Glossary
Search a Swedish word, see the closest plain-English phrase, and understand what the concept may do in an estate without assuming that Swedish and U.S. legal terms are identical.
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Plain-English legal dictionary
Use the search and filters to find a term from a bank letter, will, estate inventory, or Swedish document. Every definition links to a fuller explanation and related guides.
Showing all 30 terms
Swedish term → practical English explanation
Estate process
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Swedish estate inventory
A Swedish estate inventory listing estate parties, assets, and debts. It is generally registered with the Swedish Tax Agency and often becomes a key authority document for Swedish banks.
Usually identifies the estate parties and records assets and debts before later estate steps can be completed.
Estate process
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Estate distribution agreement
The estate distribution agreement that states how the estate will be divided between heirs and beneficiaries.
Records how the estate parties agree to divide the remaining estate assets.
Estate process
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Estate of the deceased
The estate of the deceased person. Before distribution, the estate can hold assets and obligations that must be administered.
The estate can hold rights, assets, debts, and obligations until administration and distribution are completed.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Estate party
An estate party, such as an heir, universal legatee, or surviving spouse in relevant circumstances.
Estate parties may need to act jointly, receive information, or sign Swedish estate documents.
Documents
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Power of attorney
A power of attorney. In cross-border matters, the exact wording, signatures, certification, and recipient requirements matter.
May allow another person to perform specific tasks with a Swedish bank, authority, property, or estate.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Court-appointed estate administrator
A court-appointed estate administrator who may administer an estate when joint administration by estate parties is not working or is otherwise inappropriate.
May represent and administer an estate when joint administration is not working or is otherwise unsuitable.
Planning
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Will
A will. A Swedish or foreign will may require review for validity, interpretation, service, and interaction with protected heirship rules.
Can affect who inherits and may need to be considered alongside residence, family relationships, and protected rights.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Protected statutory share
The protected statutory portion for children or their descendants under Swedish inheritance law, where applicable.
Can protect part of a child’s inheritance under Swedish law when the applicable requirements are met.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Child not shared with the surviving spouse
A child of the deceased who is not also the child of the surviving spouse. This status can affect when inheritance rights arise.
This family relationship may affect when inheritance rights arise after a parent’s death.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Subsequent heir
A subsequent heir whose right may arise after another person, often a surviving spouse, has first inherited.
The person’s inheritance right may arise after another person, often a surviving spouse, has first inherited.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Statutory heir
A person entitled to inherit under Sweden’s statutory order of succession, rather than solely because that person was named in a will.
Identifies a person who may inherit under the statutory order and who may need to receive a will or participate in the estate process.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Direct descendant
A direct descendant of the deceased, such as a child, grandchild, or later descendant. Swedish law gives bröstarvingar particular rights, including potential laglott protection.
Children, grandchildren, and later descendants form the first inheritance class and may also have protected-share rights.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Statutory order of succession
The statutory order that determines which relatives inherit when Swedish succession rules apply and a valid will does not dispose of the relevant estate property.
Establishes which family group stands first in line to inherit when Swedish intestacy rules govern the relevant property.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Right of representation
The principle that a descendant may step into the place of an heir who died earlier, where the statutory rules for that inheritance class allow representation.
May allow a deceased heir’s descendants to take that person’s place within an inheritance class.
Wills and bequests
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Universal or residuary beneficiary
A person named in a will to receive the entire estate, a fractional share of it, or the residue rather than one specified asset or amount.
Receives the whole estate, a fractional share, or the residue and can therefore have a role in estate administration.
Wills and bequests
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Specific testamentary gift
A specific testamentary benefit, such as a stated sum of money, a particular item, or a right to use or receive income from property.
Directs that a particular asset, amount, use right, or benefit be provided under a will.
Family and property
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Surviving spouse
The spouse who survives the deceased. The surviving spouse may have rights through both marital-property division and inheritance rules.
May be involved first in marital-property division and may also inherit before common children under Swedish rules.
Family and property
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Cohabiting partner
A cohabiting partner within the meaning of Swedish law. A sambo does not inherit automatically merely because of the relationship, although property-division questions may arise.
May have a limited right to request division of qualifying joint home and household property after a death.
Family and property
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Property division
A division of property between spouses, or in a more limited way between qualifying cohabitants, that may need to occur before the deceased person’s estate can be determined.
Determines which property belongs to the surviving spouse or qualifying cohabitant and which property remains in the estate.
Family and property
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Separate property
Separate property that is generally excluded from division as marital property, for example because of a marital agreement or a condition in a gift, will, or inheritance.
Is generally kept outside the division of spouses’ marital property when the separate-property status is valid.
Family and property
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Marital property
Marital property that is generally included when spouses’ property is divided after divorce or death, in contrast to enskild egendom.
Is generally included in the property division between spouses after divorce or death.
Estate process
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Estate informant
The person who knows the estate best and provides the information used to prepare the Swedish estate inventory.
Provides the factual information about the deceased person’s family, assets, debts, and estate to the inventory process.
Estate process
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Estate-inventory certifying person
One of two outside persons who certify that the estate inventory has been correctly recorded and that the assets have been valued to the best of their judgment. Older documents may say förrättningsman.
Two outside persons certify that the inventory was correctly recorded and that assets were valued to the best of their judgment.
Documents
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Death certificate with family report
A Swedish Tax Agency certificate showing the registered death and specified surviving family relationships. It is often used when beginning an estate inventory.
Often provides an early Swedish record of the registered death and certain surviving family relationships for estate administration.
Documents
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Proof of notice
Evidence that a person who was entitled to notice was called to the estate-inventory meeting when that person did not attend.
Shows that an absent person entitled to notice was called to the Swedish estate-inventory meeting.
Wills and bequests
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Executor appointed by will
A person appointed in a will to administer the estate and arrange for the will to be carried out, instead of leaving that responsibility solely with the estate parties.
Takes responsibility for administering the estate and implementing the will instead of leaving that task solely to the estate parties.
Court and disputes
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Court-appointed estate distributor
A person who may be appointed to carry out the estate distribution when the estate parties cannot complete the division themselves.
Can move the estate distribution forward when the estate parties cannot agree or complete the division themselves.
Wills and bequests
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Formal service of a will
Formal service of a certified copy of the will on the deceased person’s heirs, which is relevant to when the time for challenging the will begins.
Provides heirs with a certified copy and establishes a legally important starting point for possible objections.
Court and disputes
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Will contest
A court action by an eligible heir seeking to have a will declared invalid. A statutory time limit applies after service of the will.
Allows an eligible heir to ask a court to declare a will invalid on a legally recognized ground.
People and rights
SwedishClosest plain-English phrase: Disclaimer or renunciation after death
A decision after a death to refrain from taking all or part of an inheritance. It can affect who is treated as an estate party and who receives the property instead.
Can redirect all or part of an inheritance and may affect who participates in the estate and later distribution.
Try a broader phrase, or ask Simon what the wording in your document may refer to.
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