When a relative passes away, the family must settle the inheritance before it can sell, transfer, or even manage the deceased's assets. In Algeria, this step runs through one central document: the Frédha, or succession deed. Drawn up by a notary, it officially identifies the heirs and sets the share due to each of them. Without it, you cannot transfer a property title, release a bank account, or sell jointly held property.
What is the Frédha?
The Frédha is a notarized deed that records the devolution of the estate: in other words, who inherits and in what proportion. The division follows the rules of Islamic inheritance law as codified in the Algerian Family Code. The notary calculates each share (for example the portion of the surviving spouse, the children, or the parents) and records it in the deed. This document is authoritative before the administration, banks, the Land Registry, and any prospective buyer.
Documents to gather
The notary can only draw up the Frédha from a complete file of supporting documents. Prepare in advance:
- The death certificate of the deceased, issued by the local civil registry
- The birth certificates of all heirs
- The deceased's family record book (livret de famille)
- Property titles for the assets to be included in the estate (notarial deeds, land record, etc.)
- Identity documents of the heirs
- Where applicable, the marriage certificate of the surviving spouse
The notary's role
The notary verifies the authenticity of each document, identifies all rightful heirs, and applies the rules of devolution to determine the shares. They then draft the succession deed, have it signed, and register it. This is a legal safeguard: a licensed professional stakes their responsibility on the accuracy of the division, protecting the family against later disputes.
Without a Frédha, none of the deceased's assets can be legally sold, divided, or transferred: it is the first document you need to obtain.
From the Frédha to dividing the assets
The Frédha sets each heir's theoretical share; it does not yet physically divide the assets. When heirs wish to end joint ownership, they can request a deed of partition, which concretely assigns a specific apartment or plot to a given heir, or arranges a sale and distribution of the proceeds. This partition can be done amicably before the notary when everyone agrees.
Start your process with Wathiq
On Wathiq, you are connected with a licensed notary who verifies and validates your Frédha file, with coverage across all 58 wilayas and for the Algerian diaspora. You track progress online and pay securely by CIB or EDAHABIA card. Gather your documents, create your request, and let a professional draw up your succession deed with complete peace of mind.