeeping would do well to inform a trustworthy person about the existence and location of the will.

Der Beitrag Inherit properly: What to consider when inheriting and bequeathing erschien zuerst auf ℄ Real Estates.

Please note, this article is written with a focus toward the German market, but very similar laws apply everywhere.

Testament – Inherit the assets correctly

Without a testament, the estate will be distributed according to the provisions of the legal succession. However, this is not always in the interest of the testator. If a will exists, the assets can be distributed differently than the law requires and non-blood relatives can also inherit. The making of a will is therefore not only important to regulate the last will and testament exactly, but also to avoid disputes in the family.

• Learn more about: Correctly inherit
• Exemptions and Inheritance Tax

The Content – What can be regulated in a will?

A will overrides the legal succession and can thus determine a new succession. The testator determines who is to take over the inheritance. If several persons are named, the assets are usually divided according to quotas. Writing a will also allows the testator to leave individual items to certain persons, such as a car, jewelry or real estate. However, these are legally not considered as inheritance but as bequest. To avoid disputes about the estate, the estate can be distributed in a will in such a way that no points of contention can arise.

Setting up – the notary helps

Wills can be drawn up with or without a civil law notary. If a will is drawn up without a civil law notary, a few things must be taken into account. The author must be at least 16 years old and “testable”, i.e. in full possession of his mental powers. The testament must be written by hand, because printouts written on the computer are not sufficient as a valid testament. If the will is several pages long, each page should be numbered, stapled together and each page should be dated and signed in a uniform manner. A unique heading, such as “Last Will and Testament” or “My Last Will and Testament” is recommended to make the purpose of the writing clear.

If, however, a will is drawn up with the help of a civil law notary, this means that the testator has verbally recorded his last will and testament with a civil law notary. This is particularly important when real estate is part of the estate, because either a certificate of inheritance or a notarial will is required for transfer to the land register. If a notarial will exists, the heirs are spared the costly and time-consuming inheritance certificate procedure.

Assigning Real Estate in a will – avoiding community of heirs and disputes

If there is no will and a property is part of the estate, it becomes the property of the heirs. In most cases, a community of heirs is then formed in which no one can dispose of the inheritance alone. When such a property is sold, all heirs must agree. This fact can often lead to disputes within the community of heirs. In addition, the costs incurred for a notarial will are usually only half as low as the costs for a certificate of inheritance that the heirs have to pay if no will exists. In a will, the last will and testament can regulate the last will and testament about the real estate in detail and save disputes and unnecessary costs for all parties involved.

Debts in your estate – Protect your private assets

The heir to an estate takes over not only the assets but also the liabilities of the deceased. In general, an heir must reject a debt inheritance within six weeks, otherwise the heir is liable for the debts with his private assets. If it is clear from the outset that it is a debt inheritance, the inheritance can be rejected within the six-week period. If it only becomes apparent later that the estate is burdened with debts, an application for bankruptcy can be filed. The private assets of the heir are thus protected and the debts must only be repaid from the estate.

The traps – What to pay attention to

Particularly when it comes to the question of how best to inherit the estate, mistakes often occur in the correct implementation that limit the last will and testament.

No will

Without a will, the legal succession automatically takes effect. This can lead not only to disputes within the family, but also to the fact that loved ones are left empty-handed

No replacement heir

If the designated heir is already deceased at the time of death, the legal succession takes effect, which is not always in favour of the testator. The nomination of a substitute heir is therefore very important to avoid legal succession.

Non-marital partners

Non-marital partners must be clearly named in the will, as they are left empty-handed according to the legal succession

No children

Childless married couples without a will do not inherit completely to the remaining spouse, but also to parents or siblings. If the spouse is to administer the estate, this must be named exactly.

No clarity

A testament should always clearly state what the last will and testament is. If it is not clear how the estate is to be treated, errors may occur.

Legal succession – this happens without a will

If the deceased leaves children and a spouse, the spouse receives half of the assets according to the legal succession. The other half is divided between the children. If the deceased has no children, the spouse receives 75 percent of the assets and second-order relatives, such as siblings or parents, receive the remaining part of the inheritance.

In general, the spouse always inherits. Apart from this only heirs of one order can inherit, for example the children. If there is a first-order heir, such as a child, no one inherits from the second or third order.

Please also inform yourself about the topic: compulsory part in the inheritance!

Statistics: Inheritance in Germany

Here you can see inheritances and donations in Germany. The survey ranges from 2008 to 2018 and shows that over 110,000 inheritances are distributed annually. Great potential for dispute if the community of heirs does not agree.

