Definition
Coparcener
A coparcener is a member of a Hindu Undivided Family who has a birthright in the family's ancestral property and can demand its partition.
In an HUF, coparceners (traditionally sons, and now daughters following legal reforms) acquire a right in the joint family property by birth, distinct from other family members who may only be entitled to maintenance. Coparceners can seek partition of the ancestral property and have a defined share.
Legal amendments gave daughters equal coparcenary rights, a significant change for inheritance within Hindu families. The concept matters for estate planning and succession involving ancestral property and HUFs, where the rights of coparceners shape how property can be held, partitioned and passed on.
Related terms
- Intestate SuccessionIntestate succession is the distribution of a deceased person's assets according to statutory law when they die without leaving a valid will.
- HUF (Hindu Undivided Family)A Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) is a separate entity under Indian tax law, consisting of family members descended from a common ancestor, that can own assets and be taxed in its own right.
- Estate PlanningEstate planning is the process of arranging how your assets will be managed and distributed during your lifetime and after death, to carry out your wishes and ease the path for heirs.
Plain-English explainer from The Dispatch Investors Encyclopedia. General information, not financial advice.