Rechtsstand Herbst 202643 life situations645 topic pages41 roadmapsFree, no account

A relative has died – what do I have to do now?

Death certificate, funeral, will, accepting or disclaiming an inheritance, debts, certificate of inheritance (Erbschein), bank accounts, home, widow's and orphan's pension, compulsory portion (Pflichtteil), inheritance tax and land register: what comes up in which order and which deadlines are running.

How the roadmap works. We are sorry that you have lost someone. Answer the questions. Your roadmap is built from them: what is needed in the first days, which deadlines run for the inheritance and who can help. Not everything has to happen at once. But the deadline for disclaiming an inheritance is short.

Your answers are not stored or transmitted; they only appear in your browser's address bar. Anyone who shares the link also shares the answers. Legal position as of October 2026: BGB (inheritance law §§ 1922 ff., tenancy law §§ 563, 564), FamFG, PStG, SGB VI, SGB XII, ErbStG, GBO and GNotKG as currently in force; representation of children under §§ 1643, 1851 BGB as amended since 1 January 2023.

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As of October 2026. The roadmap arranges general information according to your answers. It does not review an individual case, does not replace legal advice and does not assess your dismissal or any deadline as valid, met or missed. Whether an entitlement exists is decided by the responsible office; deadlines and amounts change often – check important details with an advice centre.

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On a decision, deadline, application or responsibility. You get an answer with the matching page, the responsible office and the next step, usually within two working days. No legal advice in individual cases, no sharing of your data.