You can find more statistics at Statista

How much money is inherited?

Since 2014, Hamburg in particular has been the leader in Germany. Hamburg is currently at the top with 167.80 euros. In no other city is so much inherited. With a population share of 2.19% of total Germany (1.82 million of 82.79 million), a total volume of 305,731,600 Euro is inherited annually.

• Population share Hamburg 2.19%
• Inheritance in Germany (comparison year) 109,635; statistically 2,401 inheritances in Hamburg
• Total inheritance (Hamburg / year) 305,731,600 Euro

Sell your inheritance? House prices in Germany

Here you can see the cities with the highest prices per square meter for condominiums in a comparison of 2010 and 2018* (in euros per square meter).

1. 1. Munich (Bavaria) with 8,342 euros per square meter; from 6,737 euros per square meter in 2014; increase of 1,695 euros per square meter in 4 years
   2. Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg) with 5,925 euros per square meter; from 4744 euros per sqm in 2014; increase of 1,181 euros per sqm
   3. Frankfurt am Main (Hesse) with 6,060 euros per square meter; from 4,373 euros per square meter in 2014; increase of 1,687 euros per square meter
   4. Freiburg im Breisgau (Bavaria) with 4,943 euros per square meter; from 4,740 euros per square meter in 2014; increase 203 euros per square meter in 2014; increase 203 euros per square meter in 2014

1. Ingolstadt (Bavaria) with 4,969 euros per square meter; from 4,287 euros per sqm in 2014; increase 682 euros per sqm

You can find more facts and figures on this topic at: Statistics Heritage.

The most important questions: Will and correct inheritance

In order to avoid family disputes and ignorance about the estate, it is important to settle the inheritance during your lifetime. Our experts have answered all important questions on this subject for you.

When is a donation tax-free?

Parents can give their children something from their inheritance and this is tax free. This possibility facilitates the inheritance taxes that are due on the inheritance. Parents may give their children a tax-free gift of 500,000 euros, while the amount is limited to 20,000 euros. .

Can I sign over my child to my house?

If you would like your child, or one of your children to receive your property, you can sign over the property while you are still alive. However, this is considered a gift, which is why your descendant will own ten percent of the property with every year you live after the gift.

How is an inheritance divided without a will?

Without a will, the inheritance is distributed according to the legal succession. In the first place, this succession takes into account the spouses and children. Other relatives are usually not taken into account.

What does the transfer of a house cost?

The cost of transferring a house depends on the value of the property. As a rule, the value is determined by the comparative value method.

Is a donation taxable?

A gift is taxed in the same way as an inheritance, but the same tax allowances apply to gifts as to inheritance.

What is meant by a gift?

A gift is a donation by which someone enriches someone else from his or her assets without demanding a monetary contribution.

Der Beitrag Your Inheritance: Distributing Real Estate and Property erschien zuerst auf ℄ Real Estates.

Insolvency of Estates – What is It?

The death of a person who was close to us is always a heavy burden. No matter whether it was already foreseeable that a person would not have long to live or whether it was a surprising stroke of fate, the situation is never easy for the relatives. The death of a person is usually not only connected with incriminating grief, but the topic of inheritance must also be dealt with. There are the most different situations: Some people have already thought about who should inherit which shares before their death and other people have not thought about it or have had no more time to deal with the topic because they were surprised by a stroke of fate.

Legal or Voluntary Succession?

First of all, you should know what the difference is between a legal and a voluntary succession. Basically, it is important to know that the arbitrary succession always takes precedence over the legal succession. We speak of an arbitrary succession when the deceased has left a will by determining which heirs are to inherit what. In this context, heirs can be all natural persons. The heirs therefore do not have to be related to the deceased.

The legal succession always comes into effect if the deceased person has not left a will or a testamentary disposition. The legal succession is defined in the Civil Code and refers to three grounds of appeal: kinship, marriage and citizenship.

• Voluntary succession: the deceased person has left a will that specifies who inherits what
• Legal succession: Deceased person has not left a will. The grounds of appeal: kinship, marriage and citizenship are included.

Inherited debts – the Negative Side

But it is not always the case that heirs inherit great wealth. If the deceased had open debts to creditors and was liable with his inheritance, then the creditors can claim them from the heirs. Even the heirs’ own property is not protected in such a situation. You must expect to have to pay the debts of your relative or spouse. But what can you do if such an inheritance would drive you to ruin? If you are unable to settle the debts of your relative or partner under any circumstances, there is a way out of this situation.

