Succession & Estates · Lithuania
Wills lawyers in Lithuania for a succession plan that holds up
Lithuanian succession law limits what a will can do, and the rules are found in the Civil Code rather than in case law alone. We compare specialists who work with estates every day and connect you with the one whose experience fits your situation. No cost, no obligation.
- Succession planning built on Book V of the Civil Code
- Specialists in compulsory shares and cross-border estates
- Free matching, with an average first reply within 24–48 hours
Free and without obligation. Your details are shared only with the specialist you choose to contact.
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Matching service
How we help you find the right succession specialist
In Lithuania succession law sits in Book V of the Civil Code, and a will that ignores its rules can be challenged years later. Whether you live in Vilnius, Kaunas or Klaipėda, or hold Lithuanian property from abroad, the practical questions are the same: who must receive a compulsory share, how immovable property passes, and what a notary must certify. Wills lawyers in Lithuania work with these rules every day. Our service is free: you describe your situation, we compare specialists who handle succession and estates, and we connect you with the professional whose experience fits your case. You keep control of the decision and of the fees, which are agreed directly with the advocate.
Lithuania in practice
How succession and estate work is handled in Lithuania
Lithuania is a continental civil-law country, so succession questions are answered by statutes, above all the Civil Code, rather than by precedent alone. The sections below set out the framework, the people who may act for you and the deadlines that most often decide an estate.
Succession inside a continental legal order
Lithuania follows the continental civil-law model. Its legal order rests on the 1992 Constitution and the Civil Code (Law No VIII-1864, in force since 1 July 2001), whose Book V governs succession. Statutes, not judicial precedent, are the primary source of law, although the uniform case law of the Supreme Court of Lithuania guides how those statutes are read in practice.
Who may practise as an advocate
Only persons entered on the register of advocates kept by the Lithuanian Bar Association (Lietuvos advokatūra) may use the title advokatas. They must be Lithuanian or other EU citizens, hold a master’s degree in law, be of impeccable reputation and command Lithuanian, pass the qualification examination and take the oath, generally after practice as an advocate’s assistant.
The courts that decide succession disputes
Civil claims are heard at first instance by twelve district courts, with appeals going to five regional courts and the Court of Appeal, and cassation before the Supreme Court of Lithuania, which forms uniform case law. Representation by an advocate is not compulsory at first instance, but it is required for cassation appeals before the Supreme Court.
The compulsory share you cannot will away
Testamentary freedom is limited by the compulsory share (privalomoji palikimo dalis). Under Article 5.20 of the Civil Code, children, including adopted children, the spouse and parents who were dependent on the deceased at the date of death inherit one half of the share they would have received on intestacy, unless the will grants them more. This matters especially in cross-border planning.
Notarial form and the Real Property Register
A contract for the sale of immovable property must be concluded in notarial form or it is void (Article 6.393 of the Civil Code), and it affects third parties only once registered. The Real Property Register, kept by the state enterprise Centre of Registers, records ownership, charges and encumbrances, and extracts from it are the official proof of title.
Costs, fees and state-guaranteed legal aid
Court fees take the form of a stamp duty under Articles 79-80 of the Code of Civil Procedure: a percentage of the claim in pecuniary cases and a fixed sum in non-pecuniary cases. Advocates’ fees are freely agreed, with no binding tariffs. Primary legal aid is free for everyone through municipalities; secondary legal aid, delivered by advocates, covers 100% or 50% of costs for those below statutory thresholds.
Key time limit — Inheritance, Probate & Wills
Acceptance of inheritance — 3 months from the opening of the succession. The period runs from the opening of the succession, so heirs abroad should act as soon as they learn of the death.
All country information on this page is taken from official Lithuanian bodies, the Lithuanian courts portal, the State Tax Inspectorate and the EU e-Justice portal, consulted in 2025.
