Skifteret

Skifteretten is a Danish court that handles the administration of a deceased person’s estate, including the validation and interpretation of wills, the inventory of assets, the payment of debts, and the distribution of the remaining assets to heirs according to the will or the rules of intestate succession. The court also handles bankruptcy proceedings and matters concerning guardianship or curatorship when estates involve protected persons or minors. It is a specialized part of the Danish judiciary, typically located within regional district courts.

Proceedings are typically initiated by heirs, creditors, or the person named to administer the estate. The court appoints an administrator to manage the estate and supervises the steps of the settlement, including inventory, claim resolution, and final distribution. In cases where the surviving spouse would prefer to retain the estate temporarily, the concept of an uskiftet bo allows the spouse to keep the assets until a later division; the skifteret supervises such arrangements.

Decisions of the skifteret can be appealed to the appropriate High Court, and possibly further to the Supreme Court, depending on legal grounds. The skifteret thus operates at the intersection of succession, insolvency, and guardianship law, ensuring orderly settlement of estates and protection of creditors and heirs.

See also: Arveloven (Danish Succession Act), Konkursloven (Bankruptcy Act).