Wills & Succession · Denmark
Wills lawyers in Denmark, matched to your family’s situation
Wills, probate and forced heirship in Denmark are governed by the Succession Act and, where matters are disputed, by the district courts acting as probate courts. We match you with an independent Danish advokat whose practice covers succession law. Free of charge and with no obligation to instruct.
- Danish advokater admitted to the Advokatsamfundet
- Experience with the Arveloven and cross-border estates
- Free matching, no obligation to instruct
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Wills in Denmark
What wills lawyers in Denmark do for you
If you own property, hold savings in Denmark or have family living there, a will is the instrument that decides who receives what. Danish succession law, however, does not leave you entirely free: the Arveloven reserves one quarter of the estate for your spouse and descendants as tvangsarv, while the remaining three quarters, friarv, may be bequeathed as you wish. Wills lawyers in Denmark work with these rules every day. They draft and review testamentary documents, check that a choice of national law under EU Regulation 650/2012 will be respected, and guide executors and heirs through probate before the district courts. Through europeanlawyerfinder.com you describe your situation once and we match you with a Danish advokat whose practice covers succession, free of charge and without obligation.
Denmark in practice
How succession and probate work in Denmark
Denmark is a civil-law country in the Nordic family, with succession governed by the Arveloven rather than by a single civil code. The civil courts are unitary: the same district courts that hear everyday disputes also deal with probate matters.
Testamentary freedom and tvangsarv
Danish succession law is set out in the Arveloven. It does not give you complete freedom to dispose of your estate: the surviving spouse and the descendants (livsarvinger) are forced heirs, and one quarter of the estate is reserved for them as tvangsarv. The remaining three quarters, known as friarv, may be bequeathed by will as you choose.
Who may advise you on a Danish will
The title ‘advokat’ is protected by law. Only lawyers appointed by the Minister of Justice may use it, and appointment carries automatic membership of the Danish Bar and Law Society (Advokatsamfundet). Admission requires a Danish law degree, at least three years of practical legal work and the mandatory advocate training. It is a criminal offence for anyone else to present themselves as an advokat.
Probate before the district courts
Denmark has no separate probate court system. The 24 district courts (byretter) act as probate courts through specialised divisions, alongside their enforcement, land-registration and bankruptcy work. A court fee (retsafgift) is payable when proceedings are brought, with additional fees for probate matters, and it is paid electronically. Appeals go to the Eastern or Western High Court, and only cases admitted by the Appeals Permission Board reach the Supreme Court.
Property, digital registration and the estate
Denmark has no notarial system for transferring real property. Rights over immovable property are recorded in the Land Register (Tingbogen) through a fully digital procedure, Tinglysning, operated by the Land Registration Court via tinglysning.dk and a MitID signature. Registering a deed (skøde) establishes ownership and gives protection against third parties, but the person who files the registration bears legal responsibility for its content.
Cross-border wills and choice of law
Where an estate touches more than one country, EU Regulation 650/2012 allows a testator to elect their national law to govern the succession. That choice can interact with Danish tvangsarv, which is why cross-border estates often give rise to disagreement. Proceedings in Denmark are in Danish, and civil cases are conducted digitally through the courts’ portal, minretssag.dk, with paper files no longer used.
What legal help costs
Lawyers’ fees in Denmark are freely agreed between client and lawyer; there are no binding official tariffs, although the Bar publishes guidelines. In litigation the losing party is as a general rule ordered to pay the winning party’s costs, which the court fixes by reference to the value of the claim. Free legal aid (fri proces) is income-tested and is not available for purely administrative proceedings.
Country-specific information on this page is drawn from official Danish and European sources (retsinformation.dk, domstol.dk, advokatsamfundet.dk, civilstyrelsen.dk, borger.dk and the European e-Justice Portal), consulted in 2026.