- Judicial system of Lithuania — Lithuanian courts portal
- Law on the Bar (Advokatūros įstatymas) — Seimas legal register
- Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania — Seimas legal register
- Stamp duty (žyminis mokestis) — State Tax Inspectorate (VMI)
- State-guaranteed legal aid in Lithuania — e-Justice portal
- Real Property Register — SE Centre of Registers
- Labour Dispute Commissions — State Labour Inspectorate
Common situations
Where Lithuanian succession planning usually goes wrong
These are the situations clients bring to us most often, and each of them is easier to resolve before a will is signed than afterwards.
A will drafted abroad
You hold Lithuanian property but live in Germany, Ireland or Latvia, and the will you signed at home may not fit Lithuanian succession rules. Specialists who work with both systems can spot the mismatch before it turns into a dispute.
A family member left out
The compulsory share catches many families by surprise: children, a dependent spouse or dependent parents may be entitled to half of what intestacy would have given them. A specialist can explain how that interacts with your will before you sign.
An inheritance deadline running
Acceptance of an inheritance must happen within three months of the opening of the succession. Heirs still waiting for documents from another country often find the period almost over, and early advice is the only reliable protection.
Why use our service
A calmer way to choose a succession specialist
We do the filtering so that the first conversation you have about your estate is with someone who already knows the field.
Specialists, not generalists
We look for professionals whose practice centres on succession, estates and the transfer of immovable property, so you are not explaining the basics to someone learning on your case.
Free matching, no obligation
Describing your situation costs nothing. You decide whether to instruct the specialist we connect you with, and fees are agreed directly with that advocate.
Cross-border awareness
Lithuanian estates often involve heirs, assets or proceedings in another European state. We try to connect you with professionals used to working across those boundaries.
Clarity about cost and aid
Advocates’ fees in Lithuania are freely agreed and there are no binding tariffs, while state-guaranteed legal aid exists in two tiers. A specialist can tell you which route matches your circumstances.
Cross-border
Lithuania and other European jurisdictions
A Lithuanian estate frequently touches more than one legal system, whether because heirs live elsewhere, property sits in another country or a will was signed abroad. If your matter is cross-border, tell us which countries are involved so we can match you accordingly.
Questions and answers
Wills and succession in Lithuania: what clients ask
Which family members cannot be excluded from a Lithuanian estate?
Lithuanian law limits testamentary freedom through the compulsory share. Under Article 5.20 of the Civil Code, the deceased’s children, including adopted children, the spouse and parents or adoptive parents who were dependent on the deceased at the date of death inherit one half of the share they would have received on intestacy, unless the will grants them more.
How long do heirs have to accept an inheritance in Lithuania?
Acceptance of an inheritance must take place within three months from the opening of the succession. The period runs from that moment rather than from the date you personally learn of the death, which is why heirs living abroad are often advised to gather documents and take advice quickly.
Do I need a lawyer to deal with a Lithuanian inheritance?
In civil proceedings natural persons may generally act in person at first instance, while legal persons act through their statutory organs or an authorised representative. Representation by an advocate is required for cassation appeals before the Supreme Court of Lithuania. For complex or cross-border estates, instructing a specialist is a practical rather than a formal necessity.
How are wills lawyers in Lithuania paid?
Advocates’ fees in Lithuania are freely agreed between the advocate and the client and there are no binding official tariffs; the Ministry of Justice and the Council of the Bar Association publish non-binding recommendations on the fees that may be reimbursed to a winning party. Court fees are separate and take the form of a stamp duty.
What if I hold immovable property in Lithuania?
Immovable property is recorded in the Real Property Register maintained by the state enterprise Centre of Registers, which lists ownership, charges and encumbrances, and extracts from the register are official proof of title. Contracts for the sale of real estate must be concluded in notarial form or they are void under Article 6.393 of the Civil Code.
Does it cost anything to be matched with a specialist?
No. Our matching service is free and carries no obligation. You describe your situation, we identify suitable specialists, and you decide whether to make contact. Any fees are agreed directly with the professional you choose, and state-guaranteed legal aid may be available if your income and property fall below the statutory thresholds.
Next step
Tell us about your estate and we will match you
Describe what you own, where your heirs live and whether a will already exists. We will compare specialists who handle succession in Lithuania and connect you with the one whose experience fits. Free, confidential and without obligation.