India: Wills/ Intestacy/ Estate Planning

Wealth and succession planning in India is often shaped by personal law regimes that determine how property devolves upon death. For Muslim families, inheritance is governed primarily by the principles of Islamic law, as recognised under the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.

India's wealthiest families spend decades constructing empires of equity, real estate, and operating businesses. Yet many reach the point of succession without a valid Will. In such cases, statutory succession rules apply, with the state administering the distribution of assets according to prescribed criteria—such as religious law, familial relationship, and fixed shares, rather than individual intent, commercial considerations, or legacy planning.

When Indian families build wealth globally, the estate is no longer confined to one legal system. A London flat, a Dubai bank account, a Singapore brokerage portfolio, and shares in an overseas holding company may each sit behind different procedural rules, different document standards, and different court processes.

Narendra Dingankar – Partner, shares the latest insights on The Repealing and Amending Act, 2025, and its key amendments to the Indian Succession Act, General Clauses Act, and Civil Procedure Code.

Property transactions in Mumbai involve strict legal and procedural requirements. Whether ownership changes through sale, gift, inheritance or family settlement...

For nearly two decades, Indian constitutional law treated live-in relationships as a matter of private choice, legally visible only when protection, not permission, was required.

Equality is India's most celebrated yet one of the most broken constitutional promises. In a case before the Rajasthan High Court – Manni Devi v. Rama Devi & Ors., the Court reviewed a provision of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 ("HSA")...

The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, in its judgment dated 17 July 2025 in Gurdial Singh (Deceased) through LR v. Jagir Kaur (Deceased) and Another, declared a will invalid due to suspicious circumstances surrounding its execution.

The Supreme Court of India's pronouncement in Metpalli Lasum Bai (Since Dead) and Others Versus Metapalli Muthaiah (D) By LRs offers crucial insights into the complexities...