Outdated inheritance laws to change in France

Property left jointly, such as houses or businesses cannot be sold without agreement of all heirs, reports The Independent. The laws, dating from 1804, have been blamed for a host of ills, including the fall of the national birth-rate in the 19th century – when parents chose to have one child only to prevent disputes over land. In terms of the proposed law, if all potential heirs agree, the estate could be split to favour an especially needy person, such as a handicapped child. A business or house or farm could be left to one heir, with the advance agreement of all the others. Full report in The Independent