The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions in an article, which was published by the Outlook Money on 1st April, 2022 and the online edition of the same can be found here.
Intestate succession planning laws in India are unfavourable for women. So, women must use the tools available and become the decision-makers in how their assets are transferred. The Covid pandemic has shown that life is fragile, and tragedy can strike any time. In the course of conversations with clients, we find that most women do not undertake succession planning, and even fewer understand the need for an estate plan. This is mainly due to lack of awareness, and because they usually tend to look to their husbands and/or other family members to deal with their assets. This needs to change, especially at a time when women are becoming wealth creators in their own right and are increasingly running large family businesses. Many women today are also inheriting valuable portions of the family business.
One can execute a Will just by signing it and having it attested by two witnesses. There is no requirement for having the Will mandatorily registered in India