Definition
Partition Deed
A partition deed is a legal document that divides jointly held or ancestral property among co-owners, giving each a separate, defined share.
When family members or co-owners want to formally split shared property — such as ancestral property held by coparceners — a partition deed records who gets which portion, converting joint ownership into individual ownership. For immovable property it should be in writing, signed by all parties, witnessed and registered, with stamp duty as applicable.
A registered partition deed provides legal clarity and helps prevent future disputes over shares, and afterwards each owner can deal with their portion independently. Partition can also be effected through a court decree or, in some cases, a family settlement, but a registered deed is the clearest record.
Related terms
- CoparcenerA coparcener is a member of a Hindu Undivided Family who has a birthright in the family's ancestral property and can demand its partition.
- Ancestral PropertyAncestral property is property inherited up to four generations of male lineage in a Hindu family, in which descendants acquire a right by birth.
- Relinquishment DeedA relinquishment deed is a legal document by which a co-owner or legal heir voluntarily gives up their share in a property in favour of other co-owners or heirs.
Plain-English explainer from The Dispatch Investors Encyclopedia. General information, not financial advice.