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Untangling the legal heirship certificate conundrum in Tamil Nadu

A legal heirship certificate is an essential document, sought by the legal heirs of a deceased individual for processing intestate succession related application in government offices. The process of applying for and obtaining a legal heirship certificate is by itself an arduous process and is riddled with a plethora of unresolved questions. The most significant of them is the issuance of legal heirship certificate to Class II legal heirs when there are no surviving Class I legal heirs.
Continue Reading Untangling the legal heirship certificate conundrum in Tamil Nadu

Should I write a will or form a trust to distribute my assets
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 1st November, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

I am 76 years old and hence want to write a will. I have two houses worth ₹2 crore. We are living in one of the houses and the other is rented for ₹75,000 per month. We also booked a shop having a resale value of ₹1 crore. I have ₹1.6 crore in mutual funds and ₹65 lakh in shares. 

I have a wife and a daughter. I want all my assets to be given to my wife and thereafter to a trust that should decide on monthly distribution  of income from the assets to my daughter and grandson. Thereby, I want to ensure that the assets generate wealth without being misused by anyone. Please guide me on how I should go about setting up a trust.

—Name withheld on requestContinue Reading Should I write a will or form a trust to distribute my assets?

gift deed
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 23rd April, 2022. The same was written by our Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, who frequently publish their comments and opinions in the Mint. The online version of the article can be found here.

I have a query regarding a gift deed. My father-in-law wants to gift his flat to my wife vide gift deed, but he stays abroad. Can he execute the gift deed in the Indian embassy over there?

The other option is he has already registered a power of attorney in his son’s name to sell the property, so can his son come to India and execute the gift deed?

– Name withheld on requestContinue Reading Can a gift deed be executed in India on behalf of someone who stays abroad?

Intestate

The recent Supreme Court (“SC”) judgment in the case of Arunachala Gounder vs. Ponnuswamy[1] is a significant one since it focusses on whether a sole daughter could inherit her father’s self-acquired property dying intestate, prior to the enactment of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (“Act”). It also delves into the order of succession after the death of the said daughter.

In this blog, we analyse the judgment and its impact on the property rights of Hindu women and widows under the Act.Continue Reading A daughter’s right: Inheritance and devolution of her father’s self-acquired property

Gift deed
Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 19th February, 2022 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

We are two brothers and one sister, and we follow Hinduism. In 1970, my father built a house on a plot which was in my mother’s name, although it was bought with my father’s money. My father expired in 1990. In 2012, my brother and I demolished the house and built a new house with our own money. After construction, my mother gifted the house to both of us equally. We requested our sister to take one floor, but she denied verbally as she is well off. In the future, can my sister or her children legally ask for a share in the house?

Continue Reading Can title of property transferred during parent’s lifetime be questioned later?

Release Deed
Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 16th February, 2022 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

Is mutation of property possible through unregistered Will?

— Name withheld on requestContinue Reading Is release deed for immovable property a valid document?

relinquishment deed
Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 17th January, 2022 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

My sister is an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India). Our father passed away recently. He was a resident of India. My sister wants to relinquish her rights to our father’s property in my favor. The property is located in India. Will my sister need to visit India for making the relinquishment deed, or can she do it from abroad?

-S. SinhaContinue Reading Can a relinquishment deed be sent from abroad?

What happens to the FD account if the deposit holder dies
Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 8th November, 2021 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

If the first account holder of a fixed deposit dies, who will become the owner of the account? Is it the second account holder or all the legal heirs of the first account holder?

—Name withheld on request

Continue Reading What happens to the FD account if the deposit holder dies?

Two witnesses need to be present for executing a gift deed
Image Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 10th November, 2021 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

My father wants to transfer our house to my sister as a gift deed. I’m willing to sign a no objection certificate for the same. My father cannot hold a steady hand while writing or signing and is not able to get up on his own, let alone walk. The house is in my father’s name. My sister has been caring for my mother and father for years now. Somebody said that we should hire a pro for video recording if my father cannot go to the registration office to sign the gift deed. It could cost ₹30,000-40,000. Would his thumb impression taken at home be enough? What is the right process to follow?

—Name withheld on requestContinue Reading Two witnesses need to be present for executing a gift deed

A will can help in ensuring smooth transition of assets
Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 27th October, 2021 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

My question is regarding my share in a house built by my father. The said house was built in 1990 and registered in the name of my mother and my elder brother (I was a minor then). My father passed away in 2016 and all immovable assets were transferred in my mother’s name. My mother has always maintained that all her assets, movable and immovable, be shared equally between us brothers. She has not made any Will and I do not feel comfortable asking her to make one either. My question is that in the absence of any Will, what is my share in the said house? Since the house is registered jointly in the name of my brother and my mother, she legally owns half of the house. Will my share amount to half of her share, i.e 50% of 50% = 25% or will it be her complete share, i.e 50%?

—Name withheld on requestContinue Reading A will can help in ensuring smooth transition of assets