- European e-Justice Portal — National justice systems: Denmark
- The Danish Bar and Law Society — Practising in Denmark
- Succession Act (Arveloven), retsinformation.dk
- Danish Courts — Land Registration Court (Tinglysningsretten)
- minretssag.dk — the courts’ digital case portal
- Civilstyrelsen — Free legal aid (fri proces)
- Limitation Act (Forældelsesloven), retsinformation.dk
- Appeal time limits (ankefrist), retsinformation.dk
- Marriage Act — divorce rules, retsinformation.dk
- Salaried Employees Act, retsinformation.dk
- borger.dk — Administrative complaints (klagemuligheder)
Common difficulties
Why Danish wills need careful drafting
Succession in Denmark combines broad testamentary freedom with firm protection for a spouse and children. That combination is where most problems begin.
Family expectations collide with tvangsarv
You want to provide for a partner, a stepchild or a charity, but the Arveloven reserves part of your estate for forced heirs. Without careful drafting, a will can be challenged by the very people you meant to leave out.
Property and registration are digital
Denmark has no notarial deeds. Ownership passes through the digital Land Register, Tinglysning, and the person filing bears responsibility for the content. Errors in a skøde, or in the transfer of a family home, can complicate an estate for years.
Cross-border families, two legal systems
Many families in Denmark have assets, spouses or heirs in another country. A choice of national law under EU Regulation 650/2012 may help, but it has to be made and worded correctly if Danish tvangsarv is not to override your intentions.
How matching helps
An advokat who knows Danish succession law
You explain your situation once. We identify lawyers whose practice fits it, and you decide whether to instruct.
Advokater, not general advisers
Every lawyer we introduce holds the protected Danish title of advokat, appointed by the Minister of Justice and a member of the Advokatsamfundet. You know the person advising you is qualified and subject to disciplinary oversight.
Experience with the Arveloven
Your matched advokat works with the Succession Act, forced heirship and friarv in practice, and can explain in plain terms what a will can and cannot achieve for your particular family.
Probate and the courts
Where an estate must be dealt with through probate, the 24 district courts act as probate courts. Your advokat can handle filings on minretssag.dk and advise on any appeal route to the High Courts.
Cross-border succession
If assets or heirs sit outside Denmark, your advokat can address how Danish succession law interacts with the rules allowing a testator to choose the law governing the estate.
Also available
Match with lawyers in other European countries
Danish estates frequently involve heirs, property or accounts abroad. If your matter reaches beyond Denmark, we can also match you with lawyers in the countries below.
Frequently asked
Questions about wills lawyers in Denmark
Can I leave my entire estate to anyone I choose in Denmark?
No. The Arveloven protects forced heirs: the surviving spouse and the descendants (livsarvinger) are entitled to tvangsarv, and one quarter of the estate is reserved for them. The remaining three quarters, friarv, can be bequeathed freely by will. An advokat can explain how this applies to your family.
How are wills lawyers in Denmark paid?
Fees are freely agreed between you and the lawyer; Denmark has no binding official tariff, although the Bar publishes guidelines. If a dispute reaches the courts, a court fee (retsafgift) applies and the losing party is as a general rule ordered to pay the winning party’s costs, as fixed by the court.
Do I have to go to court to settle an estate in Denmark?
Not always, but probate matters are handled by the district courts (byretter), which also sit as probate courts through specialised divisions. Where court proceedings are needed, civil cases are conducted digitally on minretssag.dk. Any appeal goes to the Eastern or Western High Court, and further review requires permission.
Does a will made abroad still count for Danish assets?
It can. The Arveloven governs succession in Denmark, but EU Regulation 650/2012 allows a testator to elect their national law to govern the succession. Because that election interacts with Danish tvangsarv, it is worth having an advokat review the wording before it is relied on.
What is the difference between friarv and tvangsarv?
Tvangsarv is the protected share: one quarter of the estate reserved for the surviving spouse and descendants, which cannot be disposed of by will. Friarv is the remaining three quarters, which you may bequeath as you wish, whether to family, a partner or a charity.
Who is entitled to call themselves an advokat in Denmark?
Only lawyers appointed (beskikket) by the Minister of Justice may use the title, and appointment brings automatic membership of the Advokatsamfundet. Admission requires a Danish law degree, at least three years of practical legal work and completion of the mandatory advocate training. Misuse of the title is a criminal offence.
Next step
Describe your situation and get matched
Tell us about your estate, your family and any assets held outside Denmark. We will match you with an independent Danish advokat whose practice covers wills and succession, free of charge and with no obligation to instruct.