Succession law

Succession law examines what happens to an individual’s rights and liabilities at the time of their death. The subject builds upon core private law topics, especially Trusts, Land Law and Contract, but focuses on the effect of death on private law rights. The topic’s practical importance has grown in recent years: more complex family structures, the growth of cognitive disorders (such as dementia) in an elderly population, and increasing property values, have each made inheritance disputes more prevalent. Although succession law links most obviously to other private law topics (especially Trusts), it also intersects with issues in family law. Where marriages end as a result of a death, succession law deals with issues regarding the maintenance and support of the surviving spouse and children of the deceased person.