Guide

How to divide inherited land among heirs

A fair division is decided in this order: the shares, the plot, what stays shared, the lines, the stones, the papers.

1. Settle the shares

Who inherits, and how much, depends on the law that applies to the family, and on any will. Write each share as a fraction that adds up to the whole: 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4. Have the shares checked by someone who knows the law before anything else: a notary, a lawyer, or a mufti for a division by faraid.

2. Measure the plot

Start from the land record (khasra, survey number) and measure what is on the ground: with a tape, with GPS, or from a satellite photo. Note the road side.

3. Take out what stays shared

A path that everyone will keep using, a pond, a well: decide first what is not divided, and count the shares on what remains.

4. Draw the lines

Give every lot a piece of the road whenever you can: a lot shut in behind another is the commonest source of quarrels. If the road side is worth more than the back, divide by value, or divide by area and settle the difference in cash.

5. Plant the stones and sign

Mark each corner on the ground, write everything down — plan, areas, shares, stones — and have each heir and two witnesses sign. Then have a surveyor check the division before it is registered.

With Batwara

The app follows exactly these steps: Land, Heirs, Lines, Papers, Stones. See Land partition.