Family Law and Successions
Core concepts
Family law in Angola regulates marriage (civil and traditional), filiation, parental authority, adoption, and the property regime of spouses. The default regime is the community of property, but spouses may choose separation of property by prenuptial agreement. Succession law distinguishes legitimate succession (by law) and voluntary succession (by will), the reserved portion (legítima) of forced heirs, and the rules on acceptance and repudiation of the inheritance. Candidates must know the order of heirs and the rules on collation.
Traps
A frequent trap is assuming that a will can dispose of the entire estate; the reserved portion belongs to forced heirs. Questions also confuse separation of property with separation of property with a right of administration. Watch for the rules on the surviving spouse's position relative to descendants and ascendants, and the requirement of a judicial inventory when there are minor heirs.
Rule of thumb
In any succession question, first identify the applicable regime (legal or voluntary), then the forced heirs and their reserved portion, and only then the disposable portion.
Worked example
A testator leaves everything to a friend. If there are children, the reserved portion cannot be touched; the will is reduced to the disposable portion, and the children receive their legitime.