Inhertiance and Succession Laws in India:
Updated: Oct 26
In India, the laws governing wills and succession are contained in the Indian Succession Act, 1925. The Act applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and Christians who have not made a valid will in accordance with their personal law. For Muslims in India, the laws governing wills and succession are governed by Muslim personal law, which is based on the principles of the Islamic legal system.
In addition to specifying how a person's property and assets should be distributed, a will can also be used to appoint a guardian for minor children, to make funeral and burial arrangements, and to name an executor who will be responsible for carrying out the terms of the will.
Under the Indian Succession Act, a person can make a will at any time after they have attained the age of 18 years and have the mental capacity to do so. A will must be in writing, signed by the testator (the person making the will) or by some other person in their presence and by their direction, and must be attested by two or more witnesses. Can an Oral will be valid ? A will can be either oral or written, but an oral will is only valid if it is made by a soldier who is engaged in actual military service or by a mariner who is at sea. In all other cases, a will must be in writing to be considered valid. The provision regarding oral wills in India is contained in section 59 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925. Here is the relevant text of the section:
"No will shall be valid unless—
(a) it is in writing, and
(b) it is signed by the testator, or by some other person in his presence and by his direction; and
(c) the signature is made or acknowledged by the testator in the presence of two or more witnesses present at the same time; and
(d) the witnesses attest and sign the will in the presence of the testator, but no form of attestation shall be necessary."
However, section 59 also includes an exception for oral wills, which are valid in certain circumstances: An oral will, other than a nuncupative will, is invalid. A nuncupative will, whether oral or written, made by a soldier engaged in actual military service or by a mariner at sea, shall be valid. Therefore, according to section 59 of the Indian Succession Act, a will must be in writing and signed by the testator and witnesses in order to be considered valid, unless it is an oral will made by a soldier engaged in actual military service or by a mariner at sea. In these cases, an oral will (also known as a nuncupative will) is considered valid. Intestate Successions, applicable in case there is no will: Under the Indian Succession Act, a person's property and assets are distributed according to their will if they have made a valid will. If a person dies without a valid will, their property and assets are distributed according to the laws of intestate succession, which vary depending on the person's religion. For Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, the laws of intestate succession are governed by the Hindu Succession Act, 1956. Under this Act, a person's property is divided among their heirs in accordance with certain rules and principles. The specific shares of the inheritance are determined by the relationship of the heirs to the deceased and by the type of property involved. The Hindu Succession Act also provides for the distribution of a person's property in the event that they have no surviving heirs.
For Muslims in India, the laws of intestate succession are governed by the principles of Islamic inheritance law, which are based on the Qur'an and the Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad). Under Islamic inheritance law, a person's property is divided among their heirs, which include their spouse, children, parents, and other relatives. The specific shares of the inheritance are determined by the relationship of the heirs to the deceased and by the type of property involved. For people of other religions in India, the laws of intestate succession are also contained in the Indian Succession Act. The Act applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and people of other religions who have not made a valid will in accordance with their personal law.
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