How much is my compulsory portion and how do I claim it?
Excluded from an inheritance? How much your compulsory portion (Pflichtteil) is worth, what right to information you have against the heirs, and how I enforce it for you.
You learn that a will has excluded you, as a child, spouse or parent, from the inheritance — and you don’t know whether, or how much, you are still entitled to. German law gives you a separate claim in this situation: the compulsory portion (Pflichtteil).
How much is the compulsory portion worth?
Descendants, the spouse and the parents of the deceased who have been excluded from the inheritance by will or inheritance contract can claim the compulsory portion from the heirs (§ 2303 BGB). In value, it amounts to half of the statutory share of the estate — that is, half of what you would have received under the statutory order of succession had there been no will.
How I can help you
- Assessing whether, and to what extent, you have a claim to a compulsory portion
- Enforcing your right to information against the heirs
- Quantifying and pursuing the claim, both out of court and in court
- Assessing time limits and limitation periods in your specific case
The right to information — the basis for calculating your claim
To quantify the compulsory portion at all, you need information about the estate, which as a rule only the heirs have. For this reason, you have a right against the heirs to information about the composition of the estate (§ 2314 BGB). You can also demand to be involved when an inventory of the estate is drawn up and — in particular where there are doubts about the completeness or honesty of the information provided — that this inventory be prepared by a notary.
How I proceed on your behalf
I first request the information and the inventory of the estate from the heirs, check the information for plausibility, and use it to quantify your claim to the compulsory portion. If the claim cannot be enforced out of court, I also represent you in court. You can find an overview of certificates of inheritance, disclaiming an inheritance and the statutory order of succession on the Inheritance Law page.
Not sure whether, or how much, you are entitled to a compulsory portion? Get in touch — in an initial consultation I will discuss the prospects of success and the likely costs with you.
This article provides general information and is no substitute for legal advice in an individual case. Last updated: 2026-07-03.
Christian Czirnich, Rechtsanwalt (attorney at law), Kirchseeon near Munich
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