Inheritance and Estate Law
Seoul Law Group helps overseas clients and foreign-national heirs communicate with co-heirs in Korea, reach practical agreements, and prevent inheritance disputes. We also advise on wills, living trusts, and other estate planning measures to reduce future disputes with family members or relatives in Korea. When disputes arise, we protect our clients’ interests in estate division, inheritance renunciation, limited acceptance, forced heirship claims, real estate registration, and inherited debts.
“Death is not the end. It’s a start.”
Property Division
Unless you are the only heir of the deceased, the property should be divided to each heir, according to the will or (if there is no will) to the law. Be careful, because sometimes your emotions of losing a family can make you act in ways you usually wouldn’t, and this applies to other heirs as well. This is why you need lawyers to handle the property division efficiently without being emotional.
Acceptance and Renunciation
Heirs in Korea are not automatically responsible for accepting an inheritance – the law allows an heir to renounce an inheritance entirely, accept it with standard unlimited liability, or accept it on a limited basis so that inherited debts are paid only out of inherited assets. Each option carries strict deadlines and legal consequences, particularly for heirs who discover that an estate carries more debt than assets. Seoul Law Group advises clients on which option best protects their interests and handles the required court filings within the applicable deadlines.
Legitime
Korean law reserves a portion of an estate – known as the statutory reserved portion, or legitime – for certain heirs, regardless of the terms of a will or lifetime gifts made by the deceased. An heir who receives less than this reserved portion may bring a claim against other heirs or beneficiaries to recover the shortfall. Seoul Law Group represents clients both in asserting legitime claims and in defending against them.
