Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Bröstarvingars arvsrätt - En rättshistorisk studie om laglottens berättigande i svensk rätt

Lugnegård, Otto LU (2016) LAGF03 20162
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The statutory share of inheritance gives the direct heirs of a deceased person an almost unconditional right to retain half the property of the inheritance. Although opinions differ regarding whether the statutory share of inheritance complies with the set of values in today’s Swedish society. This essay aims, by using a legal dogmatic method, to examine the development of the statutory share of inheritance throughout history and the underlying context with the legislators’ motives, as well as giving an account for the current debate concerning whether to preserve the regulation in the Swedish legal system or not.

The statutory share of inheritance is traceable all the way back to the Middle Ages when people lived in a rustic society.... (More)
The statutory share of inheritance gives the direct heirs of a deceased person an almost unconditional right to retain half the property of the inheritance. Although opinions differ regarding whether the statutory share of inheritance complies with the set of values in today’s Swedish society. This essay aims, by using a legal dogmatic method, to examine the development of the statutory share of inheritance throughout history and the underlying context with the legislators’ motives, as well as giving an account for the current debate concerning whether to preserve the regulation in the Swedish legal system or not.

The statutory share of inheritance is traceable all the way back to the Middle Ages when people lived in a rustic society. The main purpose of the law of succession was to assure that freehold property remained within the family, due to its determinant matter for the sustentation as well as social and economic state of life to the family. But then was the parents interest to able to devise the property which belonged to him or her. Year 1857 the statutory share of inheritance was validated by law as a compromise between the different interests. The regulation has been virtually unreformed ever since. The regulations underlying motives have, since the 20th century, been the direct heirs right to inherit and the wish to create justice between the children. Although the society has undergone fundamental changes during the last century. The regulation has been criticized by both lawyers and politicians for being anachronistic and many request a revision or abolition of the system. Although the legislator considers the statutory share of inheritance to be a keystone in the Swedish law of succession and shall therefor be preserved. Advocators further claim that the regulation inter alia constitutes an important protection for children from a previous relation. The essay concludes that the regulation not necessarily has to be abolished, but a review of the present law of succession and a modified regulation which is adapted to the set of values of today’s society is needed. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Bröstarvingars i princip ovillkorliga rätt till arv regleras genom laglotten, vilken ger barnen rätt till hälften av kvarlåtenskapen. Åsikterna går emellertid isär kring huruvida laglottsrätten står i överensstämmelse med värderingarna i dagens samhälle. Framställningen syftar till, att med en rättsdogmatisk metod, undersöka laglottsinstitutets utveckling genom historien och bakgrunden till lagstiftarens motiv samt redogöra för diskussionen kring laglottssystemets vara eller inte vara i svensk rätt.

Laglottssystemet går att spåra ända tillbaka till medeltiden då människorna levde i ett bondesamhälle. Arvsrättens främsta uppgift var då att se till att jordegendom stannade inom familjen, till följd av dess avgörande betydelse för... (More)
Bröstarvingars i princip ovillkorliga rätt till arv regleras genom laglotten, vilken ger barnen rätt till hälften av kvarlåtenskapen. Åsikterna går emellertid isär kring huruvida laglottsrätten står i överensstämmelse med värderingarna i dagens samhälle. Framställningen syftar till, att med en rättsdogmatisk metod, undersöka laglottsinstitutets utveckling genom historien och bakgrunden till lagstiftarens motiv samt redogöra för diskussionen kring laglottssystemets vara eller inte vara i svensk rätt.

Laglottssystemet går att spåra ända tillbaka till medeltiden då människorna levde i ett bondesamhälle. Arvsrättens främsta uppgift var då att se till att jordegendom stannade inom familjen, till följd av dess avgörande betydelse för familjens försörjning samt sociala och ekonomiska ställning. Mot detta intresse stod arvlåtarens möjlighet att fritt fördela sin kvarlåtenskap genom testamente. Som en kompromiss mellan dessa intressen lagfästes år 1857 laglottssystemet i svensk rätt och har i princip varit materiellt oförändrat sedan dess. Sedan början av 1900-talet har motiven bakom laglotten främst varit att skydda bröstarvingars rätt till arv samt säkerställa en rättvis fördelning dem emellan. Under det senaste seklet har samhället genomgått grundläggande förändringar och i takt med dessa har kritiken mot laglotten vuxit. Debatten om en revidering eller ett eventuellt avskaffande av laglotten pågår bland både jurister och politiker. Kritikerna menar att en arvsordning grundad uteslutande på blodsband är otidsenlig och att lagstiftaren borde prioritera andra skyddsintressen än vad den idag gör. Laglotten anses däremot av lagstiftaren utgöra en hörnsten i svensk arvs- och testationsrätt som ska bevaras. Förespråkarna menar att systemet bl.a. utgör ett viktigt skydd för arvlåtarens särkullbarn och därmed fortfarande fyller en viktig funktion. Uppsatsen konkluderar att ett avskaffande av regleringen inte tvunget måste ske, men klart står att en översyn av arvsrätten och en reviderad lagstiftning som är anpassad efter dagens samhällsförhållanden är nödvändig. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lugnegård, Otto LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20162
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
rättshistoria, familjerätt
language
Swedish
id
8897336
date added to LUP
2017-02-13 08:25:08
date last changed
2017-02-13 08:25:08
@misc{8897336,
  abstract     = {{The statutory share of inheritance gives the direct heirs of a deceased person an almost unconditional right to retain half the property of the inheritance. Although opinions differ regarding whether the statutory share of inheritance complies with the set of values in today’s Swedish society. This essay aims, by using a legal dogmatic method, to examine the development of the statutory share of inheritance throughout history and the underlying context with the legislators’ motives, as well as giving an account for the current debate concerning whether to preserve the regulation in the Swedish legal system or not. 

The statutory share of inheritance is traceable all the way back to the Middle Ages when people lived in a rustic society. The main purpose of the law of succession was to assure that freehold property remained within the family, due to its determinant matter for the sustentation as well as social and economic state of life to the family. But then was the parents interest to able to devise the property which belonged to him or her. Year 1857 the statutory share of inheritance was validated by law as a compromise between the different interests. The regulation has been virtually unreformed ever since. The regulations underlying motives have, since the 20th century, been the direct heirs right to inherit and the wish to create justice between the children. Although the society has undergone fundamental changes during the last century. The regulation has been criticized by both lawyers and politicians for being anachronistic and many request a revision or abolition of the system. Although the legislator considers the statutory share of inheritance to be a keystone in the Swedish law of succession and shall therefor be preserved. Advocators further claim that the regulation inter alia constitutes an important protection for children from a previous relation. The essay concludes that the regulation not necessarily has to be abolished, but a review of the present law of succession and a modified regulation which is adapted to the set of values of today’s society is needed.}},
  author       = {{Lugnegård, Otto}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Bröstarvingars arvsrätt - En rättshistorisk studie om laglottens berättigande i svensk rätt}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}