Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate: Basic Discussion

When a person dies intestate (which means he left no will) the competent court shall appoint a qualified administrator for the estate. The same rule applies even if the person dies testate (which means that he left a will) if the will failed to name an executor in his will, or if the named executor is incompetent, or refuses the trust, or fails to furnish the bond required by the Rules of Court. One exception to this is the extrajudicial settlement of estate.

Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate in the Philippines

We have a previous discussion on wills and probate of wills (see Basic Concepts in Estate Proceedings; Basic Discussion on Last Will and Testament and Holographic Wills). A will must be presented in court, through probate proceedings, and this judicial process may take some time. A much faster way of disposing of properties left behind by the deceased person, known as the decedent, is through an extrajudicial settlement of estate.

An extrajudicial settlement of estate, however, presupposes that the decedent left no will. As previously noted, a person who has custody of a will is under obligation to produce it. The requirements for a valid extrajudicial settlement of estate are:

  • 1. The decedent left no will.
  • 2. The decedent left no debts, or if there were debts left, all had been paid.
  • 3. The heirs are all of age, or if they are minors, the latter are represented by their judicial guardian or legal representatives.
  • 4. The partition was made by means of a public instrument or affidavit duly filed with the Register of Deeds.

The affidavit must be executed by the heirs and must contain the necessary allegations to support a valid extrajudicial settlement of estate. The affidavit shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks.

P&L Law

50 thoughts on “Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate: Basic Discussion

  1. Benjie

    Good day Atty. Fred. My parents died without a will. Dalawa kaming magkakapatid. Ako ang bunso. May naiwang bahay a lupa ang aming mga magulang. Ang nakatira sa bahay ngayon ay ang panganay na sister ko. Ang problema ko ang gusto ng sister ko na ang lupa lang ang i divide namin equally at ang bahay daw ay sa kanila dahil sila dw ang nag repair sa ilang bahagi nito. Pwede ba yon na siya lang ang magmamay-ari sa bahay? Ano pong legal basis na pwede kog panghawanakan ng equal division of property between us? Pls helpme atty.

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  2. vangie

    Gud am po, ask ko lng po kung pwede mai transfer un title sa name ng tita 2 kng tita ksi po un 1 tita ko anak nya ang nka pangalan sa title namatay po ng August 15, 2016 un pinsan ko kya lng po un nanay ng pinsan kung namatay matanda na at wlang kkyahyang gastusan ang mga doc. na gagamitin. gusto ng 1 tita ko sya ang mag grab ng expenses pero dapat nkalagay din ang name nya sa sa pag transfer ng title. nagiisang anak lng po un namatay. wla rin tatay dahil maliit plang un anak ng tita ko iniwan na po clang magina . 40 yrs old po un namatay na pinsan ko. Ano po ang mga documents na kailangan na ma produce.

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  3. Norman

    Gusto ko po sanang tanong namatay pong na una ang tito ko tapos pagkalipas po nang ilan taon namatay din ang asawa niya wala po silang anak at wala siyang nagawang will biglang benenta nang kamag anak nang babae ang bahay at lupa nito na d manlang nagsabi sa kamag anak nang lalake at ni hinde sila nag bigay sa mga ito. Ang dahilan nila nauna daw kasi namatay yong lalske tama po b ito

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  4. arlene

    good day po. ask ko lng po kung ano maganda naming gawin sa nabili naming lupa. gusto po kasi naming na ung tittulo ng lupa ay mailipat sa pangalan namin ang kaso po ung binilhan po namin ng lupa ay minana lng dw nya sa yuamaong ama nya at hindi pa po nakapangalan sa binilhan namin kundi dun pa din sa ama nya. ano po ang dapat naming gawin?

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  5. Dianne

    My friend’s brother passed away, was single, no will. Family home is in his name. Siblings want to transfer to sister who is currently living in home. They were told they were told this could be done by completing an Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate. My friend lives in the U.S. and is a U.S. citizen. She cannot travel to the Philippines any time in the near future. What would her siblings need from her to complete the transfer? Can she send a notarized letter or give power of attorney to one of her siblings? Someone told her she would need to go to an embassy. There are none in our city and again she could not go anytime in the near future.

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  6. buddha

    My husband (youngest of them and only boy) received a house and lot title from his parents when there where still alive, but the problem is..his two sisters are insisted to have it. Verbally his father told them that the land are belongs to them(3chidren).In which the land already named to my husband. There mother already dead and the father is still alive. His 2 sister are now occupy or live in the house and they are both married. Can we get the property without fighting with the 2 sisters? or what is the legal action to get the property legally….Thanks and more power

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  7. Tessie

    Both of my parents are deceased now, ang tanong ko po ay Kong kaming mga kapatid may signature na na donate namin ang bahay sa kapatid naming lalaki na nakatira sa bahay , but ang signature na yan ay Hindi naka notarized yan ay valid ? Please I need your help kasi ako po ang youngest dito nakatira sa America gusto ko pong ipaayos ang bahay dahil kailangan ma reconstruct dahil since the typhoon Yolanda marami pong nasisira, maykarapatan po ba akong magpaayos sa bahay na yan ? Thanks for your help in advance

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  8. Issa

    My dad died when I was 10 and my mom is terminally ill. I have a small house built in my father’s lot but that lot doesn’t have a title but is fully paid in nha. I want to sell it so we can have money to support my mom’s medication. We have to file an extra judicial and waiver of rights. Does my sister in law, who is a the widow of my deceased brother have to sign a waiver too?

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  9. Celli

    One of my family member does not want to sign the extra judicial settlement. We are 12 in the family and 5 of us wants to donate our share to our younger brother that is living in the ancestral house which if the frontage of the property. We are all seniors and want to settle this in a timely manner.
    I need your much needed advise. appreciate your response.

    Reply
  10. Frederic

    Hello my parents are both Octogenarian although Filipino Citizens are Chinese citizen by blood we are four in the family 2 boys and 2 girls I am the youngest and only dual citizen in the family all my sibling are naturalized american citizen. My Parents are wealthy as I am the youngest and my wife is a filipina I am being descriminated. without good reason My Parents revoke my SPA in the administration of their properties instead appointed my sister who is based in the United States and is an american citizen who in tern appoint my brother Jeffry as the administrator whose authority have been earlier revoke for conveying some of my parent properties and have not remitted proceed of rent income for more than 4 years and have pending case with different court in Metro Manila what are my recourse as my parent due to their advance age are confuse and easily manipulated by my brother & Sister. My Parents also executed an affidavit of denial in regards to properties that were earlier transfer to me by Deed of Sale. Thanks

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