In Austria, a testator has the right to dispose of their property by means of a Will, subject to certain mandatory inheritance rights of close relatives. However, a Testator may not completely disinherit their spouse or registered partner, who is entitled to at least 50% of the estate. Children of the testator are also entitled to a share of the estate, which may not be completely excluded by a Will.
In addition, there are some cases where a testator may not be able to disinherit an heir, even if they are not a spouse or registered partner or a direct descendant. For example, a Testator may be prevented from disinheriting an heir if they have a legal obligation to provide for that person, such as a child with a disability.
However, there are also some circumstances under which a testator may be able to disinherit an heir. For example, a testator may be able to disinherit a child who has been convicted of a serious crime against the testator or a family member, or who has severely mistreated the testator. Even in these cases, the disinherited child may still be entitled to their compulsory portion of the estate.
Overall, the ability to disinherit an heir in Austria is limited, and that is why one grandmother shred her 950,000 (in Euros) fortune; so her disinherited relatives wouldn’t get it. Unfortunately for the grandmother, it might be replaced and given to the relatives she hated so much. She literally shredded up her fortune so that they wouldn’t be able to get their hands on her money. An Austrian bank may end up actually replacing the shredded bills. She also went so far as to cut up her bank books. It seems a little unfair that her money is going to the people whom she least wanted to have it. She may have been better off to disappear and not let her relatives know her whereabouts. You can read more by clicking on the link below: