Who inherits without a will in Russia?

The spouse, the children and the parents are the first rank and inherit in equal shares. The spouse's half of the marital property is taken out first.

The spouse is in the first rank. With no children and no parents the spouse takes everything. Siblings and grandparents come in only if there is no first-rank heir.

Eight ranks, the nearer excluding the further: children and parents first; then siblings and grandparents; then uncles and aunts; and so on. If there are none, the estate passes to the Russian Federation or the municipality.

An unmarried partner is not an heir by law. Dependants who lived with the person for at least a year and were unable to work can inherit with the heirs of the rank in question.

Minor or disabled children, a disabled spouse or parent, and dependants are owed at least half of what they would have received by law, whatever the will says.

The country has its own rules on which law governs an estate. An estate with a foreign element needs advice in each country involved.

Russia belongs to the Civil law family. Succession law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.

Read the Russia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in Russia? →

• Official legal portal of Russia