Family matters & inheritance

Information on the Regulation No 650/2012 on Succession and the national rules on inheritance

When a married couple decide to separate permanently, one of the spouses, or both together, will generally institute divorce proceedings.

Couples who have an international dimension to their relationship needing  legal information regarding their property in cases of divorce/separation or the death of one of its members

Parental responsibility means all rights and obligations towards a child and its assets. This concept of parental responsibility varies between the Member States, however it usually covers custody and access rights. If you are an international couple with one or more children and are now separating, you will need to agree on the custody arrangements for them.

Avoid becoming an "abducting" parent by knowing how to move across borders with your children in a lawful way

Are you an international couple with children and are now separating? You may wish to return to your home country and take your child with you. However, if you do so without the consent of the other parent or the court, you may be breaking the law.

If you wish to claim maintenance, for example by asking for a monthly payment for child support from a parent not living with the child, EU law allows you to use the courts of your home State in order to determine the obligation of the debtor to pay maintenance and set the amount of alimony. Such a judgment will be easily recognised in the other Member States of the European Union.

A child may need a new family either because he/she is an orphan or because their parents appear unfit to care for them.

Children deprived of their family environment due to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine - applicable European and international instruments in cross-border civil cases.