India Scraps Mandatory Will Probate in Key Cities: What It Means for You

• Indian government scraps mandatory probate for wills in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, omitting Section 213 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925.
• The move aims to simplify asset inheritance, create uniformity, and reduce delays and financial strain for beneficiaries.
• While mandatory probate is removed, experts warn of potential increases in will disputes and recommend voluntary probate for complex cases.
• Beneficiaries should consider safeguards like registering wills, obtaining legal heir declarations, or voluntary probate to protect their interests.
• The change is expected to encourage more people to write wills, removing a previous "mental block" due to costly and time-consuming probate processes.

Why It Matters: India's removal of mandatory will probate simplifies inheritance but requires beneficiaries to take new safeguards.