Inheritance, wills and intestacy in Georgia: the complete estate file

Direct answer and scope

Estate administration requires one picture of death, kinship, will, assets and debts, other heirs, acceptance or renunciation and registration; assets should not be assessed separately from liabilities. Under the Civil Code, an estate generally must be accepted within six months after it opens, and acceptance may be shown by a notarial declaration or actual possession or administration.

Family and inheritance matters require separate review of personal status, the child's best interests, origin of property, kinship, document authenticity and any international element.

• Spouses, parents, child representatives, heirs and family members living abroad
• Responsible authority: The Public Service Development Agency, a notary and the Common Courts of Georgia
• Jurisdiction: Georgia

When a will does not cover the whole estate

The Code permits succession by law, by will, or on both bases. Under Article 1350, if the portions designated for testamentary heirs do not cover the whole estate, intestate succession applies to property left outside the will; this rule also concerns statutory heirs who received part under the will, unless the will provides otherwise. Applying that qualification to a particular will and assessing any person's share require individual review.

List separately the property expressly covered by the will, property left outside it, and property whose coverage is unclear. For each asset, verify whether it belonged to the deceased, including the deceased's share in any jointly owned property; naming an item in a will does not by itself show that it belonged wholly to the deceased.

• From the will, record the named people, property and shares; mark unclear terms separately.
• List possible statutory heirs with the relationship and status records needed for review; Articles 1336–1337 set classes and priority that must be checked against the facts.
• This working list does not determine validity, what belongs to the estate, any person's entitlement or a final share.

Official sources: Civil Code of Georgia, Law No. 786 — consolidated publication 140

Documents and evidence to prepare

Start the assessment with a complete and consistent file covering: death record, will or full kinship chain, property, account and debt records, other heir and prior-application information.

A foreign document may require apostille or legalisation and a compliant Georgian translation. Check the copy, date, issuer and its connection to the fact being proved.

• death record
• will or full kinship chain
• property, account and debt records
• other heir and prior-application information

Procedure and working sequence

Alongside the dispute, preserve documents, the child's stable environment and the property picture. In a cross-border case, identify in advance which country's authority acts and where the outcome must be recognised.

For this issue, the practical sequence is: identify estate and heirs; calendar the six-month acceptance window; check will validity or intestate order; accept, renounce or dispute; obtain certificate and register assets. Before each step, recheck the competent authority, filing form and current deadline.

• identify estate and heirs
• calendar the six-month acceptance window
• check will validity or intestate order
• accept, renounce or dispute
• obtain certificate and register assets

Principal risks and common mistakes

The principal risks are: seeing assets without debts; missing another heir; relying on a copy of a will; missing the six-month acceptance window; incomplete asset registration. Assess each risk not only by legal outcome but also by time, cost, enforceability and its impact on any other current status.

Where documents conflict, explain and correct the inconsistency first; an unplanned additional filing may deepen the problem.

• seeing assets without debts
• missing another heir
• relying on a copy of a will
• missing the six-month acceptance window
• incomplete asset registration

Decision plan for the next step

Create one working file containing the chronology, objective, document register, official-source links, deadlines and responsible people. Inheritance, wills and intestacy in Georgia should not be handled as a form-filling exercise; the final step must fit your facts and risk tolerance.

If the outcome affects liberty, lawful stay, a child, significant property or business continuity, obtain an individual legal assessment before acting.

• Confirm facts and current status
• Recheck the current official source
• Record the deadline and fallback route
• Obtain the written decision or registration evidence

The six-month window and actual acceptance

The Civil Code provides that an estate must be accepted within six months after it opens. An heir is deemed to have accepted it by filing a declaration with a notary or by actual possession or administration that proves acceptance beyond doubt. Do not automatically treat use of property, paying an expense or holding a document as sufficient; verify the facts and deadline carefully.