{"id":630,"date":"2025-06-15T14:06:56","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T12:06:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/?p=630"},"modified":"2025-11-01T20:14:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T19:14:36","slug":"how-does-probate-work-in-poland-a-practical-guide-for-heirs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/?p=630","title":{"rendered":"How Does Probate Work in Poland? A Practical Guide for Heirs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/?p=572\">The rules of inheritance in Poland<\/a> define the order of succession when a person residing in Poland passes away. However, understanding these rules is only the first step &#8211; properly settling an inheritance usually requires a formal probate process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Generally, Polish courts (and\/or Polish notaries public) have jurisdiction over probate proceedings if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The deceased had habitual residence at the time of their death; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The deceased owned real estate located in Poland (in such cases, probate concerning that property must be conducted in Poland).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Structure of the probate process<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The probate process in Poland generally consists of two separate phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Confirmation of Inheritance Rights<\/strong> \u2013 In this phase, the legal heirs and their respective shares in the estate are identified. The court does not examine the composition of the estate at this stage\u2014it focuses solely on determining who is entitled to inherit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Division of the Estate<\/strong> \u2013 Once the heirs are confirmed, they may proceed to divide the inherited property.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although these are distinct legal proceedings, it is possible to file a single application for both. In such cases, the court will issue two separate decisions &#8211; first confirming the heirs, then ruling on the division of the estate. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"473\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-473x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-631\" style=\"width:340px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-473x1024.webp 473w, https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-139x300.webp 139w, https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-768x1663.webp 768w, https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-709x1536.webp 709w, https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-946x2048.webp 946w, https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/20250615_140304-scaled.webp 1182w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 473px) 100vw, 473px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Typically, probate proceedings are handled by district courts. However, if there is no conflict among the heirs, all parties are present, and the matter is straightforward, the proceedings may also be conducted before a notary public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Determining the Heirs<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ownership of the deceased\u2019s property legally passes to the heirs at the moment of death. However, in order to perform any legal actions regarding the estate &#8211; such as selling property, transferring funds from bank accounts, or updating land registers &#8211; the court must first confirm the acquisition of inheritance rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this initial phase of probate, the court or notary applies the relevant inheritance rules (statutory or testamentary) to determine who is entitled to inherit. Several factors are considered during this process, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Whether the deceased left a valid will;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether the potential heirs <a href=\"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/?p=703\">accepted<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/?p=697\">renounced<\/a> the inheritance within the statutory deadline;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether any of the heirs were disinherited.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is crucial that all potential heirs are properly identified and included in the proceedings. The application should therefore include a detailed description of the deceased\u2019s family relationships &#8211; even if a will exists. Once the court issues a ruling in the proceedings for the declaration of inheritance, it is very difficult to overturn. The ruling can be annulled only in exceptional cases &#8211; for example, if the applicant deliberately misled the court by omitting heirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is important to remember that the issuance of the court\u2019s decision declaring the acquisition of inheritance triggers the deadline for fulfilling <a href=\"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/?p=591\">inheritance tax obligations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Division of the Estate<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Polish inheritance law follows the principle of universal succession, meaning that the moment the deceased passes away the heirs automatically acquire their rights and obligations in accordance with their inheritance shares. While division of the estate is possible, it is not mandatory &#8211; heirs may choose to retain co-ownership of inherited assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the heirs agree on how to divide the estate, they may enter into an inheritance agreement. It is important to comply with the required form of such agreements\u2014for example, any agreement concerning real estate must be executed before a notary public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If there is disagreement among the heirs or if some of them are not able to enter an agreement (for example they are minors, they live far away etc.), the division of assets will be decided by the court. There are three common ways the estate may be divided:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Division in kind<\/strong> \u2013 For example, a single property may be divided into smaller parcels, with each heir receiving a portion;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Allocation to one heir<\/strong> \u2013 One heir receives the entire estate and compensates the others for their shares;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sale of the estate<\/strong> \u2013 The estate is sold and the proceeds are distributed among the heirs.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of the method chosen, the court ensures that each heir receives property or compensation corresponding to the value of their legal share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In assessing the value of each heir\u2019s share and determining compensation, the court will also consider any investments or expenses incurred by the heirs in relation to the estate\u2014for example, debts of the deceased paid by the heirs, renovation costs, or taxes paid after the acquisition of the estate. In Polish law, debts are considered just as much a part of the inheritance as assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Probate proceedings in Poland are designed to ensure a fair and transparent distribution of a deceased person\u2019s estate. While the legal framework is relatively structured, the process can involve both formal court procedures and private agreements between heirs. Whether settled amicably or with court involvement, the ultimate goal is to confirm the rightful heirs and ensure that each receives their proper share\u2014while honoring both the law and the wishes of the deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>The rules listed above are general and cover the most important aspects of the probate process in Poland. However, each case is unique and may involve different legal provisions. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to analyze the situation thoroughly before taking any steps.<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;<strong><em>If you have any questions or need assistance from a lawyer, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (kotowska.kancelaria@gmail.com) or by phone (+48 608 393 623).&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><br><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rules of inheritance in Poland define the order of succession when a person residing in Poland passes away. However, understanding these rules is only the first step &#8211; properly settling an inheritance usually requires a formal probate process. Generally, Polish courts (and\/or Polish notaries public) have jurisdiction over probate [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[232],"tags":[13,148,156,152,149,8,181,17,150],"class_list":["post-630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inheritance","tag-dziedziczenie","tag-inheritance","tag-inheritance-law","tag-inheritance-tax","tag-polish-law","tag-prawo-spadkowe","tag-probate-process","tag-testament","tag-will"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=630"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":712,"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630\/revisions\/712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hannakotowskakancelaria.pl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}