The Dominican Register of Wills

A will that no one can find is, in practice, a will that does not exist. The Dominican Republic addressed that quiet risk with the Register of Wills, created under Notary Law 140-15, a centralized record designed so that a testament executed before a notary leaves an official trace that heirs, and courts, can later locate.

The mechanism places the burden on the notary, not the testator. Every notary who assists in the preparation of a will must register an extract of it, stating the testator’s name, the date, the place and the witnesses, before the corresponding judicial authority, within five business days of execution. Note what is registered: an extract, not the will’s contents. The dispositions themselves remain confidential; what becomes verifiable is the fact that a will exists, when, and before whom. A notary who fails to register faces monetary fines.

For families, the register’s value appears at the worst possible moment, after a death, when heirs suspect a will was made but cannot produce it, or when competing versions surface. Certifications of registered wills may be requested from the judicial authority upon meeting the filing requirements set by Resolution 23/2017 of the Judicial Branch Council. A certification can confirm a later will that revokes the one being probated, or expose that a conveniently “discovered” document was never registered at all.

Two caveats keep expectations realistic. The system covers notarial activity in the Dominican Republic, a will signed abroad leaves no trace here, which is one more reason cross-border estates deserve local review. And registration of the extract does not by itself validate a defective will; form and substance are judged separately.

If you have executed a will in the Dominican Republic, confirm with your notary that the extract was registered on time, and keep the certification data with your estate papers. If you are an heir who suspects an unlocated will, a search of the register is the logical first step. Arthur & Castillo obtains will certifications and advises testators and heirs on Dominican wills from execution to probate.

Do you want more information about our services for the Registration of Wills in Dominican Republic? Contact Us.

Disclaimer: This publication is not intended to provide advice or suggest a guaranteed outcome as individual situations will differ and the situation may have changed since publication. For specific advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.

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