Inheritance Law

Do you want my honest opinion?

If you die and you still got money left, you did something wrong. You either worked too much, or you didn’t live enough.

Also, inheritance breeds discontent among relatives, perpetuates inequality, and is a relic of feudalism.

However, you are not here for my personal opinion, but for hot-shot legal and practical advice. And thou shalt not be disappointed.

First of all, if you want your children, a good friend or some charity to receive money, just give it to them. You don’t need to jump through the complicated hoops of estate law, and you don’t need to wait until you die.

Second, accept mortality.

Some people want to set up a will that governs the fate of their company, their surviving spouse, their children and grandchildren, and anyone who ever dares to step into the lives of one of the aforementioned.

That is an obvious attempt to control the world, long beyond the time when they will be gone. An attempt that is doomed to fail and destined to heap nothing but misery upon those whom the decedent pretends to love.

In reality, life plays out differently. The son dies before his parents. A picture-perfect couple splits up because the husband wants to hike the length of the Amazon. That lovely daughter-in-law is really an IRS informant. The company, which was all your pride, loses market share and slips into irrelevance.

Having said that, if you do want to set up a will, you are in a rather privileged position if you are a foreigner living in Germany. Because as such, you can choose between the inheritance laws of Germany and those of your home country.

This choice of law can come in very handy if you want to disinherit your children, your spouse or your parents, because German law – based on solid Germanic tribal tradition – does not allow that. The laws of many other countries, however, do.

Speaking of children, you cannot dispose of them like chattel. But there are ways to determine who will care for your children, should you die while they are still minors.

On my blog, I have a list of FAQ about German inheritance law. And of course, you are always welcome to contact me.

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The photo is from the cemetery of Milluni in Bolivia. My hike there was so reckless, I almost died myself. – Without no will, with nothing much to give away, and with nobody to bequeath it to neither. 🤠