Reduction action, registrations and protection of third-party purchasers: the amendments introduced by Law No. 182 of 2 December 2025

Law No. 182 of 2 December 2025, published in the Official Gazette No. 281 of 3 December 2025 and entered into force on 18 December 2025, introduces a series of legislative measures aimed at strengthening the certainty of legal transactions and reducing the impact of succession disputes on the stability of acquisitions.

The reform amends various provisions of the Italian Civil Code — including Articles 561, 562, 563, 2652 and 2690 — significantly affecting the rules governing the enforceability against third parties of reduction actions brought by forced heirs.

In particular, the legislature has amended the rules on the registration of reduction claims, reducing the relevant time limit for their effectiveness against third-party purchasers. The legislative choice appears to be aimed at strengthening the protection of the reliance of third parties who have acquired rights before the registration of the claim, limiting the uncertainty arising from possible succession actions brought even long after the acquisition.

A further significant aspect concerns the rules governing the restitution of assets donated in the event that a reduction action is upheld. The reform provides that charges and security interests affecting donated real estate remain effective against third-party purchasers where such registrations or filings were made before the registration of the reduction claim. In such cases, the balancing of the positions of the parties involved is pursued not through the removal of the previously registered encumbrances, but through a compensatory mechanism borne by the donee, who is required to pay the forced heirs the monetary equivalent of the reduced value.

The reform forms part of a broader legislative trend aimed at strengthening the stability of acquisitions and the security of legal transactions, limiting the impact of succession matters on assets that have already entered into circulation. From this perspective, the new rules appear to favour the protection of the reliance of third-party purchasers over the full restitution in kind of the forced heirs’ rights.

The question nevertheless remains open as to the balance between the need for certainty in legal transactions and the substantive protection of the rights of forced heirs, an issue on which the courts will likely define, over time, the scope of application of the new rules.