Inheritance-induced familial disputes in north-west Ethiopia: the role of legal-policy gaps and aggravating socio-economic dynamics

Abstract While Ethiopia has had family and inheritance laws since the 1960s, disputes among members have exacerbated intended goals of protecting security property rights marginalized not been attained. Here, we explore impact legal-policy gaps socio-economic dynamics in from perspectives litigants lawyers. A mixed research approach was employed to investigate distribution conflicts across kinship ties types as well experiences feelings both disputing parties legal professionals involved conflict. Furthermore, data closed court cases were scrutinized order identify disputants substantiate primary data. Our findings reveal that extended time claim rights, absence limit for establishing child status, unrestricted cancellation wills provisions multiple on a single property, incompatibility between customary statutory law, limited opportunity land acquisition, are all policy overwhelmingly contribute inheritance-induced familial disputes. The improvement consciousness formerly groups growing corruption justice system weakening emotional further aggravated such In light these findings, stress value thorough revision conflict-provoking law (including privatization farmland meant broaden acquisition opportunities) therapy families whose relationships broken down.