Failure cases, family disputes and official sources
Official sources for family and inheritance law in India: where to check the Acts and rules
Where to read India's succession Acts, gazette amendments, RBI and SEBI nomination rules, tax law, judgments and state fee schedules.
The most reliable way to check an inheritance or family-law rule in India is to go to the official text: Acts on India Code and the Legislative Department, amendments and new Acts in the e-Gazette of India, bank rules on the RBI website, securities rules on SEBI's website, tax law on the Income Tax Department's portal, and judgments on the Supreme Court and High Court websites. State-level details, such as court fees, stamp duty, legal heir certificates and mutation, are on state government portals. This guide lists where to look for each question, how to read what you find, and the traps to avoid with unofficial copies.
This guide is part of the mistakes and disputes section.
Where to find what
| Question | Official source | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Who inherits under Hindu law? | India Code | Hindu Succession Act, 1956, ss. 6, 8–16, 30 and the Schedule |
| Wills, probate, succession certificates | India Code; Legislative Department | Indian Succession Act, 1925, ss. 57–63, 211–222, 370–390 |
| Was a section amended or omitted? | e-Gazette of India | Amending Acts, e.g. the Repealing and Amending Act, 2025 (No. 37 of 2025) |
| Bank nomination and claims | Reserve Bank of India | RBI (Commercial Banks – Responsible Business Conduct) Directions, 2025, as updated; similar directions for other bank types |
| Demat and mutual fund nominations | SEBI | Circulars and master circulars on nomination and transmission |
| EPF nomination | EPFO | EPF Scheme, 1952; e-nomination guidance |
| Insurance nominations and claims | IRDAI | Insurance Act, 1938 s. 39; policyholder protection rules |
| Tax on gifts and inherited assets | Income Tax Department | Income-tax Act, 2025, ss. 70, 73, 92, 99 |
| Judgments | Supreme Court of India | Vineeta Sharma (2020), Shakti Yezdani (2023) and others |
| Case status in district courts | eCourts Services | Succession, probate and maintenance case status |
| Free legal aid | NALSA | Eligibility, helpline 15100, applications |
| Senior citizens | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment | The 2007 Act, state rules, Maintenance Tribunals |
Reading the law: five practical tips
- Check the version date. Consolidated texts on India Code show amendments up to a stated date. A recent amendment may not be shown yet. For example, the omission of section 213 of the Indian Succession Act by the Repealing and Amending Act, 2025 (assent 20 December 2025) may not appear in every copy online.
- Check commencement. Many Acts come into force on a date notified later. The Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025 was enacted in April 2025, but its nomination provisions came into force on 1 November 2025 with the Banking Companies (Nomination) Rules, 2025. The Income-tax Act, 2025 came into force on 1 April 2026.
- Look for rules and directions. The Act often leaves details to rules (such as nomination forms) or to regulators (RBI, SEBI). The practical procedure is usually in those.
- Find the state layer. Court fees, stamp duty on gift and settlement deeds, legal heir certificates and land mutation are state matters. Search your state's revenue, registration (IGR) and High Court websites.
- Prefer official PDFs over summaries. Blogs and news reports are useful pointers but can be outdated or wrong. Confirm in the gazette or the regulator's text.
How to search the e-Gazette
- Go to egazette.gov.in and use the search by ministry (for Acts, the Ministry of Law and Justice, Legislative Department), subject or date.
- Central Acts are published in Part II, Section 1 of the Gazette of India, Extraordinary.
- Notifications bringing Acts into force or making rules are often in Part II, Section 3.
- Note the gazette number and date. They help if an institution disputes the rule.
Official sources when a site blocks you
Government sites sometimes fail to load or block automated tools. If India Code does not open, try the Legislative Department's site for the Act, or the e-Gazette for the amending Act. For RBI directions, the RBI website has a Master Directions section with PDFs. For SEBI, use the Legal section with circulars by year.
Using the sources in a dispute: a worked example (illustrative)
A housing society in Mumbai tells a widow it will not transfer her late husband's flat without probate, "because section 213 requires it".
- She downloads the Repealing and Amending Act, 2025 from the e-Gazette, where the Second Schedule shows section 213 omitted.
- She checks the society's bye-laws and her state's co-operative societies law on transfers to nominees and heirs.
- She writes to the society enclosing the gazette extract, the will, a death certificate, an indemnity and no-objection letters from the other heirs.
- If the society still refuses, she can complain to the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, or apply for probate if that turns out to be quicker than arguing. See the probate guide.
Contacts to keep
| Need | Contact |
|---|---|
| Free legal aid | NALSA helpline 15100 or the DLSA in your district court |
| Bank refuses a claim | Bank's grievance officer, then the RBI Ombudsman through cms.rbi.org.in |
| Insurance claim dispute | Insurer's grievance officer, then Bima Bharosa or the Insurance Ombudsman |
| Senior citizen in distress | Maintenance Tribunal (SDM office); national senior citizens helpline (Elderline 14567) |
| Women facing violence | Women helpline 181; protection officer under the Domestic Violence Act |
See also free legal aid and nominee vs legal heir.
Frequently asked questions
Is India Code always up to date?
It is the official repository, but recent amendments can take time to appear in consolidated texts. Check the e-Gazette for anything enacted in the last year or two.
Where do I find my state's court fee for a succession certificate?
In your state's Court Fees Act and its schedules, usually on the state law department's or High Court's website. The court's filing section can also tell you.
Are RBI directions binding on banks?
Yes. RBI's directions under the Banking Regulation Act bind the banks they apply to. Complaints about non-compliance can go to the RBI Ombudsman.
Where are Muslim personal law rules written down?
The Shariat Application Act, 1937 applies Muslim personal law, but most rules come from classical texts and court judgments. Supreme Court and High Court judgments are the best official guide.
Sources
- India Code — consolidated central Acts
- e-Gazette of India — official gazette notifications and Acts
- Legislative Department — Acts, bills and amending Acts
- Reserve Bank of India — master directions
- Securities and Exchange Board of India — circulars
