5 things to know about inheritance laws without a will

1 If a person dies without making a will, he is said to have died 'intestate'. In such an event, his property will be inherited by his heirs in accordance with the laws of succession.

2 The Hindu Succession Act, 1956, applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs; the Indian Succession Act, 1925, applies to Christians, Jews and Parsis, while Muslims are governed by their personal law.

3 Under the succession laws, the distribution of wealth may not take place as desired by the individual because personal laws define heirs and entitlements elaborately.

4 If dependants include minors or a special child, more than one spouse, elderly parents or in-laws, or siblings and siblings-in-law, there may be disputes in distribution of property.

5 Distribution of estate may also suffer due to lengthy legal procedures and administration costs. This could lead to both inconvenience and financial burden for the family.

(The content on this page is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL). Contributions by Girija Gadre and Arti Bhargava.)