In the Republic of Croatia, intestate inheritance, together with testate inheritance , forms the basis of inheritance. Generally, an heir is a person who assumes the entire estate or a portion thereof, according to a specific ratio, at the time of the opening of the inheritance. To become an intestate heir, there must be a specific relationship with the testator. The prerequisites for inheritance according to the law include blood relationship, marital union, extramarital union, registered and informal partnership, as well as adoption. The Law on Inheritance also establishes principles of inheritance order. These orders determine the relationship among potential legal heirs, the order of calling to the inheritance, and the share each of them receives. Although the law only specifies four inheritance orders, their number can be unlimited. One significant change in legal inheritance includes the recognition of same-sex partners as legal heirs through the Law on Life Partnership of Persons of the Same Sex, which was adopted in 2014. This law significantly improved the inheritance rights of same-sex partners, who previously could only inherit from their partners through a will.