husband and children in equal shares After any death, the locally competent court (usually according to the permanent residence of the deceased) will initiate inheritance proceedings (ie alone, automatically), in fact commission a notary as a court commissioner. He finds out from the death certificate the person who took care of the funeral and summons him for a preliminary investigation, where he asks about the bequests' relatives and property. After further investigation, he will terminate the proceedings and determine in the decision who acquired which property.