Indian Succession Act 1925

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How is the gifting of money or property to a relative taxed
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 7th June, 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 want to gift money to my elder brother. What will be the tax implications. Can I also gift immovable property to my brother?

— Name withheld on requestContinue Reading How is the gifting of money or property to a relative taxed?

Can my mother who is not a coparcener be karta in HUF
Source: Livemint.com

The following article was first published in the Mint newspaper on 25th May, 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.

My father, who was the karta of our HUF (Hindu undivided family), with my mother, elder sister and I as members, died two years ago. Thereafter, the bank where the HUF account is held is insisting on transferring it only to my elder sister.

Under the circumstances, is there any possibility for my mother to become the karta of the HUF? What is the relevant legal section that needs to be quoted for necessitating a transfer to my mother’s name? Additionally, will there be a change in the PAN (permanent account number)  after transfer of the HUF? Will it also lead to a change in the name of the HUF? 

—Name withheld on request Continue Reading Can my mother who is not a coparcener be karta in HUF?

Can a Will be written from overseas
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 January, 2022 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

Me and my family (wife and son) are NRIs based in Sweden. I have properties and movable assets in India. Can I write a Will on plain paper while I am in Sweden with respect to my assets? Is it okay to get it witnessed by my other NRI friends from India, based in Sweden, for the time being? What are other precautions to be taken when writing a Will from overseas with respect to assets and liabilities in India?

– Narsinh ModaniContinue Reading Can a Will be written from overseas?

A Will is invalid in the absence of witnesses
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 29th September, 2021 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

Do married daughters have rights over their father’s self-acquired property if the father passed away in 1999, which is before the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005? Also, the daughters in this case were married before 1986, after they received proper settlements with land plots and were told that they would have no share in the remaining property of the father, earmarked for the sons. The father also wrote a Will stating that all his acquired property will go to his wife and sons alone. But due to his illness, he could not get it signed by two witnesses. Also due to change of residence and his death, only a photocopy of this Will was found. Can this Will be used in any way?

—Name withheld on requestContinue Reading A Will is invalid in the absence of witnesses

PROBATE REQUIREMENT IN DELHI & AROUND

Introduction

A probate is a certificate granted by the court in respect of a Will, which proves the validity of the Will and grants rights to the executor to administer the estate of the deceased testator in the manner set out in the Will. Post the demise of the testator, the executors named in the Will can apply to the jurisdictional court to seek a probate to establish the authenticity of the Will.
Continue Reading Probate Requirement in Delhi & Around

Rules for Will under Army order depend on when it was made
Photo Source: Mint

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

I am a serving Army officer (Hindu by religion). I have made my Will under Army Order 4/91; it’s an unregistered Will. I experienced a lot of problems inheriting a property from my mother, as hers was a non-registered Will, hence I want to make a registered Will. The opening lines of any Will state that “I revoke all the past Wills”. If I write that in my registered Will, it may not be as per my department’s format. The existing Will lacks detail. What should I do?

—Name withheld on request

Continue Reading Rules for Will under Army order depend on when it was made

Will executed by a Muslim does not mandatorily need a probate
Image Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions shared in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 02nd December, 2020 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

My maternal grandfather had inherited some property from his father. My mother passed away in 1997 and my grandfather in 2018 without any partition or will. My mother’s brother is denying that I have any share in the property. Do I have a legal share in it as the son of a predeceased daughter, as per the recent clarifications on the Hindu Succession Act?

—Name withheld on request

Continue Reading Will executed by a Muslim does not mandatorily need a probate

A testator doesn’t have to submit her will to sub-registrar’s office

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions shared in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 20th October, 2020 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

My mother in 1987 had made a will which was not registered and was in favour of my elder sister, who is not married. My lawyer says that the unregistered will made in 1987 is valid. Please confirm this. Also, my elder sister, who is now 78, wants to make a will in my favour. My lawyer says that the will has to be registered, as currently unregistered wills are not valid. My lawyer states that my sister has to visit the registry office, and it will not be possible for the official to come home to get the signature. Please advise.

—Name withheld on request

We assume that your sister is a Hindu by faith and, hence, certain rules will apply accordingly. Testamentary succession for Hindus is governed under the Indian Succession Act, 1925. A will is very simple to make—all you need to do is put your signature onto a typed (preferred option) will, which would then need to be signed by two witnesses. It is not mandatory to register a will in India (irrespective of whether you are bequeathing immovable or movable properties).
Continue Reading A testator doesn’t have to submit her will to sub-registrar’s office

Land inherited from biological or adopted mother is not considered ancestral property
As a daughter your right to claim a share in your father’s self-acquired property would arise if your father were to die intestate. Image Source: Livemint.com

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions shared in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 7th October, 2020 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

We are two sisters and our father inherited a residential property from his mother through a will. He willed the whole property to my elder sister under pressure. Can my father give the property to one of the two legal heirs, leaving nothing for the other?

—SB
Continue Reading Land inherited from biological or adopted mother is not considered ancestral property

A patient enacting a will from hospital must have the doctor as one witness
A close up of a man signing his last will and testament (istockphoto)

The Private Client team at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas shares their comments and opinions shared in an article in the  following Q&A which was published by the Mint Newspaper on 22nd September, 2020 and the online edition of the same can be found here.

One of my uncles is in hospital, getting treatment for covid-19. As his condition is serious, he is planning to make a will. How should he go about making a will that cannot be challenged in the court on the grounds of his mental health?

—Name withheld on request
Continue Reading A patient enacting a will from hospital must have the doctor as one witness