This is where the word estate insolvency comes into play. But what is that actually? How does something like this work exactly? What are the prerequisites for an estate insolvency?

Insolvency of Estates: Requirements, Procedure & Proceedings

The aim of a petition for bankruptcy is to protect one’s own assets from being accessed by the creditors of the deceased person. So far, so good, but how exactly does the procedure work now? An application for composition insolvency must always be filed with the competent insolvency court. If the proceedings are initiated, the insolvency debtor still has to stand in for the inheritance, but he no longer runs the risk of being liable for the debts of the deceased with his own assets. In this situation, the insolvency debtor only has to use his estate to pay outstanding debts.

• The application must be submitted to the competent insolvency administrator

There are two possible conditions for the opening of an estate insolvency:

• Overindebtedness of the estate
• Insolvency of the estate

Now you will learn how it all works. Once you have successfuly filed the petition for composition insolvency, the work of the insolvency administrator begins. The task of the insolvency administrator is to list the outstanding debts and to contact the creditors in order to develop repayment proposals. It is often the case that the outstanding debts cannot be paid with the estate. If this is the case, it is the task of the insolvency administrator to make arrangements with the creditors. The aim of this administration is to ensure that as many debts as possible can be settled.

If you find yourself in such a situation, it is important that you file the petition as soon as you know that you are not able to pay the debts of the deceased. As soon as you know this, you are obliged to file a petition with the bankruptcy court. Inform yourself in time and you will be saved many costs.

Der Beitrag Inheritance Insolvency (Heir): Procedure & Requirements erschien zuerst auf ℄ Real Estates.

Divorce without separation year – hardship divorce in special exceptions

When a marriage is divorced, one fact is a basic requirement: the separation year. This is required by law to prevent hasty and ill-considered decisions and to protect the institution of marriage. However, in special exceptions, a divorce without a separation year is possible. Which exceptions are these, what they have for requirements and how such a divorce proceeds, you will now learn!

• Tip. Our guide for house and apartment: Selling real estate after divorce.

The most important at a glance

• The law regulates divorces in regular and exceptional cases. The exceptions refer to the hardship regulation and the hardship clause.
• Exceptional cases are to be avoided by the law and are to be used only in absolute emergencies
• The separation year is intended to protect against hasty decisions. The year should be used by the spouses to think through the decision to divorce thoroughly and to make a rational decision.
• A hardship divorce does not follow any precise legal guidelines. Whether there is a reason for a hardship divorce is always decided in the individual case.
• There are certain requirements that can help judges make a decision
• Before a hardship divorce is decided by a judge, other alternatives may be considered. One possibility is court-ordered mediation, which attempts to resolve conflicts in advance and eliminate the reason for the hardship divorce.

Divorce according to the law – regular and exceptional cases

The law regulates divorces in two regular and two exceptional cases. The first rule is the acceptance of a failed marriage after both spouses have filed for divorce after a year of separation or one spouse agrees to the divorce petition of the other spouse. The second rule case describes the situation after one spouse has filed for divorce but the other does not consent to it. Here, the law states that after three years of separation, the consent of both partners is no longer required and divorce can be granted as it can no longer be assumed that the marriage is salvageable. In both cases, it is irrefutably presumed that the marriage has failed.

The family court now knows two exceptional cases from the regular cases of divorce. The hardship clause describes the early divorce, before the end of the separation year and the hardship clause describes the maintenance of the divorce in the interest of the common children or because of the special situation of the spouse.

• The law regulates divorces into regular and exceptional cases
• Exceptional cases are to be avoided by the law and are to be used only in absolute emergencies

The separation year – the meaning and purpose

However, the hardship divorce is the absolute exception. The legislator sees marriage as a contractually binding relationship that both parties have entered into consciously and permanently. The separation year is intended to prevent divorces that are entered into lightly and to create time to think through this important decision thoroughly. Thus, dissolution of marriage is only possible after the separation year has expired and even then only with the consent of both spouses. If one continues to see a chance of reconciliation, the divorce can only be carried out after three years without the consent of both partners. The legislator thus understands the hardship divorce as an absolute exception and the separation year as a necessity and rule.

• The separation year should protect against hasty decisions
• The year should be used by the spouses to thoroughly think through and rationally make the decision to divorce.

