forced heirship
A principle in many foreign jurisdictions (e.g. France) under which a person’s estate on death must devolve and be divided between specified relatives in specified proportions and such devolution cannot be overridden by a will. Compare freedom of testation.

Under EU regulation 650/2012 (often referred to as “Brussels IV”), which came into force on 17 August 2015, it is possible for a national of an EU country to elect in their will that the law of their nationality governs the succession to their estate. The UK opted out of the regulation before its decision to leave the EU.

• preference
• preference share
• preferential debts
• preferment
• pregnancy
• pregnancy per alium
• prehearing review
• pre-incorporation contract
• prejudice
• preliminary hearing
• preliminary inquiries
• preliminary issue
• premises
• premium
• prenuptial agreement
• pre-owned asset regime
• preparatory hearing
• prepense
• prerogative of mercy
• prerogative orders
• prescribed by law
• prescribed limit
• prescription
• presence
• pre-sentence report