Imperative Inheritance Law in a Late-Modern Society: Five Perspectives Book

Preface Roger Dillemans v

Introduction and Objectives Christoph Castelein 1

1 Introduction 1

2 Universality of succession law 1

3 Ways in which property is inherited 3

4 Symbolic function of the law 4

5 Choices in our actual inheritance law 6

I Choices within the intestate inheritance law 6

1 Ratio legis for the (reduction of) intestate inheritance law (to patrimonial rights) 7

2 Background perspective - individualism and private property 8

3 Founding principles 9

4 Legal translation of these founding principles 10

5 Consequences 18

6 The idea of intestate inheritance law as the tacit will of the deceased 23

II Choices within the testamentary inheritance law 24

III Choices within the imperative inheritance law 28

1 Introduction 28

2 Imperative inheritance law in a comparative law approach 30

a First type - law of forced heirship 30

b Second type - mandatory asset claims 31

c No mandatory succession law 32

6 Contestation of the choices made by our inheritance law 32

7 Multidisciplinary International Seminar on Imperative Inheritance Law 34

I Aim 34

II Discussion proposals 34

8 Conclusions 37

Perspective 1 Legal Anthropology Marie-Claire Foblets 39

1 Introduction 39

2 What is legal anthropology? 40

3 Imperative inheritance law: ethnographic appraisal of 'discriminatory' practices 44

I Women's lesser rights of inheritance 44

II Women's 'exclusion' from independent ownership of land versus other avenues of obtaining property 47

4 Inheritance Laws and Islam 52

I Islamic inheritance law. A succinct presentation of the main basic principles 53

II Practice: Estate planning and renunciation of specific fractional shares 55

III Addressing Islamic inheritance law through international human rights standards 57

5 Conclusion: Either your Culture or your Inheritance Rights? 61

Perspective 2 Legal History A History of the Law of Succession, in Particular in the Southern Netherlands/Belgium Dirk Heirbaut 65

1 The importance of the law of succession 65

2 The diversity of the law of succession in the Southern Netherlands before 1795 66

3 In spite of the diversity, some 'general principles of the law of succession' can be found 68

4 The rest of the law has to follow the dictates of legal devolution 70

I Limited possibilities for wills 70

II Debts were no impediment 72

III Restrictions on gifts and sales 72

IV The mildness of the tax collector 73

V Ransom 73

VI One exception: the rights of the surviving spouse 74

5 The old law of succession was not static 75

6 The law of succession as the best weapon of the French revolution 76

7 Napoleon: tempering the Revolution 79

8 After Napoleon: lethargy 80

9 The future: is freedom possible? 82

Perspective 3 Sociology of law Anton C. Zijderveld 85

1 Introductory comments 85

2 Parallel ideal-types 85

3 Socio-cultural transformations 86

4 Recapitulation and conclusion 89

Perspective 4 Law and Economics The Post Mortem Homo Economicus: What Does He Tell Us? Boudewijn Bouckaert 91

1 Introduction 91

2 Explaining inheritance 93

3 Legitimate share or free will 94

4 Regulating free bequest 100

5 The state as the Heir: Inheritance Tax 102

6 Conclusions 104

Bibliography 106

Perspective 5 Comparative Law - The Netherlands Martin Jan A. van Mourik 107

1 The battle pertaining to new inheritance law (1947-2003) 107

2 The arguments for upholding the legitimate portion 110

I The family tie 110

II Prevention of disputes and problems 111

III Maintenance 112

IV Sense of justice or juridical view 112

V Incidental need 113

VI Tradition and comparative law 114

3 The arguments for abolishing the legitimate portion 114

I The arguments in favour of the legitimate portion are not convincing 114

II It's a free country 115

III Justice 116

IV Safeguarding of the financial provision 116

V Simplicity 117

4 Other statutory rights 117

I Freedom of will making 117

II Entitlements of imperative law 118

III Critical remarks regarding the 'other statutory rights' 119

5 Forfeiture of the right to inherit (passive) 120

6 Forfeiture of the right to dispose of by will (active) 121

7 Conclusion 122

Perspective 5 Comparative Law - United Kingdom Paul Matthews 123

1 Introduction 123

2 Common law European legal systems 123

3 What is a property right? 125

4 Patrimony and estate 127

5 Administration of estates 130

6 Freedom of testation 130

I Land 130

II Chattels 131

III Intestacy 132

IV Twentieth century reform 133

V Scotland and the Channel Islands 134

7 The Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 137

I Introduction 137

II Domicile of the deceased 138

III Time limit for bringing a claim 139

IV Who can bring a claim? 139

V The court's approach 140

VI The tests for reasonable financial provision 140

VII What is maintenance? 141

VIII What are the factors the court considers to ascertain 'reasonable provision'? 141

