Inherit and find money

What you should consider as an heir

Even if you know nothing about it, you could be a potential heir.(Bild: stock.adobe.com, Krone KREATIV)

Do you also dream of a surprising, large inheritance? We wish you could! But how do we find you in such cases? What if an inheritance contains debts instead of millions? How do I find unknown savings accounts? Can I help myself to the estate without authorization? And what does a genealogist actually want from me? Don't worry: we have all the information!

In Germany, estates are settled in "judicial probate proceedings", according to inheritance law experts Vincent Schneider and Wendelin Moritz. Around 80,000 such proceedings are conducted in Austria every year. As a surviving dependant, taking what you want from your inheritance is not an option.