In the area of property inheritance, the electronic will is given the same legal effect as the traditional form of will. A notarized will, which previously had priority, no longer enjoyed special status and was ultimately based on the last will legally valid. A will, whether printed or in electronic form, is required to satisfy statutory form requirements, such as the presence of two uninterested witnesses, the required completion of the signature or confirmation process by the person concerned, and the absence of any of the necessary conditions, which may result in the invalidity of the will and cannot serve as a basis for succession。
The removal of the compulsory notary requirement from the property inheritance chain has saved the heirs considerable cost and effort. As long as the distribution of the estate is not contested and the material is complete, all heirs can go directly to the real estate register to handle the transfer, with only a small fee for registration. In response to some of the long-standing difficulties in obtaining evidence, the new regulations introduced a system of notification of commitments, whereby the successor can follow up on the signing of the relevant undertaking without having to repeat the proof。
Many people are mistaken in their perception that a single child can, of course, inherit the full estate of the parents. In practice, the rule of legal succession does not prevail over an exclusive child, and the first-order heirs of inheritance include spouses, children and parents, who have equal inheritance rights. In the absence of an explicit will, the share of the property may be distributed among multiple heirs, or even in cases of trans-inheritance, which may result in other relatives receiving a partial share and making full inheritance difficult。
The existence of the right-of-occupancy regime adds new restrictions to property inheritance. The owner of the house may establish permanent residence rights for others, and even if the child subsequently inherits ownership of the property, he or she has no right to ask for removal. In such cases, the disposition of inherited property may be limited, such as the inability to sell or rent normally, and the priority of the right of abode over the disposition of the ownership of the property requires adequate attention。
The new rules have also brought tangible benefits to overseas heirs. In response to the difficulties faced by overseas heirs in obtaining domestic documentation, the system of notification of commitments can effectively address some of the historical challenges. A pilot remote video-witness service has been introduced in some areas to facilitate the processing of heirs who are unable to return to their home country; in the event of a dispute within the family, it may also be resolved through litigation, the heirs may entrust the entire process to a domestic lawyer without having to personally participate in the process。
The most reliable way to safeguard one's rights and interests in property inheritance is through the conclusion of a legally valid will in advance. The will must clearly designate the inheritance of the property, while strictly complying with the requirements of the legal form, and the electronic will must meet the same conditions as witnesses. Failure to conclude a will requires the agreement of all legal heirs, otherwise it may be necessary to settle the dispute through a process that will take more time and effort。