The requirements – the founders for hardship cases

There are no binding guidelines for a hardship divorce and the rulings are always individual decisions. However, the starting point must be the special situation that justifies a hardship divorce. The applicant must therefore be able to present and also prove important founders for the case of hardship from the very beginning. Some requirements that must nevertheless be observed as a general rule:

The failed marriage

Even in the case of a hardship divorce, the family court judge must formally examine in advance whether the marriage has failed. An equation of a failure to restore the marriage and the unreasonableness of the marriage must be avoided in this context.

The spatial separation

The separation must also be established as such by the family court judge. In this case, it is expedient if the spouses live spatially separated. As a rule, living in the joint marital home speaks against the hardship divorce.

The important reason in the person of the other spouse

The important reason justifying the hardship situation must always lie in the person of the other spouse. If, for example, one spouse only wants a divorce in order to marry his/her new partner, there is no important reason in the person of the current spouse and the reason is not sufficient for a hardship divorce.

The detailed description of the reason

The important reason for the hardship divorce must be described in detail by the spouse. A simple assertion is not sufficient here. The unreasonable hardship of the situation must relate to “continuing to be married to each other” and not only to an irrelevant situation. The duration of the marriage is irrelevant and has no influence on the result.

Whether a case of hardship exists or not must therefore always be decided depending on the individual situation. For a better understanding, cases that were rejected for a hardship divorce help. No hardship cases are therefore present if:

• Mere difficulties, disagreements or needs exist, as they do in every marriage from time to time.
• Constant friction, repeated absences or a lack of understanding of each other’s concerns are present.
• There is a desire on the part of one spouse to enter into a new marriage
• Household management is neglected or jealousy scenes are constantly coming from one partner without reason
• A marriage of convenience exists and was only entered into in order to obtain a residence permit for the foreign spouse.
• Marital fidelity has been breached or if one spouse is living in a marital relationship with another partner.

When it comes to hardship divorces, it is often a tightrope walk. The individual situation is decisive for the decision of the family court. Depending on the reason, different judges have already made different decisions. Whether a situation is therefore grounds for a hardship situation cannot be answered across the board.

• A hardship divorce does not follow precise legal guidelines
• Whether there is a reason for a hardship divorce is always decided in the individual case.
• There are certain requirements that can help judges make a decision

Alternatives to hardship divorce – court-ordered mediation

However, there are other alternatives besides a hardship divorce. One of these is a court order to attend mediation. The judge can order the spouses to attend a free information session on mediation, either individually or jointly, and to provide a certificate for this.

Mediation is a means of peaceful conflict resolution that is designed to help spouses resolve problems. A neutral third party helps the couple resolve difficult conflicts and find a new way forward. This alternative is often used when joint children are involved in the divorce. With the help of this alternative, the court hopes for a peaceful resolution of the problems and to avoid a hardship divorce.

• Before a hardship divorce is decided by a judge, there are other alternatives that can be considered
• An alternative is court-ordered mediation, which attempts to resolve conflicts in advance and eliminate the reason for the hardship divorce.

Divorce: guide, help and tips

Divorce is complex, it’s true. But you are not alone! Many let themselves separate and in fact, a large part always finds a good solution. Only a small part ends in a quarrel. So that you can prepare well, you will find here our small guides and tips on divorce, family, money and real estate.

• Divorce: Guide

Der Beitrag Hardship divorce: Divorce without separation year – law & exceptions erschien zuerst auf ℄ Real Estates.

The legal succession – this is how you inherit according to the law

Legal succession regulates both the order of heirs and the individual amounts that are inherited. First the closest relatives, such as children and grandchildren, inherit and then the more distant relatives, such as nephews and nieces. Closer relatives generally exclude the more distant relatives from inheritance. The proportion to which the individual heirs inherit is documented in the certificate of inheritance.

The legal succession is based on the Parantel – or order system. It divides the relatives into different orders. Accordingly, children and grandchildren of the deceased belong to the first order. Parents, siblings, nieces and nephews of the testator are assigned to the second order. The third order includes grandparents, uncles and aunts as well as cousins of the deceased. Spouses and registered partners are not considered relatives, but have the right of inheritance as spouses. This gives them a special status and limits the right of relatives to inherit. Relatives of the preceding order always exclude relatives of a subsequent order from the succession.

The spouse – special position in the law of succession

Although the spouse or registered partner is not considered a relative in the legal succession, he or she has a special position. If the deceased leaves both a spouse and children, the spouse inherits half of the estate and the children the other half. However, if there are more than three children, the spouse receives only one-fourth and the children divide the remainder among themselves. If there are only second-order relatives or grandparents, the spouse receives half of the estate and the second- and third-order relatives share the other half. If there are no relatives of the first, second or third order, the spouse inherits everything.

