Cyprus law aims to protect the family, so it imposes certain restrictions on the freedom of the testator to dispose of his/her estate by Will.
Cyprus Law allows the testator to dispose of only a portion of the estate (known as the “disposable portion”).
Specifically, if a person dies leaving spouse and child, or spouse and descendant of a child, or no spouse but child or descendant of a child then the disposable portion must not exceed the ¼ of the net value of the estate.
Where a person dies leaving a spouse or father or mother but no child or descendant of a child, then the disposable portion must not exceed the ½ of the net value of the estate.
The only way a person is able to dispose all of his/her estate freely is where he/she dies leaving neither a spouse, nor a child, nor a descendant of a child, nor a father, nor a mother. In this case, he/she is free to dispose by Will all of his/her estate.
The above-mentioned do not apply in cases of a Will of a person who was born in the United Kingdom or whose father was born in the United Kingdom or in a member state of the Commonwealth.
Moreover, the above-mentioned do not apply regarding the disposal of movable property of an alien regardless if he/she was domiciled in Cyprus.