Inheritance in Ghana
What happens to your assets when you die in Ghana.
Ghana is one of the few African countries with a dedicated intestacy statute, the Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111). It was written to give a spouse and children real priority. Here is how it works in plain English.
The legal frameworks
Which rules apply to a Ghanaian family.
Intestate Succession Law (PNDCL 111)
Applies when someone dies without a will. It gives priority to the spouse and children, with rules for parents and wider family on larger estates.
Wills Act, 1971 (Act 360)
Sets out how to make a valid will in Ghana. A will lets you decide who gets what, within the limits of the law.
Customary and Islamic law
Customary law still shapes how families see land and family property, and some Muslim families follow Islamic rules. PNDCL 111 was introduced to protect the nuclear family from being overridden by extended family practice.
This is general information, not legal advice. Speak to a lawyer licensed in Ghana about your own situation.
What your family goes through
The process, in order.
- 1
Death certificate
Needed by banks, land registries and insurers.
- 2
Probate or letters of administration
Applied for through the High Court registry. Probate where there is a will; letters of administration where there is none.
- 3
Assets released or transferred
Banks, the Lands Commission and other holders act on the court grant.
Ghanaian families commonly hold land with unclear paperwork and mobile money wallets that nobody else knows about. Writing these down is half the battle.
Where Remayn fits
The part the law does not solve: knowing what exists.
Remayn keeps a private, encrypted record of your accounts, property, policies, wallets and documents. If you stop responding for the time you choose, it tells the next of kin you named where to look. It does not replace a will or a lawyer. It makes sure your family can find what the lawyer needs.
Guides for Ghana
Read next.
What Happens to Your Assets When You Die in Ghana?
Ghanaian intestate succession and the probate process.
PropertyLand and Property Inheritance in Africa: How to Avoid Family Disputes
Why land causes so many inheritance disputes and how to reduce them.
GuideWhat Is Probate? A Plain-English Guide for African Families
What probate means and how it differs from Letters of Administration.
GuideWho Is Your Next of Kin? What It Actually Means (and Why It Is Not Automatic)
What next of kin means, and whether it gives anyone legal rights.
Women & FamilyWomen's Inheritance Rights in Africa: What the Law Actually Says
The gap between customary practice and statutory law for widows and daughters.
Digital AssetsDigital Inheritance: What Happens to Your Crypto and Mobile Money When You Die?
How families get into crypto exchange accounts and mobile money wallets.
Questions
Inheritance in Ghana: common questions.
What is PNDCL 111?
Do I need a will in Ghana?
What happens to my mobile money wallet in Ghana?
Can Remayn help with probate in Ghana?
Other countries: Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa.
What remains, lives on.
It takes about ten minutes to tell your family where everything is. Do it today, for them.
Coming soon