Inheritance Law · Bulgaria
Inheritance Lawyer in Bulgaria
Bulgarian succession law has strict rules on reserved shares, acceptance of an estate and the deadlines that follow a death. We help heirs in Bulgaria and abroad establish their rights, divide the estate and protect themselves from inherited debts - and we help clients plan an estate before a dispute ever arises.
How we can help
Wills and estate planning
Drafting handwritten and notarial wills, gifts during lifetime, testamentary dispositions that respect the reserved shares of the heirs, and structures that avoid deadlock between future co-owners.
Establishing and accepting the estate
Certificates of heirs, acceptance and renunciation of an estate, acceptance under inventory to limit liability for the deceased's debts, and the strict statutory deadlines that apply.
Reserved shares and contested wills
Claims to reduce excessive wills and gifts that infringe the reserved share, challenges to the validity of a will, and disputes over capacity, forgery or undue influence.
Partition of the estate
Voluntary and judicial partition of inherited property, valuation, accounts between heirs for use and improvements, allocation of individual assets and sale where division in kind is impossible.
Cross-border succession
Applicable law and jurisdiction under the EU Succession Regulation, European Certificate of Succession, recognition of foreign wills and coordination with lawyers and notaries abroad.
Fees
Initial legal consultation – the consultation fee varies depending on the complexity of the case, deductible from subsequent legal fees. After the consultation you receive a written scope of work and a fixed-fee proposal.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a will be challenged in Bulgaria?
- Yes. A will can be attacked for defects of form, lack of testamentary capacity, forgery, or because it exceeds the reserved share of the statutory heirs. Whether a challenge succeeds depends on the evidence and on strict limitation periods, so the documents should be reviewed early.
- How is a reserved share restored?
- An heir entitled to a reserved share brings a claim to reduce the testamentary dispositions or gifts that exceed the disposable part. The calculation covers the whole estate, including certain lifetime gifts, so a full inventory is the first step.
- How does judicial partition work?
- Judicial partition runs in two phases: the court first rules on who the co-heirs are and in what shares, then it decides how the assets are divided - allotment, drawing of lots or a public sale with distribution of the proceeds. Related claims between the heirs are usually settled in the second phase.
- Can one heir sell their share?
- An heir may in principle dispose of their undivided share, but the other co-heirs have statutory rights that affect a sale to an outsider, and the transaction has to respect the notarial form. We check the title and the position of the other heirs before any transfer.
- What is the deadline to accept an inheritance?
- There is no automatic deadline to accept, but on the request of an interested party the court can set a period within which the heir must declare acceptance or renunciation. Acceptance under inventory has its own short deadline from the moment the heir learns of the succession.
Book a Consultation
Describe your case briefly and we will come back to you with available times.