Intestate Succession in Greece: Understanding the Six Classes of Heirs for Greek & Cypriot Citizens
Alt Title: Greek Family and Lawyer
Alt Description: A Greek family, consisting of a middle-aged couple and their two teenage children, attentively listening to a lawyer in a law office as he explains the classes of heirs.
When an individual passes away without a will (intestate succession), there are six (6) classes of heirsunder the Greek inheritance law. The classes are used to determine who is called to inherit first, second, third, and so on, and either to accept or renounce the inheritance.Understanding these classes is crucial for Greek expatriates and Cypriot citizens dealing with inheritance matters in Greece
The six (6) classesof Greek heirs are as follows:
First Class of Intestate Heirs
Heirs of the first class are the descendants of the deceased.Theyinclude the children of the deceased, and they are first in line to inherit in equal shares.
If one of the children has predeceased the decedent but has living children (i.e., the grandchildren of the deceased), they inherit by representation of their deceased parent (succession by roots).
The surviving spouse inherits ¼ (one-fourth) of the estate alongside the descendants, who together inherit the remaining ¾ (three-fourths).
Second Class of Intestate Heirs
If there are no heirs of the first class, the second class is called to inherit the estate.They include:
- The parents of the deceased,
- The siblings (brothers and sisters),
- The children and grandchildren of predeceased siblings (i.e., nephews, nieces, and grandnephews/nieces).
Half-siblings inherit only half the share of full siblings when co-inheriting with full siblings or their descendants. The same rule applies to the children and grandchildren of half-siblings.
The surviving spouse in this class inherits ½ (one-half) of the estate.
Third Class of Intestate Heirs
The third class of interstate heirs in Greece includes:
- The grandparents of the deceased,
- Their descendants (i.e., uncles/aunts and first cousins).
If both grandparents on either line (paternal and maternal) are alive, they inherit equally, and uncles/aunts and cousins are excluded.
If a grandparent is deceased, their children (uncles/aunts) and grandchildren (cousins) inherit by representation.
If there are no living descendants, the share goes to the grandparent of the other line or their descendants.
Children of grandparents inherit equal shares of the estate and exclude grandchildren of the same root. Grandchildren inherit by root.
The surviving spouse in this class also inherits ½ (one-half) of the estate.
Fourth Class of Intestate Heirs
This class includes the great-grandparents (parents of the grandparents), regardless of whether they belong to the paternal or maternal line. They inherit the estate in equal shares.
The surviving spouse in this class continues to inherit ½ of the estate.
In addition, the surviving spouse always receives by right of exception, regardless of their class, the household items (furniture, clothing, utensils, etc.) that were used either jointly or solely by the couple. If the deceased has children, their needs are taken into account for humanitarian reasons.
Fifth Class of Intestate Heirs
If there are no relatives in the first four classes, the surviving spouse inherits the entire estate.
Sixth Class of Intestate Heirs
If there are no eligible relatives and no surviving spouse, the State is called the intestate heir.
Rule of Intestate Succession in Greece
Once one class of heirs is called to inherit, all lower classes are excluded.
That is, if first-class heirs exist, second-class and lower heirs are excluded. If the heirs of a given class renounce the inheritance or are otherwise disqualified, the heirs of the next class are called.