The following is a list of topics that you will encounter when dealing with inheritances in Germany:

A

• Adoption (inheritance rights of adopted persons)

The adoption of minors establishes a full statutory inheritance right of the adopted person with regard to the adoptive parents and their relatives. The adopted person is no longer an intestate heir of the birth parents.

Persons adopted as adults have full inheritance rights regarding both their adoptive parents and their birth parents.

• Administrative probate

B

• Bank accounts
• Beneficiaries of an estate
• Bequests

C

• Claims against an estate
• Court proceedings

D

• Death certificate
• Designated beneficiary of a bank account
• Double-taxation treaty
• Dual residence

E

• Estate settlements in Germany
• Estate tax in Germany
• Estate tax in the United States on inheritances from Germany
• Executor

F

• Fiscal domicile

G

• Gift taxes in Germany
• Gift planning with adult children who live in Germany

H

• Heirs

I

• Inheritance taxes in Germany
• Intestate succession rules
• Information requests

J

• Judicial probate

K

L

• Last Will and Testament
• Legacies

N

• Notary

O

P

• Probate

R

• Real estate
• Rights of legatees

S

T

• Taxes
• Tax residence
• Tax treaties
• Testament

U

V

W

• Will

Z