What does the law say about inheritance? Know your rights

Indian law governs inheritance for women based on their religion, relationship to the deceased, surviving relatives, property type and whether a will exists. Hindu women enjoy equal coparcenary rights since the 2005 amendment, meaning they have the same rights and liabilities as sons in joint family property governed by Mitakshara law.

However, coparcenary property differs from self-acquired property, with the latter being divided equally among children and the widow in an intestate scenario. Muslim women's shares vary depending on family structure, with a widow typically receiving one-eighth of the estate if children or descendants survive and one-fourth if none do.

Christian women, under the Indian Succession Act, 1925, inherit equally with sons when a man dies intestate, without distinction between daughters and sons. Parsi women also inherit equally with sons under specific provisions in the Indian Succession Act. In the absence of a will, intestate succession laws determine the distribution of property among eligible heirs according to the applicable religious laws.