Herederos

Herederos are individuals who are entitled to receive the estate of a deceased person (the causante), either by law or through a will. The term is the plural of heredero, derived from Latin heres, heir, and in civil-law contexts it denotes those who succeed to the decedent’s assets.

There are two main categories: herederos legales (heirs by statutory succession, typically when there is no will) and herederos testamentarios (heirs named in a will). In many civil-law systems there is a statutory order of succession that prioritizes descendants, then ascendants, and the spouse, with other relatives as applicable. The exact sequence and scope vary by jurisdiction.

Heirs hold the estate as a unit (acervo hereditario) and are responsible for administering it, paying debts and charges, and distributing the remaining assets to heirs according to the will or the law. They must accept the inheritance, either outright or with limitations such as inventory in some systems, or renounce it. Some jurisdictions recognize reserved portions for certain heirs (legítimos), limiting how freely the estate can be distributed.

Beyond its legal sense, the term is used metaphorically to refer to successors in a family business, a noble or dynastic line, or a broader cultural lineage. The concept of herederos intersects with related topics such as testamento (will), sucesión (succession), y herencia (inheritance).