**Modernising Generational-Transfer Rules: A Broad Overhaul Is Under Way**
The competent authority has begun work on a root-and-branch update of the national rules that govern what happens to a person’s affairs after death. First adopted almost eight decades ago, the relevant chapter of the civil code is now considered out of step with contemporary social and economic realities.
A policy paper presented earlier this week outlines a four-pillar modernisation effort. Speaking at the launch, the political head of the portfolio described the project as “a forward-looking scientific exercise intended to serve society for the next thirty to forty years,” adding that the draft is expected to reach the statute book early in 2026. His deputy stressed that “the law must keep pace with evolving family models and market structures,” noting that the reform will influence both interpersonal relationships and the wider economy.
The academic chair of the advisory panel that prepared the text said the group’s mandate was to streamline, clarify and future-proof every provision, while eliminating long-fallen-into-disuse institutions. According to the briefing, the main objectives are:
– Updating legacy language and concepts to reflect current living arrangements and asset types;
– Introducing fresh instruments that allow people to organise their affairs more flexibly;
– Resolving interpretive doubts that have fuelled courtroom disputes for years; and
– Removing obsolete mechanisms that no longer serve any practical purpose.
Officials gave no granular detail on percentages, time-limits or procedural steps, but indicated that the revised framework will:
– Offer clearer signing and witnessing options for lifetime planning documents;
– Encourage out-of-court settlement of post-death questions;
– Reinforce protections for vulnerable parties such as minors or those under care; and
– Tighten control over possible abuses, including forgery or undue influence.
Throughout the presentation, speakers repeated that the overarching aim is to balance individual freedom with safeguards for dependents, while helping assets remain productive rather than trapped in prolonged uncertainty. Further technical work will be released for consultation before the final text is tabled for debate.
