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Who are the shareholders of an estate?

Answer a few questions to see who counts as a shareholder of the estate and who else must be taken into account. The tool does not save your answers.

1.Did the deceased have descendants?

A predeceased child is replaced by their own descendants (representation). The same applies to a child who has renounced the inheritance effectively: they are treated as if deceased, and their descendants step in. So choose yes if there are living children or descendants of a predeceased child.

2.Was the deceased married at the time of death?
3.Did the deceased leave a will?

Also calculate the estate inventory deadline →

What is an estate shareholder?

An estate shareholder is a person entitled to take part in administering the estate and its decisions. Shareholders include the statutory heirs, the surviving spouse under certain conditions, and the universal beneficiary. All shareholders must be invited to the estate inventory and listed in the deed.

Order of succession

The inheritance first goes to the direct heirs, that is the deceased's children and their descendants. If there are none, parents and siblings inherit. If there are none of those either, grandparents and their children inherit, that is the deceased's aunts and uncles. Cousins do not inherit. The inheritance always passes to the nearest living level: a more distant relative does not inherit if there are heirs closer in.

The spouse's position

If the deceased had no children, the spouse inherits and is a shareholder. If there were children, the spouse does not inherit alongside them but is still a shareholder by marital right until the property division is completed. If a prenuptial agreement excludes marital right entirely, the spouse is not a shareholder on that basis, but retains the right to live in the shared home.

The effect of a will

A universal beneficiary, given the whole estate or a share of it, is a shareholder. A specific legatee, who receives only a particular item or sum, is not a shareholder but has a claim against the estate. A direct heir's forced share cannot be overridden by a will.

Renouncing the inheritance is treated like death

When an heir renounces the inheritance effectively, they are treated the same as if they had died before the deceased: their own descendants step into their place. A renunciation is effective when it is made in writing, before the heir has taken possession of the estate, and without naming who receives the share. If the renouncer names a recipient, it is a gift, and the renouncer remains a shareholder until then.

Frequently asked questions

Is the surviving spouse always a shareholder?

Not always. The spouse is a shareholder if they inherit (for example when there are no children and no will directs otherwise), or if they have marital right to the estate's property and the division has not yet been done. If a prenuptial agreement excludes marital right and there are children, the spouse is not a shareholder but still has the right of residence.

Are grandchildren shareholders?

A grandchild is a shareholder if their parent, the deceased's child, has died or renounced the inheritance effectively. In that case the grandchild steps into the parent's place. If the deceased's child is living, their children are not shareholders.

Is a will beneficiary a shareholder?

A universal beneficiary is a shareholder. A specific legatee, who receives only a single item or sum, is not a shareholder.

What does secondary heir mean?

When a childless deceased was married, the spouse inherits first. The deceased's parents and siblings are secondary heirs: they inherit only after the spouse, but they must be invited to the estate inventory now.

Sources

Code of Inheritance 40/1965 (Finlex)

This tool gives general information under the Finnish Code of Inheritance and does not replace legal advice. Shareholder status is confirmed with a genealogical account.