中华人民共和国继承法 LAW OF SUCCESSION OF THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA

（Adopted at the Third Session of the Sixth National People's Congress， promulgated by Order No. 24 of the President of the People's Republic of China on April 10， 1985， and effective as of October 1， 1985）
颁布日期：19850410 　实施日期：19851001 　颁布单位：全国人大

　　Contents

　　Chapter I General Provisions

　　Chapter II Statutory Succession

　　Chapter III Testamentary Succession and Legacy

　　Chapter IV Disposition of the Estate

　　Chapter V Supplementary Provisions

　　Chapter I General Provisions

　　Article 1 This Law is enacted pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China with a view to protecting the right of citizens to inherit private property.

　　Article 2 Succession begins at the death of a citizen.

　　Article 3 Estate denotes the lawful property owned by a citizen personally at the time of his death， which consists of：

　　（1） his income；

　　（2） his houses， savings and articles of everyday use；

　　（3） his forest trees， livestock and poultry；

　　（4） his cultural objects， books and reference materials；

　　（5） means of production lawfully owned by him；

　　（6） his property rights pertaining to copyright and patent rights； and

　　（7） his other lawful property.

　　Article 4 Personal benefits accruing from a contract entered into by an individual are heritable in accordance with the provisions of this Law. Contracting by an individual， if permitted by law to be continued by the successor， shall be treated in accordance with the terms of the contract.

　　Article 5 Succession shall， after its opening， be handled in accordance with the provisions of statutory succession； where a will exists， it shall be handled in accordance with testamentary succession or as legacy； where there is an agreement for legacy in return for support， the former shall be handled in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

　　Article 6 The right to inheritance or legacy of a competent person shall be exercised on his behalf by his statutory agent.

　　The right to inheritance or legacy of a person with limited capacity shall be exercised on his behalf by his statutory agent or by such person himself after obtaining the consent of his statutory agent.

　　Article 7 A successor shall be disinherited upon his commission of any one of the following acts：

　　（1） intentional killing of the decedent；

　　（2） killing any other successor in fighting over the estate；

　　（3） a serious act of abandoning or maltreating the decedent； or

　　（4） a serious act of forging， tampering with or destroying the will.

　　Article 8 The time limit for institution of legal proceedings pertaining to disputes over the right to inheritance is two years， counting from the day the successor became or should have become aware of the violation of his right to inheritance. No legal proceedings， however， may be instituted after the expiration of a period of 20 years from the day succession began.

　　Chapter II Statutory Succession

　　Article 9 Males and females are equal in their right to inheritance.

　　Article 10 The estate of the decedent shall be inherited in the following order：

　　First in order： spouse， children， parents.

　　Second in order： brothers and sisters， paternal grandparents， maternal grandparents. When succession opens， the successor（s） first in order shall inherit to the exclusion of the successor（s） second in order. The successor（s） second in order shall inherit in default of any successor first in order.

　　The “children” referred to in this Law include legitimate children， illegitimate children and adopted children， as well as step-children who supported or were supported by the decedent.

　　The “parents” referred to in this Law include natural parents and adoptive parents， as well as step-

parents who supported or were supported by the decedent.

　　The “brothers and sisters” referred to in this Law include blood brothers and sisters， brothers and sisters of half blood， adopted brothers and sisters， as well as step-brothers and step-sisters who supported or were supported by the decedent.

　　Article 11 Where a decedent survived his child， the direct lineal descendants of the predeceased child inherit in subrogation. Descendants who inherit in subrogation generally shall take only the share of the estate their father or mother was entitled to.

　　Article 12 Widowed daughters-in-law or sons-in-law who have made the predominant contributions in maintaining their parents-in-law shall， in relationship to their parents-in-law， be regarded as successors first in order.

　　Article 13 Successors same in order shall， in general， inherit in equal shares. At the time of distributing the estate， due consideration shall be given to successors who are unable to work and have special financial difficulties. At the time of distributing the estate， successors who have made the predominant contributions in maintaining the decedent or have lived with the decedent may be given a larger share. At the time of distributing the estate， successors who had the ability and were in a position to maintain the decedent but failed to fulfil their duties shall be given no share or a smaller share of the estate.

　　Successors may take unequal shares if an agreement to that effect is reached among them.

　　Article 14 An appropriate share of the estate may be given to a person， other than a successor， who depended on the support of the decedent and who neither can work nor has a source of income， or to a person， other than a successor， who was largely responsible for supporting the decedent.

　　Article 15 Questions pertaining to succession should be dealt with through consultation by and among the successors in the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation， as well as of amity and unity. The time and mode for partitioning the estate and the shares shall be decided by the successors through consultation. If no agreement is reached through consultation， they may apply to a People's Mediation Committee for mediation or institute legal proceedings in a people's court.

　　Chapter III Testamentary Succession and Legacy

　　Article 16 A citizen may， by means of a will made in accordance with the provisions of this Law， dispose of the property he owns and may appoint a testamentary executor for the purpose. A citizen may， by making a will， designate one or more of the statutory successors to inherit his personal property.

　　A citizen may， by making a will， donate his personal property to the state or a collective， or bequeath it to persons other than the statutory successors.

　　Article 17 A notarial will is one made by a testator through a notary agency. A testator-written will is one made in the testator's own handwriting and signed by him， specifying the date of its making.

　　A will written on behalf of the testator shall be witnessed by two or more witnesses， of whom one writes the will， dates it and signs it along with the other witness or witnesses and with the testator.

　　A will made in the form of a sound-recording shall be witnessed by two or more witnesses.

　　A testator may， in an emergency situation， make a nuncupative will， which shall be witnessed by two or more witnesses. When the emergency situation is over and if the testator is able to make a will in writing or in the form of a sound-recording， the nuncupative will he has made shall be invalidated.

　　Article 18 None of the following persons shall act as a witness of a will：

　　（1） persons with no capacity or with limited capacity；

　　（2） successors and legatees； or

　　（3） persons whose interests are related to those of the successors and legatees.

　　Article 19 Reservation of a necessary portion of an estate shall be made in a will for a successor who neither can work nor has a source of income.

　　Article 20 A testator may revoke or alter a will he previously made. Where several wills that have been made conflict with one another in content， the last one shall prevail.

　　A notarial will may not be revoked or altered by a testator-written will， a will written on behalf of the testator， a will in the form of a sound-recording or a nuncupative will.

　　Article 21 Where there are obligations attached to testamentary succession or legacy， the successor or legatee shall perform them. Anyone who fails to perform the obligations without proper reasons may， upon request by a relevant organization or individual， entail nullification of his right to inheritance by a people's court.

　　Article 22 Wills made by persons with no capacity or with limited capacity shall be void. Wills shall manifest the genuine intention of the testators； those made under duress or as a result of fraud shall be void. Forged wills shall be void. Where a will has been tampered with， the affected parts of it shall be void.

　　Chapter IV Disposition of the Estate

　　Article 23 After the opening of succession， a successor who has knowledge of the death should promptly notify the other successors and the testamentary executor. If one of the successors knows about the death or if there is no way to make the notification， the organization to which the decedent belonged before his death or the residents' committee or villagers' committee at his place of residence shall make the notification.

　　Article 24 Anyone who has in his possession the property of the decedent shall take good care of such p

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