If you do not wish to bequeath your estate in accordance with the statutory order of succession, you have two options for making individual arrangements for your inheritance: a handwritten will or a notarized will. What are the advantages of a notarized will over a handwritten will?

If the deceased failed to make a testamentary succession arrangement, the estate is distributed in accordance with statutory inheritance law. Inheritance is determined according to a statutory order of precedence based on the degree of kinship to the deceased person.

The basic rule in Germany is that when a person dies, the statutory succession applies. It is also possible to deviate from these statutory regulations. To do this, the future testator must draw up a will during their lifetime. Here you can find out what types of wills there are in Germany.