Inheritance and family matters often connect personal circumstances, assets and formal procedures, while cross-border matters involve documents from several countries, jurisdictional questions and important deadlines.
We represent Croatian and foreign nationals in probate proceedings, inheritance disputes, lifelong support agreements and support until death agreements, family relationships and matters of personal status, citizenship, residence and work. Legal support may include an initial assessment, preparation of documents, proceedings before administrative bodies, notaries and courts and implementation of decisions and registrations.
Send a description of the matter and key documentsHow we can help
Inheritance and probate proceedings
We advise on estate and succession planning and the drafting and review of wills, gifts and other arrangements governing transfers of assets.
We represent heirs and other interested parties in probate proceedings before notaries and courts. We assist in identifying the heirs and estate, making declarations of succession and implementing probate decisions.
We represent clients in disputes about the composition of the estate, entitlement to inherit, validity of a will, bringing earlier gifts into account, protection of the reserved share and liability for the deceased’s debts. We also pursue claims to exclude assets from the estate, including a descendant’s claim corresponding to their contribution where they lived with the deceased and increased the value of the deceased’s property through work or contributions.
Legal support includes proceedings concerning subsequently discovered assets, other inheritance disputes and implementation of probate decisions in land registers, other registers and institutions.
We provide particular support where heirs, assets or earlier decisions are located in several countries, including questions of jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition of decisions and the European Certificate of Succession.
Lifelong support agreements and support until death agreements
We draft and review lifelong support agreements and support until death agreements, with particular attention to protecting the recipient of support. We clearly regulate accommodation, food, living expenses, care, medical and other necessary assistance, monitoring of performance, the assets concerned and the timing of their transfer.
We advise on securing contractual rights and land-register entries. We represent clients in proceedings for termination, declarations of nullity and other disputes concerning breach, the circumstances in which the agreement was concluded or a party’s capacity, including claims for return of assets and restoration of the appropriate land-register position.
Personal status, civil registers and foreign decisions
We advise and represent clients on personal names, registration of births, marriages and deaths, subsequent registrations and corrections in civil registers and obtaining personal-status documents.
We also advise where a life event or decision is connected with another country. We analyse whether a foreign court or other decision must be recognised in Croatia and which registrations should follow. We review finality, legalisation or apostille requirements, translations and consistency of personal data in Croatian and foreign documents.
Croatian citizenship
We advise on acquisition, determination and termination of Croatian citizenship and registration in the records of Croatian citizens.
We review the legal basis and documents concerning birth, descent, residence, emigration, family ties and earlier citizenship status. We prepare applications and supplementary documents, communicate with the competent authorities and represent clients in proceedings challenging a decision or excessive delay.
Residence and work of foreign nationals
We advise citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland, third-country nationals, their family members and employers on the appropriate basis for residence and work in Croatia.
Legal support may concern temporary, long-term and permanent residence, family reunification, residence for work, residence and work permits and changes involving the employer, position or family circumstances. We review the required documents, prepare applications and supplements and represent clients before the competent authorities.
Divorce, parental responsibility and contact with children
We advise and represent clients in consensual and contested divorce and in regulating the consequences of the end of a marriage, cohabiting relationship or registered life partnership.
Where children are involved, our work covers parental responsibility, the child’s residence, contact with the other parent and important decisions concerning the child. We assist in preparing a joint parental-responsibility plan, during mandatory counselling and negotiations and represent clients in court proceedings and applications to vary an earlier decision.
Where circumstances require relationships to be regulated urgently, we prepare applications for interim measures concerning the child’s residence, parental responsibility, contact and maintenance.
Maintenance and family property relations
We advise and represent clients in proceedings to determine, vary and recover maintenance for children, spouses and other persons who may have a statutory entitlement.
We assist in identifying matrimonial property and separate property, finding an agreed model for division and drafting agreements and marital agreements. Where agreement is unavailable, we represent clients in proceedings to establish and divide property, recover investments and protect ownership rights.
For cross-border matters, we analyse jurisdiction, applicable law and the possibility of recognising and enforcing a decision in another country.
