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What are you entitled to?
Calculate the Pflichtteil.
Being disinherited does not mean walking away with nothing. The Pflichtteil (forced share) is one half of the statutory share (§ 2303 BGB) - a monetary claim against the heirs. Enter the estate value, the marital property regime and the family situation, and see instantly: your statutory share, the Pflichtteil quota and the concrete amount in euros.
Details of the estate
Your Pflichtteil
Enter the estate value to calculate the Pflichtteil and the underlying statutory share.
Note: This calculation is a non-binding initial estimate based on statutory succession. For a Zugewinngemeinschaft it assumes the inheritance-law solution (the flat quarter under § 1371 para. 1 BGB); a fully disinherited spouse may instead claim the small Pflichtteil plus the concrete Zugewinnausgleich (§ 1371 para. 2 BGB). It ignores the Pflichtteilsergänzung for lifetime gifts (§ 2325 BGB), predeceased lines (§ 1925 para. 3 BGB) and the specific valuation of the estate. Siblings, nieces and nephews are never entitled to a Pflichtteil. For a robust calculation, please consult a German tax adviser or a lawyer specialising in inheritance law.
Example
One disinherited child, three families
Estate value 800,000 EUR, the deceased was married (Zugewinngemeinschaft), the spouse inherits. The more children there are, the smaller the Pflichtteil of the individual disinherited child becomes - because all children count (§ 2310 BGB).
| Constellation | Pflichtteil quota | Pflichtteil |
|---|---|---|
| One childstatutory share 1/2 | 1/4 | 200,000 EUR |
| Two childrenstatutory share 1/4 | 1/8 | 100,000 EUR |
| Three childrenstatutory share 1/6 | 1/12 | 66,667 EUR |
Example calculation, as of 2026. Zugewinngemeinschaft with the inheritance-law solution (§ 1371 para. 1 BGB). Figures rounded.
Frequently asked
Understanding the Pflichtteil
How high is the Pflichtteil?
The Pflichtteil (forced share) amounts to one half of the value of the statutory share (§ 2303 para. 1 BGB). It is not a fixed percentage of the estate: first the statutory share is determined - depending on marital status, the marital property regime and the number of heirs - and the Pflichtteil is half of that. For one child alongside the spouse (Zugewinngemeinschaft), for example, the statutory share is one half, so the Pflichtteil is one quarter. The Pflichtteil is a pure monetary claim against the heirs, not a claim to specific assets. It is calculated on the net estate at the time of death (§ 2311 BGB), that is, assets minus debts.
Who is entitled to a Pflichtteil?
Only three groups are entitled (§ 2303 BGB): the descendants (children, and if they have died, grandchildren), the spouse or registered civil partner, and - but only if there are no descendants - the parents of the deceased. The precondition is always that the person was excluded from succession by will or inheritance contract. Siblings, nieces, nephews and more distant relatives never have a Pflichtteil. A divorced spouse also receives nothing; in a pending divorce the claim can already lapse (§ 1933 BGB).
How is the Pflichtteil calculated?
In two steps. First the statutory share is determined: children inherit in equal parts (§ 1924 BGB), the spouse receives one quarter alongside children, plus a flat additional quarter under Zugewinngemeinschaft (§ 1931, § 1371 para. 1 BGB). If there are no children, spouse and parents inherit (§ 1925 BGB). In the second step this statutory share is halved - that gives the Pflichtteil quota. Important: disinherited children also count in the calculation (§ 2310 BGB), because they mathematically reduce the share of the others. The quota is finally applied to the net estate.
Can I avoid the Pflichtteil through lifetime gifts?
Only to a very limited extent. If the deceased gives away assets during their lifetime to reduce the Pflichtteil, the Pflichtteilsergänzung (supplementary claim, § 2325 BGB) applies: the gift is notionally added back to the estate for the calculation. However, the add-back melts away by one tenth for each year since the gift - after ten years it is disregarded entirely. This period does not start to run as long as the donor reserves a usufruct (Nießbrauch) or for gifts between spouses. You can plan the staggering across the ten-year period with the gift tax calculator; the Pflichtteil always has to be kept in mind.
When does the Pflichtteil claim become time-barred?
The standard limitation period of three years applies (§ 195 BGB). It starts at the end of the year in which the entitled person learns of the death and of their disinheritance (§ 199 para. 1 BGB). Irrespective of knowledge, the claim becomes time-barred at the latest 30 years after the death (§ 199 para. 3a BGB). Anyone wishing to claim a Pflichtteil should use the right to information against the heirs early (§ 2314 BGB) in order to quantify the estate value at all - without reliable information the claim can neither be calculated nor enforced.
Learn more
More on the Pflichtteil
Pflichtteil and inheritance: the guide
The detailed background to this calculator: how the Pflichtteil arises, who can claim it, and how the right to information and enforcement work in practice.
Read the guideGerman Gift Tax Calculator
Pflichtteil and gifts interlock: transferring early can reduce the Pflichtteil. Calculate the tax lever of the ten-year windows here.
Open the calculatorMore than a calculator.
Real advice.
Whether you want to claim a Pflichtteil or fend one off as an heir - what matters is the right to information, the correct valuation of the estate and the Pflichtteilsergänzung for earlier gifts. In a personal conversation we assess your situation and show the next steps.