New inheritance law

End to joint liability and new rights for spouses and partners

After eight decades without any significant changes, Greek inheritance law is undergoing a thorough overhaul to bring it into line with modern social and economic needs. The new provisions aim to stop the devaluation of properties that remain inactive due to the way they are transferred, but also to prevent cases where heirs do not wish to – or are unable to – manage them.

A key change is the effective abolition of "undivided" ownership, known as "co-ownership." This refers to situations where multiple co-heirs cannot agree on how to use a property, resulting in it remaining unused and deteriorating. Under the new regulation, instead of dividing ownership into shares, one person will acquire full ownership of the property and the other heir will receive monetary compensation or another asset of equivalent value.

Thus, for example, when a parent leaves a property to one of their children, the second child will not automatically become a co-owner through their legal share; they will be compensated equally with a different asset. In the event of a dispute, the heir may apply to the court, which will determine the amount of compensation and definitively resolve the co-ownership.

The aim of this reform is clear: to put an end to the fragmentation of property into small shares, which has led to thousands of properties being abandoned. At the same time, the new institutional framework reshapes the rights and shares inherited by spouses and children.

Changes in the percentages of spouses and children

When children and a surviving spouse inherit jointly, the spouse's share increases from 25% to 33% if there is one child. If there are two or more children, the current ratio is maintained: 25% for the surviving spouse and 75% for the children.

In addition, a new right of residence in the shared home is provided for the partner who remains behind, even without marriage or a civil partnership. They will be able to remain in the home for at least three years, unless otherwise agreed with the heirs.

New forecasts for partners and property management

Another important innovation is the provision for couples who live together without being married or having a civil partnership. If there are no children or other relatives, the surviving partner will be able to inherit the entire estate, preventing its automatic transfer to the State, as is currently the case.

At the same time, a new option is being introduced for owners: they can sell their home or vacation home while they are still alive, receive the money, and agree with the buyer to remain in the property for life. Alternatively, they can continue to live in the property by paying rent if they prefer leasing to permanent transfer.

In this way, modern tools for asset utilization are added, allowing for greater flexibility, protecting older owners, and reducing the risk of property abandonment.