COBALT advised a client in complex succession proceedings involving multiple competing claims to a substantial estate. The client’s long-term partner had passed away, having executed a will naming the client as the primary beneficiary. During the proceedings, the testator’s adult child asserted a compulsory share claim under forced heirship rules. Additionally, the testator’s former spouse — from whom the testator had divorced nearly three decades earlier — filed a claim alleging that jointly owned marital property had never been properly divided post-divorce, contending that a portion of the estate assets remained subject to her claim.
Our team developed and executed a multi-faceted strategy addressing both the procedural complexities of the succession proceedings and the substantive merits of each competing claim. The team provided strategic counsel on forced heirship exposure, the legal status of undivided marital property decades after divorce, and the interaction between matrimonial property and succession law.
Through negotiations with all claimants, we successfully reached a comprehensive settlement, resolving the matter entirely out of court and securing a favourable distribution of the estate assets for the client.
The matter demonstrates our ability to navigate complex cases at the intersection of family, matrimonial property and succession law and to deliver practical, client-focused solutions in high-pressure situations involving multiple opposing parties.
The team was led by Managing Associate Kadri Michelson. The team also included Partner Annika Peetsalu and Senior Associate Taaniel Sivonen.
