Reform of Latvian Inheritance Law

In 2009, Latvia started modernizing the Inheritance Law part of the Civil Law adopted in 1937, and on 1 July 2014 the first amendments to this part entered into force. On 1 January 2025, the latest amendments to the Inheritance Law part of the Civil Law and related legislation entered into force, marking the end of the modernization process. During this period, a significant reform of the inheritance law has been carried out, modernizing the inheritance law and addressing the practical problems of succession that have arisen to date. The amendments were designed to clarify the succession process and ensure the timely return of the deceased’s property to normal civil law circulation. The authors analyse the main innovations introduced during the reform, outlining the advantages of the new regulation and the potential problems in applying it in practice. The article offers consecutive examination of the most important changes related to the limitation of the liability of heirs towards the creditors of the deceased, the changes in the system of acceptance of inheritance and the amendments to the legal regulation of the concept of addition of what was previously received.