Who inherits and how much under Lebanese law, for non-Muslims and for Sunni and Jaafari Muslims, and how much can a person leave by will?

Article 128 of the 1959 inheritance law for non-Muslims says the law does not apply to the estates of members of the Muslim communities.

Art. 128 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديين

Article 25 of the inheritance text for Muslims applies Islamic sharia to Muslim wills, and will disputes go to the sharia or madhhabi courts. The Hanafi school applies, except for the exceptions in the Jaafari school and in the Druze personal status law of 24 February 1948.

Art. 25 قانون تاريخ 23/06/1959

تطبق على المحمدين احكام الشريعة الاسلامية فيما يتعلق بالوصية وجميع الدعاوى المنبثقة عنها هي من اختصاص المحاكم الشرعية او المذهبية ويطبق بشأنها المذهب الحنفي ما عدا الاستثناءات الواردة في المذهب الجعفري وفي قانون الاحوال الشخصية للطائفة الدرزية الصادر في 24 شباط سنة 1948.

Under Article 15 of the 1959 law, children and their descendants inherit without distinction between males and females. Descendants of the first degree share the estate equally. If a child died before the deceased, that child's descendants take the share the child would have received.

Art. 15 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديين

Article 19 gives the parents, or the surviving parent, one sixth when the deceased left descendants. Under Article 20, a spouse takes one quarter beside first-class heirs, and one half beside the father, mother, brother or sister. Beside a grandparent the spouse takes five sixths, and with none of these heirs the whole estate.

Art. 19 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديينArt. 20 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديين

Article 58 of the 1959 law reduces a will to the extent it exceeds the reserved share of the descendants, the parents and a spouse.

Art. 58 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديين

Article 59 sets the descendants' reserved share at 50% of all movable and immovable property, shared equally between the children without distinction of sex. A predeceased child's descendants take that child's part. Article 62 lowers this share to 30% when a spouse and one or both parents also survive.

Art. 59 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديينArt. 62 قانون الأرث لغير المحمديين

مادة 62: عند اجتماع الفروع مع احد الزوجين والوالدين او احدهما تحدد الحصة المحفوظة للفروع بثلاثين بالمئة ولاحد الزوجين بعشرة بالمئة وللابوين او احدهما بعشرة بالمئة

A husband takes one half if his deceased wife left no inheriting descendant, and one quarter if she did. A wife takes one quarter if her husband left no child or son's child, and one eighth if he left an inheriting one. Several wives share one wife's portion.

Art. 5 قانون تاريخ 23/06/1959Art. 13 قانون تاريخ 23/06/1959

A daughter alone takes one half, and 2 or more daughters share two thirds equally. A daughter whose brother is also the deceased's son inherits with him as a residuary heir, and the male takes twice the female's share.

Art. 8 قانون تاريخ 23/06/1959

Under mas'ala 1734 of the Jaafari inheritance book, a lone son takes the whole estate. A lone daughter also takes the whole estate, one half as a fixed share and the rest returned to her. Where there are 2 or more sons, they share the whole estate equally. Where there are 2 or more daughters, they share two thirds equally, and the rest returns to them equally.

Art. 1734 قانون

Article 25 applies the Hanafi school to Muslim wills, subject to the Jaafari and Druze exceptions. Under Article 537 of the Hanafi will text, a person may leave a non-heir one third, when no impediment exists, without the heirs' approval. More than one third needs their approval after the testator's death. Approval during his life does not count.

Art. 25 قانون تاريخ 23/06/1959Art. 537 قانون

Under Article 536, a bequest to an heir is valid only if the other heirs approve it after the testator's death. Heir status is judged at the time of death. An approving heir cannot withdraw the approval. If only some heirs approve, the bequest binds each approving heir to the extent of his share.

Art. 536 قانون

مادة 536: لا تجوز الوصية لوارث الا اذا اجازها الورثة الاخر بعد موت الموصي وهم من اهل التبرغ ويعتبر كونه وارثا او غير وارث وقت موت الموصي لا وقت الوصية وليس للمجيز ان يرجع في اجازته ويجبر على التسليم اذا امتنع واذا اجازها بعض الورثة وردها البعض جازت على المجيز بقدر حصته وبطلت في حق غيره.