Intestate succession (Inheritance by Law)

A type of succession in which the estate of a deceased person (decedent) passes to the persons designated by law (heirs by law) when there is no will, the will is void or invalid, does not cover the entire estate, or the heirs under a will have renounced, predeceased the decedent, or have been disinherited. Legal heirs are determined by the Inheritance Act and include the surviving spouse as well as relatives of the decedent according to a specified hierarchy (degrees) of kinship – children, parents, siblings, and other relatives, with closer relatives excluding more distant ones. The estate is acquired through acceptance – expressly (by written declaration) or tacitly (through actions indicating intent to inherit, such as using or managing the property). The inheritance may be renounced by submitting a written renunciation before a notary.