Inheritance law

Will / contract of inheritance

• Individual will
• Joint will / Berlin will
• Will for the needy / will for the disabled
• Contestation of wills and inheritance contracts
• Bequests (monetary bequests, property bequests)

Execution of wills

• Acceptance of office
• Application for dismissal of the executor of the will
• Application to appoint an executor of the will
• Legal action by the heirs against the executor of the will
• Actions by the executor against the heirs

Certificate of inheritance proceedings

• Application for the opening of a testamentary disposition
• Application for a certificate of inheritance
• Preparation of hearing letters within the certificate of inheritance procedure
• Contestation of certificates of inheritance

Estate settlement

• Enforcement and defence of claims arising from an inheritance
• Settlement of communities of heirs
• Obtaining information from banks and life insurance companies
• Contesting the failure to meet the deadline for the cancellation of inheritances
• Waiver of the inheritance

Claims to compulsory portions, supplementary compulsory portions and residual compulsory portions

• Preparation of estate inventories
• Examination of notarised estate inventories
• Assertion of compulsory portion claims
• Calculation of compulsory portion
• Offsetting the compulsory portion
• Assertion of claims for information
• Waiver of compulsory portion agreement

Inheritance tax and gift tax / anticipated succession

• Establishment of family pool companies as an asset succession instrument
• Lifetime transfer of real estate, drafting of transfer agreements (giving away a house)
• Drafting of contractual reclamation rights
• Assignment of company shares by way of anticipated succession
• Drafting of gift agreements
• Property valuations and obtaining extracts from the land register
• Valuation and structuring of usufructuary rights, residential rights, residential rights
• Submission of inheritance and gift tax returns

Special features of gifts between spouses

• Advice on and organisation of the so-called matrimonial property regime swing or family home swing
• Chain gifts

Creation of powers of attorney

• General and health care proxy
• Living will
• Advance care directive

Succession counselling for entrepreneurs

• Company succession and succession solutions
• Entrepreneur's will
• Assignment of company shares
• Entrepreneurial power of attorney / power of attorney

Participation of minors

• Representation by the parents
• Obtaining court authorisations or negative certificates
• Supplementary carer

Drawing up a will or contract of inheritance

Drawing up a will or an inheritance contract is a complex legal matter that cannot be handled without expert advice and a high degree of confidentiality. We provide you with comprehensive advice on the various options for timely estate planning, from the first meeting through to customised estate planning.

Anticipated succession

We support you if you decide to transfer assets to intended beneficiaries during your lifetime. Anticipated succession offers you the opportunity to influence the development and utilisation of the transferred assets. You can also protect yourself, for example in the form of a life annuity, lifelong right of residence or personal care. With larger assets in particular, it may be advisable to transfer the assets in several stages with regard to inheritance tax.

Enforcement and defence of claims arising from an inheritance

We advise and represent you in the extrajudicial and judicial enforcement or defence of claims arising from an inheritance, in particular in disputes between the members of a community of heirs.

Healthcare proxy, living will and care directive

Make provisions for times of serious illness or age-related helplessness. With a health care proxy, for example, you can transfer the management of your assets to a trusted person close to you. With your living will, you can determine the type and scope of medical treatment in advance. In the event that care becomes necessary, the details of the care can be prepared in a care directive.

Right to a compulsory portion

Are you entitled to a compulsory portion of an inheritance or is someone claiming a compulsory portion from you? We advise and represent you in the defence or enforcement of claims to a compulsory portion.

Other inheritance law matters

Other fields of activity in which we act for you under inheritance law are in particular

• Certificate of inheritance / certificate of inheritance proceedings, in particular application for the issue of a certificate of inheritance
• Purchase of inheritance
• Waiver of inheritance
• Contestation of wills
• Valuation of the estate
• Valuation of real estate