良かれと思った相続放棄のリスクについて Their risks of renunciation of inheritance in good faith

　民法上の相続放棄は、債務（借金）も相続しなければならずプラスの相続財産より債務超過になる場合などに行われるケースも多いのですが、今回のタイトル「良かれと思った相続放棄のリスクについて」のとおり、相続人が善意で他の相続人のために相続放棄をしてトラブルに発展する最近多い典型的な仮想事例２つを取り上げています。また、いずれも、弁護士・司法書士・行政書士に相談しないで相続人同士の話し合いなどで決めて相続放棄した相続人が家庭裁判所に相続放棄申述書を提出して相続放棄申述受理された後からトラブルに発展した典型的な仮想事例２つですが、近年、急増しています。

事例１　父が死亡して母と子１人が相続人となり、子が母のために「良かれと思った相続放棄」したところ、父には兄弟（子から見た叔父）がおり、子の相続放棄に伴って次順位の父の兄弟が相続人となり母が居住する自宅不動産を巡りトラブルに発展した。

事例２　父が死亡して子３人（長男・長女・次男）が相続人となり、父と同居し療養介護をしてきた長男のために長女と次男が「良かれと思った相続放棄」した後で、父の認知した子（非嫡出子、長男・長女・次男から見た面識のない異母の兄弟姉妹）の相続分が１/２に増えたことから長男が相続し居住する自宅不動産を巡りトラブルに発展した。

　上記の「良かれと思った相続放棄」の典型的な仮想事例２つは、ある程度の法律知識を持った人であればあり得ないと思われるかも知れませんが、近年、急増しています。
　
　「良かれと思った相続放棄」をする場合でも、弁護士・司法書士・行政書士に御相談いただくことをお勧めします。
　なお、行政書士は、弁護士法第７２条と司法書士法第７３条により、相続放棄に関する家庭裁判所への申述手続きや法務局への登記手続きを行うことが出来ませんが、東京デュークレイ行政法務行政書士事務所では弁護士法人・司法書士法人と士業連携しておりますので、相続放棄についても相続の御相談として承っていますので、お気軽にお問い合わせください。　

　（注意）遺産分割協議書で特定の相続人が相続財産を取得していない内容の書面に署名・実印（印鑑証明書の印鑑）押印することを一般的な表現で「相続放棄」と呼ばれている場合がありますが、この行為は正しくは「遺産放棄」であり民法上の相続放棄ではありませんので、遺産分割協議の成立により相続が一応有効に確定します。
（参考条文）
第９１５条（相続の承認又は放棄をすべき期間）
①相続人は、自己の為に相続の開始があったことを知った時から３か月以内に、相続について、単純若しくは限定の承認又は放棄をしなければならない。ただし、この期間は利害関係者又は検察官の請求によって、家庭裁判所において伸長することができる。 ②相続人は、相続の承認又は放棄をする前に相続財産の調査をすることができる。
第９３９条（相続の放棄の効力）
相続の放棄をした者は、その相続に関しては、初めから相続人とならなかったものとみなす。

　Inheritance renunciation under civil law is often done when debts (loans) must be inherited and the debt exceeds the positive inheritance assets, but as the title of this article says, “The risks of inheritance renunciation with good intentions,” we will look at two typical hypothetical cases that have become common recently where an heir renounces inheritance in good faith for the sake of other heirs and develops into trouble. In addition, both are typical hypothetical cases where the heirs who renounced inheritance decided to do so through discussions among themselves without consulting a lawyer, judicial scrivener, or administrative scrivener submitted a renunciation of inheritance to the family court, and after the renunciation was accepted, trouble developed.

Case 1: When a father died, a mother and one child became heirs, and the child “renounced inheritance for the good of his mother,” but the father had a brother (an uncle from the child’s point of view), and as a result of the child’s renunciation of inheritance, the father’s brother, who was next in line, became the heir, and trouble developed over the home real estate where the mother lived.

Case 2: After a father died and his three children (eldest son, eldest daughter, and second son) became heirs, the eldest daughter and second son “renounced their inheritance with what they thought was the best intentions” in favor of the eldest son who had been living with their father and caring for him while he was recuperating. However, the inheritance share of the children acknowledged by the father (illegitimate children, half-siblings whom the eldest son, eldest daughter, and second son had never met) was increased to half, which led to trouble over the home real estate that the eldest son inherited and was living in.

　The above two typical hypothetical cases of “renouncing inheritance with what they thought was the best intentions” may seem unlikely to anyone with a certain level of legal knowledge, but they have been increasing rapidly in recent years.
　
　Even if you are “renouncing your inheritance with what you think is the best intentions,” we recommend that you consult with a lawyer, judicial scrivener, or Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist.

　Furthermore, according to Article 72 of the Attorney Act and Article 73 of the Judicial Scrivener Act, Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialist are not able to carry out procedures for filing applications for inheritance renunciation with family courts or for registering with the Legal Affairs Bureau.
However, Tokyo Duk-Rei Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Office works in cooperation with law firms and judicial scrivener firms, so we are able to accept consultations on inheritance, including inheritance renunciation, so please feel free to contact us.　

(Note) In the inheritance division agreement, signing and stamping a registered seal (seal on the seal certificate) on a document stating that a specific heir has not received the inherited property is sometimes called “renunciation of inheritance.” However, this act is actually “renunciation of inheritance” and not inheritance renunciation under the Civil Code, so the inheritance is temporarily confirmed as valid once the inheritance division agreement is concluded.
(Reference Articles)
Article 915 (Period for Acceptance or Renunciation of Inheritance)
1.An heir must accept or renounce the inheritance, either simply or with a limited right, within three months from the time he or she learns that the inheritance has begun for him or her. However, this period may be extended in the family court at the request of an interested party or a public prosecutor.
2.An heir may investigate the inherited property before accepting or renouncing the inheritance.
Article 939 (Effect of Renunciation of Inheritance)
A person who renounces an inheritance is deemed to have never been an heir in the first place.