{"id":1999,"date":"2025-02-28T15:45:50","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T13:45:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T15:45:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T13:45:50","slug":"renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework &#038; Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Understanding the Concept of Inheritance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During their lifetime, every individual accumulates an estate comprising:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Real estate and personal assets<\/li>\n<li>Legal rights and financial claims<\/li>\n<li>Intangible assets (e.g., trademarks, patents, business licenses)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Upon death, the deceased\u2019s estate passes to their heirs\u2014either through a will or under intestate succession (Article 1710(2) of the Greek Civil Code)\u2014and includes both <strong>assets and liabilities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Heirs&#8217; Liability for the Deceased&#8217;s Debts<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When an heir accepts an inheritance, the deceased\u2019s assets and debts merge with the heir\u2019s personal estate. This means that <strong>creditors of the deceased can pursue the heir\u2019s personal assets<\/strong> for repayment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Two Legal Options for Heirs to Avoid Debt Exposure<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Greek Civil Law provides two protective mechanisms:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> Beneficiary Acceptance with Inventory (Article 1901 GCC)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The heir accepts the inheritance conditionally, keeping it <strong>separate<\/strong> from their personal assets.<br \/>\n\u2714 Creditors can only be paid <strong>up to the value of the inherited estate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> Renunciation of Inheritance (Articles 1847\u20131859 GCC)<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The heir <strong>formally rejects the inheritance<\/strong>, and is <strong>considered never to have acquired it<\/strong>.<br \/>\n\u2714 The inheritance then passes to the next eligible heirs (Article 1856 GCC).<\/p>\n<p><strong>Deadline for Renouncing Inheritance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u23f3 Heirs must <strong>formally renounce<\/strong> the inheritance <strong>within 4 months<\/strong> from the time they are informed of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The passing of the deceased (inheritance devolvement), and<\/li>\n<li>Their legal entitlement to inherit (via will or intestate succession).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udccd If the deceased resided abroad or the heir is abroad when informed, the deadline extends to <strong>12 months<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcdd Renunciation must be <strong>filed in writing at the clerk\u2019s office<\/strong> of the competent First Instance Court (Civil Procedure Code, Article 812).<br \/>\n\ud83d\udcc4 If filed by proxy, a <strong>notarial power of attorney<\/strong> is required (Article 1848 GCC).<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2757 What Happens if You Miss the Deadline?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If no formal declaration is made within the prescribed time frame, <strong>the inheritance is deemed tacitly accepted<\/strong>\u2014and the heir <strong>cannot<\/strong> renounce it thereafter.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd04<\/strong><strong> New Inheritance Law Reforms (Spring 2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>After 80 years, Greece is introducing a comprehensive <strong>inheritance law reform<\/strong> to address modern societal and financial challenges.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udd11 Key Change:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Time Limitation for Acceptance of Inheritance<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Delays by passive heirs have often hindered property transactions and estate administration.<br \/>\n\u25b6 The new legislation will introduce a <strong>maximum time limit<\/strong> for inheritance acceptance, ensuring greater legal certainty and asset mobility.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2705 Conclusion: Why Legal Guidance Is Crucial<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Renouncing inheritance is a <strong>vital legal right<\/strong>, particularly when the estate may carry debt. The upcoming legislative changes will streamline inheritance proceedings, making them <strong>faster, clearer, and more equitable<\/strong>\u2014both for heirs and for the wider economy.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udccc <strong>Legal Tip<\/strong>: If you are facing inheritance-related decisions, consult a qualified inheritance lawyer to protect your rights and make informed choices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Understanding the Concept of Inheritance During their lifetime, every individual accumulates an estate comprising: Real estate and personal assets Legal rights and financial claims Intangible assets<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1803,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework &amp; Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law | \u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework &amp; Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law | \u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Understanding the Concept of Inheritance During their lifetime, every individual accumulates an estate comprising: Real estate and personal assets Legal rights and financial claims Intangible assets [\u2026]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-28T13:45:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"334\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"prili-law.gr\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"prili-law.gr\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/\",\"name\":\"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework & Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law | \u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-28T13:45:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-28T13:45:50+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/05d1e2a0f7a1beb893ee411a11be1131\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp\",\"width\":500,\"height\":334},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework &#038; Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/\",\"name\":\"\u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/05d1e2a0f7a1beb893ee411a11be1131\",\"name\":\"prili-law.gr\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework & Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law | \u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework & Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law | \u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2","og_description":"Understanding the Concept of Inheritance During their lifetime, every individual accumulates an estate comprising: Real estate and personal assets Legal rights and financial claims Intangible assets [\u2026]","og_url":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/","og_site_name":"\u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2","article_published_time":"2025-02-28T13:45:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":500,"height":334,"url":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"prili-law.gr","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"prili-law.gr","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/","url":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/","name":"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework & Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law | \u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp","datePublished":"2025-02-28T13:45:50+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-28T13:45:50+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/05d1e2a0f7a1beb893ee411a11be1131"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/395793573.webp","width":500,"height":334},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/renouncing-inheritance-in-greece-legal-framework-key-updates-under-the-new-inheritance-law\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Renouncing Inheritance in Greece: Legal Framework &#038; Key Updates under the New Inheritance Law"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/","name":"\u03a3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c5\u03c1\u03bf\u03cd\u03bb\u03b1 \u2013 \u0391\u03bd\u03c4\u03b9\u03b3\u03cc\u03bd\u03b7 \u03a0. \u03a0\u03c1\u03b9\u03bb\u03ae &amp; \u03a3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/05d1e2a0f7a1beb893ee411a11be1131","name":"prili-law.gr"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1999\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prili-law.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}