Deadline calculator: inheritance, appeals, certificate validity
An heir has six months from the death to accept an inheritance, one month to appeal a funding refusal, and another month after the response to the complaint to file a lawsuit. Certificates often have no statutory validity period, but the recipient will not accept an old one. Choose the type of deadline, enter the start date, and the calculator will show you the last day, the number of days left and any relevant warnings.
Calculator
In short: what you need to know about deadlines
- The calculator counts deadlines in calendar months, not days: one month from 15 March ends on 15 April, however many days March has.
- If the corresponding date does not exist in the month, the calculator takes the last day of the month: one month from 31 January is the last day of February.
- When the last day falls on a weekend, the tool shows a warning. The safe course is to file on the preceding working day.
- The calculation is indicative: when a deadline starts, is suspended or is restored depends on the specific circumstances, and in an important matter a lawyer checks it.
- A certificate's “age” is set by the recipient, not by law, so confirm the rule of the specific embassy or agency in advance.
Six deadlines in one table
The first four deadlines come from the law, the last two from the recipient's practice. Both types matter equally: missing a statutory deadline costs you a right, while missing a certificate's deadline gets your document sent back.
| Deadline | Duration | Counted from | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accepting an inheritance | 6 months | The opening of the succession, i.e. the day of death | Civil Code |
| Administrative complaint | 1 month | Official notification of the refusal | General Administrative Code, Article 180 |
| Administrative lawsuit | 1 month | Notification of the decision on the complaint or expiry of the review period | Administrative Procedure Code, Article 22 |
| Agency's response | 1 month, sometimes 15 days | Filing of the application | General Administrative Code, Article 100 |
| Certificate for an embassy | Often 3, sometimes 6 months | The date of issue | The recipient's requirement |
| Form 100 | Often 1-3 months | The date of issue | The recipient's requirement |
The 15-day deadline for an agency's response applies where the matter does not concern the interests of third parties. A particular programme may have its own deadline that overrides the general rule.
What each deadline means in practice
Inheritance: six months that slip away in mourning
An inheritance is deemed accepted if, within these six months, the heir applies to a notary or actually takes possession of the property, for example by living in the flat and paying its bills. Actual possession has to be proven later, so applying to a notary in good time is the most reliable route. An heir living abroad can apply through a power of attorney issued remotely, which takes time to prepare, so do not wait until the last month.
Complaint and lawsuit: two one-month stages
A refusal by a state or municipal agency is first challenged by an administrative complaint and then, if necessary, in court. Each stage has one month, and both start from official notification, so keep the envelope, email or signature by which you received the refusal. The structure of the complaint and the review procedure are described in detail in the guide to appealing a refusal, and the text to fill in is in the sample administrative complaint.
Agency's response: when silence is an answer
This deadline binds the agency, not you. If no decision is made within one month of the application, or within another period set by law, the silence may be treated as a refusal and appealed in the same way. The calculator shows you the day from which you can start considering this step, and before then you should have the application's registration number and date in writing.
The “age” of a certificate and Form 100
Embassies often accept a criminal record certificate or a certificate of family status only if it was issued within the last three, sometimes six, months. The law sets no validity period for Form 100, but funding commissions and clinics often ask for one issued within the last one to three months. In these two cases the calculator shows two limits: a strict one and a more lenient one. We time obtaining the certificate to the submission date, so the document does not go out of date on the way.
What should you do if the deadline has already passed?
A missed deadline is not always final, but every day of delay reduces your chances. The right step depends on the type of deadline:
- Inheritance. If you were actually in possession of the property, this can be proven; if the other heirs agree, their written consent is a way out; and where there was a valid reason, such as illness, you can ask the court to restore the deadline.
- Administrative complaint. If you missed the deadline because of force majeure or another valid reason, you must ask for it to be restored in the complaint itself and prove the reason with a document. Sometimes a new application with updated documents is a faster route than appealing the old refusal.
- Certificate or Form 100. No right is lost here: you simply need a new certificate. Ask the clinic for an updated Form 100, and the agency will issue the certificate again.
Frequently asked questions about deadlines
From which day does the deadline start to run?
The calculator takes the date you enter and adds the relevant number of months to it. Legally, however, what matters is the event that starts the clock: for an inheritance, the day of death; for a complaint, the official notification of the refusal; for a lawsuit, notification of the decision on the complaint. If the refusal reached you by post, the date of notification may differ from the date of issue. In that case it is wise to count from the earlier date, and a lawyer will establish the exact day.
The last day falls on a Sunday. Will filing on Monday count as late?
The rule for moving a deadline from a non-working day to a working day is not the same for every type of deadline and depends on the provision governing the specific procedure. That is why, in such cases, the calculator only shows a warning and does not change the last day. The safest course is to file the document on the preceding working day. If that is not possible, check with a lawyer in advance whether the deadline can be moved.
Can I rely on the calculator's result in court?
No. The result is indicative and does not replace legal advice. A deadline may be suspended or restored, or a specific law may set a different deadline, which a general form cannot take into account. The calculator's purpose is to let you see early how much time you have left and to contact a specialist in good time. In an important matter, a partner lawyer will verify the deadline against your documents.
I live abroad. How can I accept an inheritance within six months?
You do not have to come to Georgia: you can apply to the notary through an authorised representative. The power of attorney is drawn up abroad, at a consulate or with a local notary, and one executed before a foreign notary needs an apostille or legalisation and a Georgian translation. This takes several weeks, so start the process in the first half of the six months. Obtaining the certificates that prove your relationship to the deceased often takes time as well.
Why does the calculator show two dates for certificates and Form 100?
The “age” of these documents is set not by law but by the recipient, and recipients differ. One embassy accepts a three-month-old certificate, another a six-month-old one; one commission asks for a Form 100 no older than one month, while a foreign clinic may accept a three-month-old one. The first date is the strict limit, the second the more lenient one. If you do not know the recipient's rule, rely on the first date or confirm the rule in writing in advance.
Pages related to deadlines
- Accepting an inheritance with a notary Who is an heir, which documents are needed and what happens if the deadline is missed.
- Appealing a funding refusal The elements of a complaint, the review procedure and the court stage.
- Obtaining certificates on your behalf We time the certificate to the submission date so it does not expire.
- Form 100: what it is and how to get it Who needs a certificate of what “age”, and why they get sent back.
Is a deadline approaching or has it already passed?
Send us the refusal letter, the death certificate or the certificate in question, and the date. A partner lawyer will check the deadline and tell you which step is still open.