If the deceased leaves neither relatives nor spouses, the state inheritance law applies. The federal state in which the deceased last had a residence inherits the estate.

Heirs of the first order – children and grandchildren

The first order includes the children and grandchildren of the deceased. Non-marital children born after 1 July 1949 are also entitled to inherit. If a child of the deceased and the spouse are alive at the time of death, both inherit half. If several children are living, the inheritance is divided between them and the spouse. If children of the deceased are already deceased, the grandchildren inherit.

Explained by example: If the deceased leaves his mother, his spouse, 2 children with two grandchildren each and a deceased child with one grandchild, the following succession results. The mother is not entitled to inherit because she belongs to the second order and there are heirs of the first order. The spouse and the two living children inherit in equal shares. The grandson of the deceased child takes the place of the parent in the succession and thus inherits in equal shares with the two living children and the spouse. The grandchildren of the living children also do not inherit.

Heirs of the second order – parents and siblings

If there are no children or grandchildren, the heirs of the second order. The second order includes parents, siblings, nephews and nieces. If both parents of the deceased are alive at the time of death, the estate is divided in half. However, if one parent is already deceased, the descendants of this parent, i.e. siblings or nieces and nephews of the deceased, take their place.

Explained by example: The testator leaves his mother, a sister with two children, a nephew of the deceased brother and a half-sister from the father’s second marriage. The inheritance is therefore distributed as follows: One half of the estate goes to the mother’s line and the other to the father’s line. Since the mother is still alive, she receives half of the inheritance. Since the father is already deceased, his inheritance falls to his children. In this case, to the sister, the deceased brother and thus the nephew of the deceased, and the half-sister from the second marriage. These three divide the other half of the inheritance. The children of the still living sister do not inherit.

Heirs third order – grandparents and aunts / uncles

If the deceased leaves only heirs of the third order, the inheritance is divided as follows. The inheritance of the deceased falls to the grandparents and their descendants. If a grandparent has already died, the inheritance also falls to the aunts, uncles, cousins of the deceased.

Explained by example: If the testator leaves only his grandmother and an aunt with two children, they inherit as follows. The grandmother receives half of the estate. Since the grandfather is already deceased, his descendants inherit his share. In this case, therefore, the aunt inherits the other half of the estate. However, the two children do not inherit.

Legal succession at a glance – Who inherits if there is no will?

Adopted children – inheritance claims against biological and adoptive parents

Adoption confers legal kinship on a child. If the child is a minor at the time of adoption, it acquires the legal status of a joint child of both spouses and thus belongs to the heirs of the first order. Thus, not only the adopted child inherits from the parents, but also vice versa. With the adoption, however, the child loses all claim, rights and duty to the blood relatives and is therefore no longer entitled to inherit from the natural parents. This is regulated differently in the case of adopted children who have reached the age of majority. The kinship relations to the bodily parents do not expire and thus an adopted child of full age can be entitled to inherit from up to four inheritance parts, the bodily and the adoptive parents. However, there is no legal right to inherit from the relatives of the adoptive parents.

Read more about inheriting debt!

All questions about inheritance without a will

Inheriting without a will can often lead to disputes within the family, as the last will and testament of the deceased is not made clear. In order to clarify all questions in such a case and to avoid disputes, the experts of Lukinski have answered all important questions around the topic of inheritance without a will.

What is the intestate succession?

If no will has been left or if it has been found to be invalid, the legal succession applies. This is based on the degree of kinship and the marital property status of the testator. The relatives are divided into three orders for this purpose.

When does the spouse inherit?

In principle, the spouse always inherits. However, how much he inherits depends on the remaining relatives of the deceased. If there are no relatives, the spouse inherits the entire estate alone.

When does the state inherit?

The state inherits if there are no relatives or other dependents, such as the spouse or partner. This is stipulated in the Fiskalerbrecht according to § 1936 BGB.

When do siblings of the deceased inherit?

Siblings of the deceased inherit if there are no first-order heirs, i.e. children or grandchildren of the deceased. These belong to the second order and only inherit if at least one parent has already died, otherwise the parents of the deceased inherit the estate.

Can half siblings inherit?

Half-siblings are on the same level as full siblings according to the legal order of succession. They both belong to the second order and inherit if neither children, grandchildren or at least one parent of the deceased is still alive.

Der Beitrag Inheritance without a will: facts, tips, spouses and inheritance law erschien zuerst auf ℄ Real Estates.