Forced-heirship rules are fundamental to estate planning but change rarely. Civil-law jurisdictions impose mandatory reserved shares for children, spouses, and ascendants — overriding the deceased's will.
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International Estate Planning: Forced Heirship by Country

The Citizenship Desk
Last Reviewed: May 9th, 2026

Forced-heirship rules are fundamental to estate planning but change rarely

Civil-law jurisdictions impose mandatory reserved shares for children, spouses, and ascendants — overriding the deceased’s will. Sharia jurisdictions apply fixed Quranic shares as the default. Common-law jurisdictions (US, UK, Australia) operate full testamentary freedom with discretionary court relief as a safety net.

Most recent reforms: Switzerland (January 2023), France (2021 tightening), Belgium (2018 simplification).
Last reviewed: 2026-05-09

This reference covers the rules and the available opt-out mechanisms (Brussels IV in the EU, DIFC Wills in the UAE) for international estate planning…

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