RETHINK THE LAW OF SUCCESSION. WILL WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO TEST?

Dissertação de Mestrado em Direito apresentada à Faculdade de DireitoTeremos liberdade de testar? É a questão relevante que se levanta quando chega o momento de determinar e planear o que irá acontecer aos bens e direitos que compõem o nosso património e que fomos adquirindo durante a vida. Na generalidade dos ordenamentos jurídicos o sistema sucessório gira em torno de dois grandes polos: por um lado, a liberdade de testar, a autonomia privada e o direito de propriedade e, por outro lado, a proteção de determinados elementos do núcleo familiar. Sendo que, é precisamente em nome da proteção da família que – direta ou indiretamente – se restringe, muitas das vezes, a liberdade de testar. Assim, partiremos da análise das normas de direito sucessório previstas no Código Civil Português, embora sem deixarmos de ter em consideração outras normas diretamente relacionadas com o direito sucessório presentes nos outros ramos do direito. Pretendemos, com esta abordagem, tentar perceber se e como é que efetivamente se encontra limitada a liberdade de disposição do património em caso de morte.Veremos que o sistema delineado no ordenamento jurídico português encontra muitas restrições. Porém, devemos ter em conta que nos últimos tempos têm ocorrido mudanças aos mais variados níveis, nomeadamente, sociais, familiares, económicos, tecnológicos, entre outras. Urge, assim, a necessidade de refletir, e quiçá repensar o direito das sucessões, particularmente, a liberdade de testar, adotando um regime mais atual, mais adequado e até mais justo face às novas realidades sociais.Will we have the freedom to test? It is the relevant question that rises when it comes the time to determine and plan what will happen to our goods and rights that we have acquired during life.In general legal systems, the succession system revolves around two major poles: on the one hand, freedom to test, private autonomy and the right to property and, on the other, the protection of certain elements of the family nucleus. It is precisely in the name of the protection of the family that, directly or indirectly, the freedom to test is often restricted. Thereby, we will start from the analysis of the norms of inheritance law provided in the Portuguese Civil Code, although without taking into consideration other norms directly related to inheritance law present in other branches of law. With this approach, we intend to try to understand if and how the freedom of disposal of property in the event of death is effectively limited. We will see that, the system delineated finds strong restrictions. However, we must take into account that in recent times we have felt changes at the most varied levels, namely, social, family, economic, technological, among others. There is thus a need to rethink the law of succession, particularly, the freedom to test, making it more current, more adequate and even fair in the face of new realities. Will we have the freedom to test? It is the relevant question that rises when it comes the time to determine and plan what will happen to our goods and rights that we have acquired during life.In general legal systems, the succession system revolves around two major poles: on the one hand, freedom to test, private autonomy and the right to property and, on the other, the protection of certain elements of the family nucleus. It is precisely in the name of the protection of the family that, directly or indirectly, the freedom to test is often restricted. Thereby, we will start from the analysis of the norms of inheritance law provided in the Portuguese Civil Code, although without taking into consideration other norms directly related to inheritance law present in other branches of law. With this approach, we intend to try to understand if and how the freedom of disposal of property in the event of death is effectively limited.We will see that, the system delineated finds strong restrictions. However, we must take into account that in recent times we have felt changes at the most varied levels, namely, social, family, economic, technological, among others. There is thus a need to rethink the law of succession, particularly, the freedom to test, making it more current, more adequate and even fair in the face of new realities