IX Common law and civil law compared 142

X Claims by surviving spouses/civil partners 142

XI Ancillary relief cases 143

XII Impact of the ancillary relief cases on 1975 Act claims 144

XIII Claims by adult children 144

A Evolution 144

B Myers v Myers 145

C Gold v Curtis 147

D Land v Estate of Land 147

E Garland v Morris 148

XIV Anti-avoidance 148

XIV Judicial attitudes to the legislation 149

8 The impact of the legislation 150

9 Conclusion 151

Perspective 5 Comparative Law - Belgium Héljène Casman 153

1 Introduction 153

2 Intestate Inheritance Law 153

3 Remarks regarding children 154

4 Imperative rights for descendents and ascendants 155

5 Intestate rights for the surviving spouse 156

6 Remarks about this matrimonial property 156

7 Imperative rights for the surviving spouse 158

8 Intestate rights of the surviving partner 159

9 Imperative inheritance rights now 160

10 Imperative inheritance rights in a future law 161

11 By way of conclusion 165

Perspective 5 Comparative Law - Germany Compulsory Portion and Solidarity Between Generations in German Law Walter Pintens Steven Seyns 167

1 Concept 167

2 Historical development 168

3 Constitutional protection 169

I Constitutional approach: Articles 6 and 14 GG 169

II The Constitutional Court's decision of 2000 171

III The Constitutional Court's decision of 2005 172

4 Holders 174

I Descendants, parents, surviving spouse and registered partner 174

II Condition: exclusion of hereditary succession 175

5 Calculation of the Pflichtteil 176

I Calculation of the Pflichtteilsquote 176

A Descendants 176

B Parents 177

C Surviving spouse and registered partner 177

II Calculation of the value of the Pflichtteil 179

Claims for the protection of the Pflichtteil 179

I Right to information 179

II Claim for the remainder of the compulsory portion (Pflichtteilsrestanspruch) 180

III Deduction (Anrechnung) 180

IV Right to a supplement to the compulsory portion (Pflichtteilsergänzungsanspruch) 181

7 Forfeiture of the Pflichtteil 182

I Loss of the right of succession 182

A Unworthiness 182

B Introduction of divorce proceedings 182

C Renouncement of the right of succession or of the compulsory portion 182

D Renouncement of the estate 183

II Deprivation by the testator 183

III Limitations ex bona mente 184

8 Prescription 185

9 The future of the compulsory portion 186

Perspective 5 Comparative Law - France Réserve héréditaire ordre public et autonomie de la volonté en droit français des successions Frédérique Ferrand 189

1 Introduction 189

2 Les apports de la loi du 3 décembre 2001: faveur au conjoint survivant 191

I Droit du conjoint survivant sur le logement de la famille 191

II Autres droits successoraux du conjoint survivant: l'apparition d'une réserve en l'absence de descendant du défunt 192

3 La loi du 23 juin 2006: une réforme favorisant l'autonomie de la volonté 195

I Disparition du droit de réserve héréditaire des ascendants 195

II De la nullité à la validité contrôlée des pactes sur succession future 196

III Clarifications apportées par la loi du 23 juin 2006 197

IV Régime des restitutions 197

V Admission des donations-partages transgénérationnelles 199

VI Modernisation des opérations de partage 199

4 Conclusion 201

Conclusions - Towards an open and Flexible Imperative Inheritance Law René Foqué Alain Verbeke 203

1 Introduction 203

2 Four preliminary perspectives 205

I Anthropology of law 205

II History of law 206

III Sociology of law 207

IV Law and economics 209

3 Comparative legal perspective 210

I From context to law, and from "institution" to multiple "institutes" 210

II Forced heirship 211

III Intermediate position: forced heirship limited to some type of assets 214

IV Potential inheritance claim 215

1 England 215

2 Other countries 216

V Legal certainty vs. flexibility 217

4 Openness and flexibility 219