Have you bought a property with your partner? You are now jointly owned. The property can belong to you 50/50, 70/30… It all depends on how you financed its purchase.
If you are not married, you are not your spouse’s heir in the event of death, which can be a problem when buying a home together. The family of the deceased can claim their share from the surviving spouse. However, there is a solution to protect you.
Civil partnership or cohabitation: you are not your partner’s heir
If you are in a registered partnership, you are not automatically an heir to your partner, as in a marriage. If he dies, you will be jointly owned with, for example, his heirs, parents or children from the first union. They can apply to buy back their share. You may be forced to sell the house.
Advantage of civil partnership: you have the right to occupy the accommodation for one year free of charge before the heirs can exercise their rights.
In partnership, you are not even your husband’s heir. Their property is inherited by the family of the deceased, their children or parents for example. You may be forced to leave the premises.
Solution: write a will
If you want to inherit from each other, whether you are in a common-law or registered partnership, you must each make a will. You can bequeath all of your property to another person, as long as there are no children. It is advisable to draw up a will at a notary. That’s worth it one hundred euros per will.
Be careful around children, the will cannot affect their share (as “reserved heirs”). It is not possible to disinherit them. The children must receive a reserve that is automatically allocated to them (the child himself will receive, for example, half of the property).