Estate Planning
Everything about wills, nominations, succession laws, and trusts in India. Protect your wealth and ensure your family is taken care of after you.
31 articles- What Happens If You Die Without a Will in India? If you die without a will in India, your assets are distributed according to religious succession laws, not your personal wishes… 5 min read
- What is an Executor in a Will? An executor of a will is the person or institution you appoint to carry out your last wishes and manage your estate after you… 5 min read
- Is a Will Mandatory in India? The Truth About Estate Planning A will is not legally mandatory in India, but it is highly recommended for anyone with assets. Dying without one means your… 5 min read
- Why Most Indians Don't Write a Will (And Why That's a Mistake) Most Indians avoid writing a will due to myths about complexity, cost, and age. This is a mistake because dying without a will… 5 min read
- Who Pays Your Debts After You Die in India? When someone dies in India, their personal debts are generally paid from their estate, not directly by their family members. A… 5 min read
- How to Add a Nominee to a Demat Account in India Adding a nominee to your demat account takes under 15 minutes and protects your family from months of legal paperwork. Log in to… 5 min read
- How to Add a Nominee to EPF Account in India You can add a nominee to your EPF account online through the EPFO Unified Member Portal using the E-Nomination feature. The… 5 min read
- How to Change a Nominee in a Bank Account To change a nominee in a bank account, you must fill out Form DA3, which you can get from your bank's branch or website. Submit… 5 min read
- How to Review and Update All Nominations — Annual Checklist Reviewing your nominations annually is a critical step in estate planning, often overlooked even by those who know how to make a… 5 min read
- Surviving Spouse as Nominee vs Legal Heir — Know the Difference A nominee collects the money quickly but a legal heir owns it under succession law. Life insurance is the rare case where… 5 min read
- Best Way to Structure Nomination for Nuclear Family in India The best nomination structure for a nuclear family in India combines joint accounts, beneficial nominees on insurance, multiple… 5 min read
- Why Your Life Insurance Nomination May Be Wrong Right Now Your life insurance nominee might not be the owner of the money. In India, a nominee is often just a custodian who must pass the… 5 min read
- Nomination for New Parents — What to Update After Having a Child Having a child means updating your financial life. You should update nominations in all your accounts to your spouse or a trusted… 5 min read
- Nomination Checklist Before You Turn 30 in India Nomination appoints a custodian for your assets, not the final owner. To ensure your assets go to the people you choose, you must… 5 min read
- How to Get a Succession Certificate in India Get a succession certificate in India by confirming jurisdiction, collecting documents, filing the petition under the Indian… 5 min read
- Can a Wife Claim Her Husband's Property After Death in India? Yes, a wife can claim her husband's property after his death in India. Her specific share and rights depend heavily on whether… 5 min read
- How is Property Distributed Among Siblings in India? In India, property is distributed among siblings based on the deceased's will. If no will exists, the distribution is governed by… 5 min read
- Christian Inheritance Law in India — Key Rules Explained Christian inheritance law in India is governed by the Indian Succession Act, 1925, when a person dies without a will. The law… 5 min read
- Is There an Inheritance Tax in India? The Truth No, India does not currently have an inheritance tax. The Estate Duty Act was abolished in 1985, meaning your legal heirs will… 5 min read
- How to Settle an Estate When Heirs Are in Dispute Settling an estate when heirs are in dispute requires immediately securing and inventorying all assets, verifying whether a valid… 5 min read
- Daughter vs Son Inheritance Rights — What Changed After 2005 In India, daughters now have the same inheritance rights as sons in their father's ancestral property, thanks to the Hindu… 5 min read
- How to Protect Family Wealth Through a Trust in India A trust is a legal arrangement where you transfer assets to a trustee to manage for your family's benefit, offering more control… 5 min read
- How to Dissolve a Private Trust in India To dissolve a private trust in India, you must first review the trust deed for a revocation clause. If none exists, you need to… 5 min read
- What Happens to HUF Property When the Karta Dies? When a HUF Karta dies, the HUF property does not pass according to their will. Instead, the property remains with the HUF, and… 5 min read
- Gift Deed vs Will vs Trust — Which One to Use? A gift deed transfers ownership immediately and irrevocably. A will distributes assets after death and is easy to change but can… 5 min read
- How Trusts Protect Assets From Creditors in India A trust protects assets by legally transferring their ownership from you to the trust itself. Because you no longer own the… 5 min read
- What Happens to Digital Assets After Death in India? When a person dies in India, their digital assets, like online accounts and data, do not automatically pass to their family… 5 min read
- What Happens to a Joint Home Loan If One Owner Dies? If one owner with a joint home loan dies, the full responsibility for repayment falls on the surviving co-borrower due to 'joint… 5 min read
- Is Estate Planning Different for Hindus vs Muslims in India? Estate planning differs for Hindus and Muslims in India. Hindus can will away their entire self-acquired property. Muslims can… 5 min read
- Can You Disinherit a Child in India? Yes, you can disinherit a child in India for any self-acquired property by explicitly stating it in a valid will. However, you… 5 min read
- How to Calculate the Total Value of an Estate in India Calculate your estate value by listing every asset at current market value, subtracting all liabilities, and separating movable… 5 min read