Estate of a deceased person (dødsbo)
Also known as deceased estate, probate estate, bobehandling ved dødsfald, boet efter afdøde
An estate of a deceased person is the deceased's assets, which must be wound up — and where creditors' claims must be filed if they are to be covered.
Key facts
- Administered by
- Skifteretten (the probate court)
- Claims must be
- Filed
In practice
If a debtor dies, the claim does not disappear — but it must be filed in the estate within the deadline that is published. If it is not, the claim is barred (præklusion): it lapses, however well founded it is.
If the estate is insolvent, it is administered under rules resembling those of bankruptcy: creditors receive a dividend according to rank.
Where it commonly goes wrong
- The death is discovered too late. The notice to creditors (proklama) is published in Statstidende, the Danish official gazette, and the deadline runs whether or not you read it.