Article 25 of the Saudi Minors' Property Guardianship Law

This is one of the most important articles of the Law for families, because it freezes dealings in the estate temporarily to protect the share of the minor or unborn child.

The bar:

• Whom does it cover? Any of the heirs or others, or the deceased's partners, where the deceased left minors or an unborn child covered by the Law.
• What does it bar? Dealing in the estate's funds or the jointly owned property.
• Until when? From the date of death until the Authority's inventory of these funds.

The sanction: any dealing made in this period without written permission from the competent department of the Authority is void. A dealing is possible if written permission is obtained; otherwise it is void.

The inventory period: the estate is inventoried within three months of the date the Authority is notified of the death, so the period runs from the notification, not from the death.

Urgent needs: the Authority is to take the necessary steps promptly regarding living needs and necessary matters, so the bar does not leave the family without what it requires.

Article 24 explains how the inventory is done, and Article 26 extends this bar to the partners of a person under interdiction, an absentee, or a person with no known heir, from the date of the judgment.

Before selling any real estate or withdrawing any funds from an estate that includes a minor or unborn child, make sure you have the written permission, or consult a lawyer who specializes in personal status and estates.