Gerhard Ruby

"Nowhere is so much lied about as in inheritance law"

Mr Ruby, if I hear that my parents are giving my sister the holiday property on Mallorca, do I have to stand by and do nothing?

Yes. Because as long as they are alive, mother or father can do whatever they want with their money, their houses, their jewelry. You can give it away, donate it to charity, transfer it to another sibling. No lawyer in the world can do anything about that. The children's entitlements to the compulsory portion do not take effect until the parents' death. However, if the donation was made less than ten years ago, you can claim back part of it in the event of inheritance. You are protected by the compulsory portion within a certain framework. Whether and how far you can enforce it is another matter. Nowhere is so much lied about as in inheritance law. Just imagine, your sister is now the owner of the great villa. In that case, you won't be able to get into the house at all if your sister doesn't allow it. The second your parents die, it blows and the door is closed for you. You hardly get any information. What other valuables are in the villa? Are there any other assets? Your sister doesn't have to show you any receipts, she just has to provide truthful information about what's there - but one or two things can be neglected. .

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