The Will — Silence has a default, and it may not be yours
Front
The Will
Silence has a default, and it may not be yours
The document deciding who gets what, once you cannot say so yourself.
Back
Die without a will and the law divides your property by a fixed formula that ignores what you wanted. A will overrides that formula. In India it needs no stamp paper and no lawyer: it must be in writing, signed, and attested by two witnesses who gain nothing under it. Registration is optional, not required.
- The two witnesses must not be beneficiaries. A witness who also inherits can invalidate their own share of the estate.
- The formula that applies without a will depends on the personal law governing the family, and it differs between communities. Nobody should assume they know it.
Hindu Succession Act, 1956
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