Berliner Testament: Was Sie 2026 über die Nachlassregelung wissen müssen
Das Berliner Testament ist in Deutschland eine weit verbreitete Form der Nachlassregelung. Dabei setzen sich Ehepaare gegenseitig als Erben ein. Ein Überblick, was es dabei zu beachten gilt.
Many married couples opt for the Berliner Testament, a popular way to jointly manage their estate and ensure financial security for the surviving partner. In this form of shared testament, spouses initially designate each other as sole heirs. Only after the death of the longer-lived spouse does the inheritance typically go to their children or other specified residuary beneficiaries.
The Berliner Testament, also known as the Ehegatten-Testament, is a joint testament allowing married or registered partners to be each other's sole heirs. Unmarried couples are legally barred from this option under the Civil Code (BGB) (§ 2265). The primary goal of the Berliner Testament is to secure the welfare of the longer-living partner.
Since no surviving heirs exist, children are initially left out – a key distinction from the legal inheritance order. The children only inherit, or "reside as residuary heirs," after both parents have passed away (§ 2269 BGB).
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- Berlin Will: What you need to know about estate planning in 2026 handelsblatt.com
