The notary’s office feels strangely bright on a grey February morning, right after the funeral. There are coffee cups on the table, tissues in easy reach, and siblings sitting too straight in their chairs, acting like everything is fine.
The notary opens a thick folder, clears his throat, and says something that shocks everyone: “Things won’t go as planned since the new inheritance law went into effect this month.”
Be quiet.
The oldest looks angry. The youngest person takes out their phone from under the table. What was supposed to be a simple reading of a will now looks like a negotiation with rules that no one seems to understand.
What really changes for heirs this February with the new inheritance rules
The reform’s text may seem dry on paper, but its effects are very real.
Starting in February, the way estates are divided, valued, and fought over will change. This brings up a very sensitive issue: how to feel like you’re being treated fairly when a parent dies.
The law treats life insurance, “donations” made while the person was alive, and the “reserved portion” for children in different ways.
What used to be done informally in families now runs into stronger legal barriers.
And every heir learns that “what Mom promised at Christmas” and what the law says are not always the same thing.
For example, Claire, who is 42, thought she knew exactly what she would get.
Her mother had “given” her the small flat a few years before and told her, “This will be your safety net.” At the time, the brothers didn’t say anything.
The notary will have to look at that gift more closely when the estate is opened because of the new law.
The flat is put back into the overall pot, its value is updated, and all of a sudden, the two brothers can ask for money.
Claire’s safety net becomes a source of conflict, with late-night messages, half-reproaches, and the heavy sentence, “That’s not what Mum wanted.”
The text doesn’t make the tension. It just shows it, with clearer numbers.
The big change is how the law wants to connect what was given “before” with what is shared “after.”
The reform makes it harder to give gifts that are hidden, protects kids from being left out, and gives surviving partners a clearer framework.
The state is basically saying, “You can do what you want with your money, but you can’t ignore the rights of some heirs.”
It’s harder to get around the reserved share with smart plans or vague promises.For a lot of families, this is a rude awakening: the legal reality of inheritance is often very different from the emotional myths that have built up over the years.
How to get ready for your inheritance now: easy steps to avoid problems later
From now on, the best thing to do is almost boring: sit down with a notary before things get serious.
Ask one question very clearly: “What happens if I die tomorrow with the new law?”
You can then work your way back from there.
Update your will, double-check who gets your life insurance, and look over old donations that might now be handled differently.
Write down your assets in round numbers, not to show off, but so that your heirs don’t have to learn about half of your life through lost passwords and bank letters.
This one conversation, even if it lasts an hour and feels awkward, can stop years of cold wars and half-spoken anger.
A lot of people put off these questions until it’s too late.
It still feels wrong to talk about death, especially at family dinners where everyone wants to stay “in a good mood.”
But the new rules make it more expensive to stay quiet.
If you don’t write down instructions that are specific to the reform, the legal default takes over. It doesn’t know about your family history, your fragile sibling relationships, your second marriage, or the nephew you’ve been quietly helping for years.
Let’s be honest: no one really reads their will every year.
But this February, one quick review is worth ten big promises made over dessert.
Notaries say this one sentence a lot these days:
“An inheritance goes wrong more because of unspoken expectations than because of money.”
The new law won’t fix every wrong, but it will make things clearer for everyone.
You can use it as an excuse to put three things in a box, either literally or figuratively:
Your updated will, printed out and talked about with at least one person you trust.
A short letter of intent in simple language that explains what you wanted to protect and why.
A list of important accounts and documents so your heirs don’t have to search for months.
This doesn’t make the grief go away, but it does get rid of a lot of the chaos.
That changes everything for a lot of families.
An inheritance that shows who you are, not just numbers on a spreadsheet
| Key Point | Details |
|---|---|
| What Do We Really Want to Give Away? | The February reform makes us ask a simple question: what do we really want to give away besides euros and square meters? |
| Nuance and Protections | The law draws new lines, but there is still room for nuance, gestures of trust, and specific protections for vulnerable children or partners not on the family tree. |
| Family Stories and the New Rules | We’ve all had that moment when a family story comes up and you realize that no one remembers it the same way. The new rules will make this change even bigger: one side will tell the legal story, the other side the emotional one. |
| Bridging Legal and Emotional Stories | It takes time, talking, and sometimes the courage to write down what you never dared to say to bring these two stories together. |
| Inheritance: War Zone or Final Chapter? | An inheritance can turn into a war zone or the last, clear chapter of a story. The law has changed, and it’s still unknown how each family will handle it. |
Important pointDetailValue for the reader
Make clear what the new law will doLearn how donations, life insurance, and the reserved share will be recalculated starting in February.Think about what you or your heirs will really get, not what you think you will get.
Get ready with a notaryOne planned meeting to go over your will, map out your assets, and change decisions you made in the pastLower the chances of getting into trouble with the law, spending money, and having problems with siblings or partners in the future.
Put your plans in writingA simple letter and a list of documents to go with the official paperworkAt a hard time, give your heirs a clear story and a plan for how to get there.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Question 1: Does the new inheritance law from February apply to estates that were opened before that date?
The new rules generally apply to estates that are opened after the law goes into effect, which means deaths that happen after that date. Settlements that are still going on may still follow the old rules. If you’re not sure, ask a notary to confirm which rules apply to your situation.
Question 2: Are parents still allowed to favour one child over another under the new rules?
They still have some freedom, but the part that is set aside for kids is still very safe. You can give one child a bigger “available” portion, but not so much that the others don’t get their legally guaranteed minimum. The reform mostly makes these calculations more accurate and harder to get around.
Question 3What will happen to life insurance after the new law goes into effect?
Life insurance still has its special status, but when contracts clearly violate the rights of reserved heirs, it is treated more strictly. For tax purposes, large premiums that look like hidden gifts can be added back into the estate. Only contracts that make things clearly unfair are affected.
Question 4: Do I have to change my will because of the change?
You don’t have to get a whole new document, but you should definitely update the one you have. A notary can check to see if your current clauses still work the way you want them to under the new law. Sometimes just changing one or two sentences is enough to keep people from getting the wrong idea.
Question 5 How can heirs keep their relationships strong during the settlement?
Get a clear written summary from the notary, share information with all heirs at the same time, and don’t let one sibling act as a “quasi-notary” by themselves. A mediator can step in before lawyers if things get too tense. The law sets the rules, but how you talk to each other within those rules often determines whether the family stays together.
