Guide

My sisters and I
were never given our share

A daughter inherits. A sister inherits. A widow inherits. The law is not in doubt, and yet the share is often kept by brothers, transferred among them, or signed away on a paper the woman never read. This page shows what to check, what can be undone, and what an advocate does when the woman lives abroad.

Where this applies This page covers an inheritance in Pakistan where a woman’s share was not given, or was transferred without her real consent. The land record and its offices differ from province to province.

An old courtyard with plants and wagon wheels against a weathered wall
Photograph: Huzaifa Irfan, Lahore

What this is about

The share exists from the moment the person dies. It does not depend on anyone agreeing to it. What happens in practice is that the record is changed into the brothers’ names, sometimes with a paper that says the sister gave up her share, sometimes with nothing at all. A paper she signed without understanding, or under pressure, or that was never explained, is not the end of the matter.

Living abroad, the woman often finds out late, and finds out from the record rather than from the family. Late is not too late. The first step is to read the record and see exactly what was done, by whom, and on what paper.

What has to be in place

What has to be clear before anything is filed.

  1. What the record says today: whose names, entered when, on what document.

  2. Whether there is a paper with her name on it, and what it says.

  3. Who the other heirs are, and where they live.

Note Your advocate confirms which of these apply to your case.

The documents you will be asked for

The papers an advocate asks for first.

  • The death certificate of the person who died.
  • The record extract as it stands now, and any older extract.
  • The family record showing who the heirs are.
  • Any paper she is said to have signed.

How an advocate helps from where you are

What an advocate does from Pakistan.

  • Obtains the record and the papers behind the entries, and tells her what was done.
  • Asks a court to set aside a transfer made without her real consent, and to stop any sale while the case runs.
  • Files for the division of the estate so that her share is entered in her name.
  • Handles the family from a distance, so that she does not have to.

What to ask before you agree

  • What does the record say was done, on what paper, and when?
  • Can the transfer be set aside, and can a sale be stopped while the case runs?
  • Can you handle the family so that she does not have to?
  • What do you need from me, and by when?
  • What is your fee, and what is not included in it?

More in Inheritance

Next in this group A relative died and nothing was divided The heirs need a paper that names them and sets out each share. There are two such papers, and which one you need depends on what was left. Read this next

Also relevant

All of Inheritance on one page

Words you will meet

share
The part of the estate the law gives each heir.
relinquishment
A paper in which an heir gives up a share. Often the paper in dispute.
partition
The division of the estate among the heirs, by agreement or by a court.

Sources

Official pages read on 11 September 2026. The page says only what these say, and what an advocate does; nothing specific to your case.

Checked

11 September 2026

Pakistan. Sources listed at the end of the page.

Find an advocate who handles this

The register shows who acts on a power of attorney, who has filed from abroad, and in which city.