Private law

Abstract

The Chapter gives an overview of the main branches of private law: property law, obligation law, company law, insolvency law, family law and inheritance law. Estonian private law can be described as an European private law. There are significant similarities with German law. Currently the changes in development of certain law branches derive from the cross-border legal relations. Estonian civil law is constructed as a pandectic system. The General Part of the Civil Code Act includes the general provisions applicable to all sections of the civil law. It provides general provisions regarding persons, objects, transactions, terms, expressions of will, grounds of nullity and prescription. The catalogue of Estonian property law includes the right of ownership, the right of security, servitudes, real encumbrances, the right of superficies and the right of pre-emption. Law of obligations makes up the most extensive part of civil law regulating obligations arising out of contracts and non-contractual relationships. The business environment in Estonia is vibrant and liberal. The vast development of e-services has been one of the triggers of success in business law. Family and inheritance law develops according to the new family relations in society and spread of cross-border family relations.