Succession Flashcards
What is succession
Mode of acquisition by which the PRO to the extent of the value of the inheritance , of a person are transmitted to another through his death either through a will or by operation of law
What does inheritance include?
All PRO of a person which are not extinguished by death.
Also all of those which have accrued thereto since the time of death
When are rights to the succession transmitted?
Rights to the succession are transmitted from the moment of death
What are the kinds of Successions?
Testamentary - Results from the designation of an heir, made in a VALID will in a form prescribed by law
Legal/Intestate - When a person dies without a will; Will is void or loses its validity; Will does not institute heirs; heirs instituted are incapable of succeeding the decedent
Mixed - Effected partly by will and partly by operation of law
What is a will
A will is an act whereby a person is permitted, with the formalities prescribed by law, to control a certain degree of his estate to take effect after his death
Kinds of wills?
Notarial Will - Complies with the requirements under Art. 804 and 809 of the CC
Holographic Will - One which is entirely written, dated and signed by the hand of the testator.
Characteristics of a Will
- Strictly Personal - The making of a will is a strictly personal act, whose execution cannot be left to the discretion of a third person
- Act mortis causa - Takes effect only after the death of the testator
- Ambulatory - May be revoked any time before the death of the testator
- Individual Act - joint wills cannot be executed by Filipinos, even if made abroad
- Purely Statutory - The right to dispose of property by will is a statutory right, not a natural one
- Unilateral - Testator’s heirs are not required to aquiesce to the testementary dispositions to make a will valid.
What can the testator entrust to a third person?
Article 786.The testator may entrust to a third person the distribution of specific property or sums of money that he may leave in general to specified classes or causes, and also the designation of the persons, institutions or establishments to which such property or sums are to be given or applied.
What law governs the validity of a will?
The law in force at the time of the execution of the will
What governs the intrinsic validity of the will?
The law of the decedent’s nationality at the time of his death
What are the contents of the will which shall be governed by the national law of the decedent?
- Order of succession;
- Amount of successional rights;
- Intrinsic validity of testamentary provisions;
- Capacity to succeed.
What formalities should be complied with if a Filipino who is abroad decided to execute a will therein?
Article 815.When a Filipino is in a foreign country, he is authorized to make a will in any of the forms established by the law of the country in which he may be. Such will may be probated in the Philippines. (n)
What formalities should be complied with if an aliien who is abroad wants to have his or her will probated in the Philippines?
Article 816.The will of an alien who is abroad produces effect in the Philippines if made with the formalities prescribed by the law of the place in which he resides, or according to the formalities observed in his country, or in conformity with those which this Code prescribes. (n)
What formalities should be complied with if an alien wants to execute a will in the Philippines?
Article 817.A will made in the Philippines by a citizen or subject of another country, which is executed in accordance with the law of the country of which he is a citizen or subject, and which might be proved and allowed by the law of his own country, shall have the same effect as if executed according to the laws of the Philippines. (n)
What governs the instrinsic validity of a will
The law of the decedent’s nationality at the time of his death
What are the requisites for capacity to make a will?
- The testator must not be expressly prohibited by law to make a will
- The testator must at least be 18 years old
- The testator must be of sound mind at the time of the execution of the will
Is the will invalidated if after execution thereof, the testator becomes incapacitated?
No. Supervening capacity does not invalidate an effective will.
Conversely, a will made by an incapacitated does not become valid if he/she later becomes capacitated.
What are the criteria to consider the testator of sound mind at the time of the execution of the will?
At the time of the making of the will, the testator should know:
1. the nature of the estate to be disposed of;
2. the proper object of his/her bounty
3. Character of the testamentary act
2 kinds of wills. Explain Each
Notarial Will - needs to comply with the formal requirements under Arts. 804-808 for its validity
Holographic Will - one which is entirely written, dated and signed by the testator