PLEASE NOTE that this Outline does not constitute legal advice

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PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW BY HEIRS TO AN ESTATE

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1. Determine If There’s a Will

• With a Will (testate): Check if the deceased (decedent) left a valid will. Wills are usually registered with the Latvian Register of Wills (testaments).

• Without a Will (intestate): Latvian inheritance law (primarily the Civil Law of Latvia) determines heirs based on kinship.

2. Obtain a Death Certificate

• You need an official death certificate issued by the Office of Civil Status Documents (Dzimtsarakstu nodaļa).

3. Contact a Notary

• In Latvia, inheritance cases are handled by certified notaries.

• You must apply to a notary in the district where the deceased had their last registered place of residence.

• A notary can be selected voluntarily within that district.

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4. Submit Application for Inheritance

• You must submit a formal application to accept inheritance. This is called a “pieteikums par mantojuma pieņemšanu”.

• Deadline: 1 year from the date you learn of your inheritance rights (usually from the date of death).

• Submit necessary documents:

• • Death certificate

  • ID/passport

  • Proof of kinship or will

  • Documents on estate property (real estate, bank accounts, etc.)

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5. Notary Initiates the Inheritance Case

• The notary opens the inheritance file (mantojuma lieta).

• Public notification is made in the official newspaper “Latvijas Vēstnesis” to allow other heirs to come forward.

6. Waiting Period

• There is a mandatory waiting period (usually 3 months) from the publication date to allow for additional claims.

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7. Asset Identification & Debts

• The notary identifies and lists:

  • Assets (real estate, money, movable property)

  • Liabilities (debts of the deceased)

• Creditors can file claims within the announcement period.

8. Inheritance Certificate

• After the period ends, and all claims and heirs are settled, the notary issues an Inheritance Certificate to the legal heirs.

9. Transfer of Property

• Real estate is re-registered in the Land Register (Zemesgrāmata).

• Bank accounts, vehicles, and other property are transferred upon presentation of the inheritance certificate.

• Meeting with the bank or banks legal department or account representatives

• Bank lawyers will check all legal documents

• Return visit to meet the bank after the bank agrees to transfer the funds in the bank account to the heir or heirs