The Line of Heirs — Is There a Place for the Daughter-in-Law Among Them.

If a person dies without a will, their property passes to relatives in a certain order. Heirs can be close relatives, adopted ones, or those who have lived with the deceased as one family for at least five years.

In Which Line of Heirs Does the Daughter-in-Law Stand

According to the , heirs are divided into five lines:

• First Line: children, parents, husband or wife of the deceased.
• Second Line: brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers.
• Third Line: uncles and aunts.
• Fourth Line: those who lived with the deceased as one family for at least five years.
• Fifth Line: other relatives up to the sixth degree of kinship and dependents.

The daughter-in-law is not included in the list of heirs if there is no will. She does not belong to the first line, where property is passed to the closest relatives.

In What Cases Does the Daughter-in-Law Have Rights to the Inheritance

There are two exceptions when the daughter-in-law may inherit:

• If her name is mentioned in the will.
• If she lived with the testator for at least five years as a family member (fourth line).

The daughter-in-law will receive property only if there are no other heirs or if they have all renounced the inheritance. The court may also allow the heir who cared for the deceased or provided assistance.

The daughter-in-law does not have an automatic right to inheritance from her mother-in-law, but she may expect property if she lived with her, was mentioned in the will, or helped her husband’s mother (with the court's permission).

Moreover, after the death of a grandmother or grandfather, there is property that various relatives claim. However, grandchildren do not always have a guaranteed right to inheritance.

Ukrainian laws determine the order of heirs in the absence of a will and consider cases when a daughter-in-law can inherit from a deceased person. It is important to be aware of your rights and obligations to avoid troubles during inheritance.