Inheritance law or testamentary succession law

In the Netherlands, there are two types of inheritance law. The law of intestate succession and the law of testamentary succession.

When the testator did not make a will, intestate succession law determines who the heirs are. In a normal family situation, this means that the testator's spouse and his children are the heirs. However, the spouse receives all assets belonging to the estate and the children receive only a non-exigible monetary claim. This is called the "legal distribution."

If there is a will made by the testator, then the will determines who the heirs are. We then speak of testamentary inheritance.

In a will, in addition to the designation of heirs, a variety of matters may be arranged by the testator. Therefore, when there is a will, it is important to study the contents of the will carefully.

If you have any questions about the contents of a will, please contact us.