The proposed reform of Inheritance Law constitutes one of the most significant interventions at the core of Civil Law. The existing framework, which still largely rests upon the principles of the Civil Code of 1946, is now called upon to respond to contemporary social and familial realities: reconstituted families, second marriages, children born from different relationships, increased mobility of assets, as well as complex forms of financial and familial dependency.
The principal pillars of the reform appear to move toward strengthening private autonomy, introducing greater flexibility in estate planning, and preventing subsequent conflicts among heirs. Particular importance is attributed to the possible introduction of inheritance agreements, namely agreements concerning future succession rights, which Greek law has thus far treated with considerable reservation.
The possibility of regulating succession arrangements in advance may serve a preventive function, particularly in cases involving family businesses, high-value real estate, or estates that are difficult to distribute without conflict. At the same time, it may reduce instances of compulsory co-ownership among persons who lack any genuine capacity for cooperation.
A central issue is also the reform of the forced heirship regime. Traditionally, this institution serves a protective function in favor of close relatives by preventing their complete exclusion from the estate. In modern practice, however, it frequently leads to the fragmentation of assets, judicial disputes, and difficulties in the management of family-owned real estate or businesses. The critical balance that must be achieved lies between the individual’s freedom of testamentary disposition and the protection of close family ties.
The social dimension of the reform is equally significant as its legal dimension. Inheritance Law does not merely regulate the fate of property after death. It also affects relationships of trust, expectations of care, family balances, and often long-standing tensions. For this reason, any expansion of testamentary freedom must be accompanied by adequate safeguards ensuring transparency, protection of the testator’s genuine intent, and prevention of undue influence or abusive conduct.
Provided that the reform is completed in a systematic and coherent manner, it may shift Inheritance Law from being primarily a post-mortem system of property distribution into an instrument of preventive family and estate planning. Its value will not be judged solely by the technical quality of the new provisions, but also by the extent to which it contributes to reducing family conflicts and strengthening legal certainty.
Succession does not concern exclusively the future of property. To a great extent, it also concerns the future of family relations.