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Het fideicommis in de notariële praktijk

PhD ceremony:mr. dr. R.E. (Ronald) Brinkman
When:September 11, 2014
Start:16:15
Supervisors:prof. mr. dr. W.D. (Wilbert) Kolkman, prof. mr. dr. L.C.A. (Leon) Verstappen
Where:Academy building RUG
Faculty:Law

Some part of the Dutch law of succession are as leaky as a sieve

This dissertation investigates a phenomenon from the law of succession, by which someone can bequeath his inheritance not once, but several times. Since the introduction of the ‘new law of succession’ in 2003 use has been made of this possibility hundreds of thousands of times.

An example: the deceased has bequeathed his inheritance to his child. The deceased has arranged that if his child dies (first beneficiary), the inheritance must be passed on to his grandchild (second beneficiary). The child cannot then (during life or through a testament) gain control of the inheritance of the deceased. For example, he cannot bequeath the wealth from this inheritance to his partner.

The PhD student, who himself comes from the legal practice (he is a notary), demonstrates in the research that many questions which arise in practice, have received no or insufficient attention in the legislative process. Many legal procedures are therefore to be expected about this complicated topic between the ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ beneficiaries, as well as between the ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ beneficiary and third parties (such as creditors).In this research the complexities when drawing up a testament and the settlement of the inheritance are examined (both by the death of the deceased and the death of the ‘primary’ beneficiary). There is also much attention given to questions about the relationship between the ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ beneficiary during the (usually long) time that the ‘primary’ beneficiary has control of the inheritance. Finally, the complicated situation is explained where the ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ beneficiary marries in community of property.