Inheritance Lawyer
in Heraklion, Crete

How your inheritance matter is organised

An inheritance matter may begin with a property, a will or a notice concerning a debt. The first step is to establish who may inherit, what the estate contains and whether any declarations or other steps have already been taken. You do not need every certificate before seeking an initial assessment, especially if a deadline may be running.

From the office in Heraklion, the legal review and collection of relevant information are coordinated with notarial or tax work where necessary. You are informed about the next steps, outstanding documents and the scope of the work to be undertaken.

Acceptance, renunciation, and liabilities

Before deciding whether to accept or renounce an inheritance, the available information about property, deposits, loans and other liabilities is reviewed. Wills, family relationships and previous declarations or acts of administration also matter. The assessment concerns the heir’s overall position, not simply the value of one asset.

Deadlines and the consequences of each option require case-specific advice. For estates governed by the previous legal regime, acceptance with the benefit of inventory may also need consideration. Rules that applied to an earlier inheritance should not automatically be carried over to a more recent one.

The 2026 inheritance reform and the date of death

Law 5303/2026 reformed Greek inheritance law. The main parts of the new framework apply to succession involving people who die on or after 16 September 2026. Specific transitional provisions also cover matters such as wills, distribution of estates and pending procedures.

Before advising on debts, forced-heirship rights or renunciation, it is therefore necessary to check the date of death, when any will was made and the stage reached in the proceedings. The date on which you contact a lawyer does not, by itself, determine the applicable regime.

Wills and disputes between heirs

Legal guidance covers locating and publishing a will, obtaining the relevant certificates and inheritance certificate, and interpreting the deceased’s wishes. A potential challenge to a will requires assessment of the specific grounds, evidence and deadlines; disagreement with its contents alone is not sufficient.

When co-heirs disagree, their respective rights, any forced-heirship claims and the options for administering or distributing the estate are examined. Depending on the circumstances, the available routes may include negotiation, mediation or court proceedings. The outcome cannot be guaranteed in advance.

Inheriting property in Heraklion and Crete

For an inherited house, building plot or agricultural land, the inheritance rights need to be checked against the title deeds and Land Registry entries. Available deeds, ownership shares and discrepancies in the records are reviewed to identify issues that may affect the next steps.

The lawyer handles the legal review and any disputes, coordinating with the notary for the required deeds and with a tax adviser for tax matters. If a Land Registry entry needs correction, that issue is assessed separately rather than treated as automatically resolved by an inheritance deed.

What to have ready for the first discussion

The following documents or information can help with an initial assessment if you already have them. This is a starting checklist, not an exhaustive list of mandatory documents for every procedure.

• The date of death and a death certificate, if available.
• Information about relatives and any certificate of closest relatives.
• A will or information about its publication, if one exists.
• Property deeds, cadastral reference numbers (KAEK), and available asset or debt records.
• Previous renunciations, declarations, formal notices or court documents concerning the estate.

Support for heirs living abroad

If you live outside Greece and an inheritance involves property in Crete, the initial discussion can take place remotely. The required steps are reviewed to establish what can be handled through a representative, the appropriate power of attorney and any translation or authentication requirements for foreign documents.

Where an estate has connections with more than one country, the applicable law and jurisdiction also need examination. The presence of property in Greece does not, on its own, mean that Greek law governs the entire inheritance.