Do you have the right to disinherit your children? In principle, no. In France, it is written in black and white in the Civil Code: it is forbidden to disinherit one’s descendants – unless there is an unworthiness clause. But as people separate and remarry, the sacrosanct principle wavers. In fact and in law, there are many ways of getting round the law, such as life insurance and expatriation.

Here are some family stories where inheritance is not always a blessing!