Will or intestate succession: which applies when
How inheritance works without a will and when a will can be contested.
Area 05
Inheritance law
Arrange succession in time — or protect your rights once proceedings begin.
We draft wills that withstand challenges, and lifetime maintenance contracts — with clear warnings about the differences between them, because that is where the most serious mistakes happen.
In probate proceedings we represent heirs before notaries public and courts: filing claims, forced shares, accounting for gifts and protection against unfair dispositions.
When heirs disagree, we conduct inheritance litigation — contesting wills and maintenance contracts and determining the composition of the estate.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between the two Croatian maintenance contracts?
- Under a contract of support until death, property passes to the provider only upon the recipient’s death; under a lifetime support contract, immediately. The latter therefore carries a much higher risk for the recipient.
- Can I disinherit an heir?
- Only exceptionally, on statutory grounds (serious breach of obligations toward the deceased, criminal offence, etc.). Otherwise descendants and the spouse retain the forced share — one half of their statutory share.
- Do I have to accept an inheritance that includes debts?
- No — you can renounce the inheritance in the probate proceedings. An heir is otherwise liable for the deceased’s debts, but only up to the value of the inherited assets.
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