Who inherits without a will in Lebanon?
In Lebanon inheritance follows the rules of the person's religious community; for Muslims these are fixed Islamic shares.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
A spouse and children survive
For Muslims a wife takes one eighth and a husband one quarter, and the children take the rest, a son twice the share of a daughter. Other communities follow a civil law on succession for non-Muslims.
A spouse survives, but no children
For Muslims, with no children a wife takes one quarter and a husband one half. The parents and siblings have fixed shares.
No spouse: who comes next
The nearest relatives inherit under the rules of the community. If there is no heir, the estate goes to the state.
A partner who is not married
An unmarried partner does not inherit.
What a will cannot take away
For Muslims a will can dispose of only up to a third of the estate, and not to an heir without the others' consent.
If the person or the property is abroad
Which law applies can depend on the person's religion and nationality, so a foreign estate needs advice in the country.
What to watch for
- Which rules apply depends on the person's religious community, and sometimes on where a foreign marriage was celebrated. Get local advice.
Understand the legal system first
Lebanon belongs to the Civil law family. Succession law grows out of the legal tradition, so it helps to know how the system works.
Read the Lebanon legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Who owns what in a marriage in Lebanon? →
Official sources
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TheLawToKnow Tools’s inheritance guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.