How we work
Initial enquiry
The client briefly describes the inheritance, personal-status or family matter, the people involved, the countries connected with it and the intended objective.
It is important to state whether proceedings have begun, which authority is handling the matter, when the latest decision or notice was received and whether a deadline requires urgent action.
Establishing status and jurisdiction
We establish the citizenship, domicile and residence of those involved, family and inheritance relationships, the location of assets and any earlier Croatian or foreign decisions.
In cross-border matters, we first determine the competent authority, applicable law and which documents require recognition, translation or further certification.
Document review and legal assessment
We review identity documents, civil-register extracts, administrative and court decisions, agreements, wills and documents concerning children, income and assets.
On that basis, we assess the available legal options, required evidence, sequence of steps and feasibility of an agreed solution.
Preparation and conduct of proceedings
We agree the scope of legal support, specific actions and communication process.
The engagement may include preparing an application, agreement or contract, communication with the competent authority, negotiations with other participants, representation before a notary or court and implementation of the decision and corresponding registrations.
What to prepare for an initial enquiry
Basic information
- full name, date of birth, citizenship and current domicile or residence of the people involved
- a description of the inheritance, family or other relationship between them
- the countries connected with the matter
- the objective you wish to achieve
- details of any existing proceedings, competent authority and case reference
- the date on which the latest decision, notice or other document was received
- the next important deadline
Documents available to you
- identity card, passport and evidence of citizenship
- birth, marriage or death certificate and other civil-register extracts
- will, support agreement, probate decision and information on the deceased’s assets
- land-register extracts, agreements and other evidence of ownership
- earlier citizenship, residence or residence-and-work decisions
- Croatian and foreign court or administrative decisions
- certificate of finality, apostille or legalisation and translation of a foreign document, if already obtained
- documents issued by the Croatian Institute for Social Work, a court or another authority
- existing joint parental-responsibility plan, agreement or court decision
- information on income, expenses, real estate, savings, loans and other relevant assets and liabilities
For the initial enquiry, copies of the key documents and a short chronological summary are sufficient. Following an initial review, we will identify any additional documents that should be obtained.
Typical matters
An estate with several heirs or assets in several countries
Following a death, it is necessary to establish the heirs, the composition of the estate and which country or authority should deal with each part of the property.
The analysis may cover the will, reserved share, earlier gifts, debts, ownership of real estate, declarations of succession and foreign decisions. The objective is to protect inheritance rights in good time and implement the decision in the required registers.
An application for citizenship, residence or work
A person wishes to regulate Croatian citizenship, move to Croatia, join a family member or commence employment with a Croatian employer.
The appropriate legal basis, personal and family status, place of application and documents to be obtained in Croatia and abroad must be established. Legal support includes reviewing documents, preparing the application and monitoring the procedure.
A foreign decision or event that must be registered in Croatia
A Croatian national married, divorced, changed their name or participated in another status procedure abroad, but the change has not yet been recorded in Croatia.
It must first be determined whether the foreign decision requires recognition and which documents, certificates, apostilles or legalisations and translations are required. The appropriate court, administrative or civil-register procedure can then be conducted and the records aligned.
Separation involving children and joint property
Spouses or unmarried partners cease living together and need to regulate the children’s residence, parental responsibility, contact, maintenance and division of property.
The children’s needs, prospects of agreement, parental income and expenses, existing ownership, investments and obligations should be considered separately but coherently. Legal support may include negotiations, preparation of a plan and agreement, mandatory counselling, interim measures and representation in court.
Related legal guides
Selecting the appropriate legal route, proving ownership, implementing probate decisions and protecting rights in real estate.
The position of foreign buyers, required documents, powers of attorney, translations, special requirements and completion of the acquisition.
Begin by describing the matter, the people involved and the important deadline.
In your initial enquiry, identify the people involved, their citizenship and residence, the intended objective, whether proceedings have begun and the next deadline. Attach an identity document, civil-register extract, decision, will, agreement or another document that best explains the matter. On that basis, we will agree the scope of the review and the next step.