The statutory law of succession applies if the decedent dies intestate, i.e. has not designated any heirs by inheritance contract or will, or has only disposed of part of his or her assets, or if the inheritance contract or will is invalid. In this context, the legislator attempts to focus on the typical will of a deceased person by specifying descent as the most important prerequisite. Of course, this can lead to undesirable results in individual cases, as sometimes persons come to inherit with whom the deceased had no contact or was at enmity.
