Testamentary Freedom (Testierfreiheit)
Generally, under German law the testator is free to determine the distribution of his property upon his death by means of a Will (Testament) or contract of inheritance (Erbvertrag). This is generally referred to as "testamentary freedom". However, there are some limitation to the the testamentary freedom, e.g. the German forced heirship rules and the binding effects of a Joint Will or a contract of inheritance (Erbvertrag).