Succession & Estate Law · Lithuania
Find an estate planning lawyer in Lithuania
Wills, compulsory shares, matrimonial property and property held in Lithuania all follow national rules. Tell us about your situation and we match you, free of charge, with an advocate who works on estate and succession matters in Lithuania.
- Wills, compulsory shares and cross-border succession
- Advocates enrolled with the Lithuanian Bar Association
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Before you instruct anyone
Estate and succession planning in Lithuania, explained simply
Estate planning in Lithuania sits inside a continental civil-law system where succession is governed by Book Five of the Civil Code, and where testamentary freedom is real but not unlimited. Whether you own property in Vilnius, hold assets across borders, or simply want your family protected, the rules on compulsory shares, matrimonial property and notarial formalities shape what is possible. An estate planning lawyer in Lithuania can map your situation, draft or review a will, advise on marriage contracts, and coordinate the notarial and registration steps that Lithuanian law requires. Through europeanlawyerfinder.com you describe your matter once, free of charge, and we match you with a specialist who handles estate and succession work in the relevant language.
Lithuania in detail
How estate and succession matters work in Lithuania
Estate and succession work in Lithuania is grounded in the Civil Code and is handled largely outside the courtroom, through notaries, the Real Property Register and careful drafting. The points below set out the country-specific rules that most often shape a plan.
Compulsory share and testamentary freedom
You may dispose of your estate by will, but Lithuanian succession law reserves a compulsory share (privalomoji palikimo dalis). Under Article 5.20 of the Civil Code, 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, regardless of the will, unless the will gives them more.
Notarial form for immovable property
A contract for the purchase and sale of an immovable thing must be concluded in notarial form in Lithuania, otherwise it is void under Article 6.393 of the Civil Code. Against third parties it takes effect only once registered in the Real Property Register. If your estate includes land, a building or separate premises, notarial and registration steps will need to be planned.
Matrimonial property and marriage contracts
The default matrimonial property regime is joint community property: assets acquired by either spouse during the marriage for a consideration become joint. Property owned before the marriage, or received by gift or inheritance, stays personal. Spouses may instead choose separation of property or a mixed regime by a marriage contract concluded before a notary, which may be registered.
Who may advise you in Lithuania
The title of advocate (advokatas) is reserved to persons on the register kept by the Lithuanian Bar Association, a self-governing public-law body. To practise, an advocate must hold a law degree, be of impeccable reputation, command Lithuanian, pass the qualification examination and take the advocate’s oath, generally after serving as an advocate’s assistant. Lawyers qualified elsewhere in the EU may provide services under the Law on the Bar.
Costs, fees and legal aid
There are no binding official tariffs for advocates’ fees in Lithuania: fees are freely agreed between advocate and client, and the Ministry of Justice together with the Bar has issued non-binding recommendations on the amounts a winning party may recover. As a rule the losing party bears the successful party’s litigation costs. State-guaranteed legal aid is available in two tiers.
Where succession matters are decided
Succession is regulated in Book Five of the Civil Code, in force since 1 July 2001, within a continental system where statutes rather than judicial precedent are the primary source of law. Most first-instance civil cases are heard by twelve district courts, with five regional courts and the Court of Appeal above them, and the Supreme Court of Lithuania as the sole court of cassation.
Key time limit — Inheritance, Probate & Wills
Acceptance of inheritance — 3 months from the opening of the succession. A critical deadline for beneficiaries named in a will or entitled on intestacy.
All country data on this page is taken from official Lithuanian bodies, the European e-Justice Portal and the Lithuanian legal register, consulted in 2025.
- Judicial system of the Republic of Lithuania — National Courts Administration
- Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania and related time limits — e-Seimas
- Lithuanian Bar Association (Lietuvos advokatūra)
- Law on the Bar (Advokatūros įstatymas) — e-Seimas
- State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) — stamp duty in civil proceedings
- State-guaranteed legal aid in Lithuania — European e-Justice Portal
- Real Property Register — SE Centre of Registers (Registrų centras)
Common situations
Why people look for help with succession in Lithuania
Most estate questions in Lithuania start with a practical problem rather than a legal dispute.
Assets split across countries
You live abroad, or hold Lithuanian property alongside assets elsewhere, and you are unsure which country’s succession rules will actually be applied to each item.
Family members who cannot be left out
You want to favour one person, but relatives may be entitled to a compulsory share under Lithuanian law, which limits how far a will can go.
Property, notaries and registers
A house, flat or plot is involved, and the transaction or transfer needs notarial form and entry in the Real Property Register before it is safe.
How matching works
What you get from europeanlawyerfinder.com
A short brief, a relevant specialist, and no cost to be introduced.
One short brief
You describe your estate, your family and your goals once. We use that description to identify lawyers whose practice actually covers succession work.
Specialists, not generalists
We match you with advocates who handle wills, compulsory shares, marriage contracts and estate administration rather than unrelated areas of law.
Local procedure covered
Your lawyer can deal with Lithuanian notarial formalities, the Real Property Register and the timetable that applies to accepting an inheritance.
Free to start
Getting matched costs you nothing, and there is no obligation to instruct. Any fees are agreed directly with the lawyer you decide to work with.
Cross-border succession
Where else clients plan estates alongside Lithuania
Succession questions rarely stop at one border. These are the European countries most often involved in matters that also touch Lithuania.
Questions and answers
Estate planning in Lithuania: frequent questions
What does an estate planning lawyer in Lithuania actually do?
An estate planning lawyer in Lithuania advises on wills, compulsory shares, marriage contracts and the transfer of property within a family. The work usually includes drafting documents, checking title and encumbrances in the Real Property Register, coordinating notarial formalities and, where assets sit in more than one country, liaising with advisers abroad. Court representation is needed only in disputed cases.
Can I leave my property to anyone I choose in Lithuania?
Not entirely. Testamentary freedom in Lithuania is limited by the compulsory share (privalomoji palikimo dalis). Under Article 5.20 of the Civil Code, children, the spouse and parents who were dependent on the deceased at the date of death are entitled to one half of what they would have received on intestacy, whatever the will says, unless the will provides more for them.
Do I need a notary to deal with Lithuanian property in an estate?
If the estate includes an immovable thing, notarial form matters. A purchase and sale contract for real estate must be concluded in notarial form, otherwise it is void under Article 6.393 of the Civil Code, and it takes effect against third parties only once registered in the Real Property Register maintained by the Centre of Registers.
How long do I have to accept an inheritance in Lithuania?
Acceptance of an inheritance must be dealt with within three months from the opening of the succession. That deadline shapes the whole timetable of an estate, so it is worth speaking to a lawyer as soon as you know you may inherit, particularly where property, debts or beneficiaries in several countries are involved.
How much does an estate planning lawyer in Lithuania cost?
Advocates’ fees in Lithuania are freely agreed between the lawyer and the client; there are no binding official tariffs. The Ministry of Justice and the Bar Association publish non-binding recommendations on the amounts a winning party may recover. As a rule the losing party bears the successful party’s costs, and state-guaranteed legal aid is available to those who qualify.
Do I have to go to court to settle an estate in Lithuania?
Usually not. Succession is regulated by Book Five of the Civil Code and much of the process runs through notaries and the Real Property Register. Courts become relevant when a will is contested or a compulsory share is disputed. Ordinary civil cases start in the twelve district courts, with appeals to five regional courts and the Court of Appeal.
Next step
Tell us what you need to organise in Lithuania
Whether it is a will to draft, a marriage contract to conclude, property held in Lithuania to bring into your plan or an estate to administer, describe the situation and we will match you with a lawyer who handles that work.