A poorly handled estate can cost a family years and money. These are the rules we follow on every page.
Primary sources
Every rule, article, deadline, form and fee is checked against an official source: the current text of the 2020 Civil Code and, for deaths before November 28, 2020, the 1930 Civil Code; the 2011 Internal Revenue Code and Hacienda's determinations, circular letters, forms and instructions; the Notarial Act, Act 282-1999 and court forms; the Property Registry Act; the Municipal Code and the CRIM; and Social Security and IRS publications. We cite sources at the end of each guide.
When something is unclear, we say so
The 2020 Civil Code is recent and some points have not yet been interpreted by the courts. When a rule is uncertain, when two official sources disagree or when an agency page is out of date, we explain it instead of giving false certainty.
Examples and figures
Examples use hypothetical names and amounts and are computed with the same rules as our calculators. Figures that can change carry their source.
Plain language, with respect
We write for families going through a hard time: calmly, without alarm, and explaining each legal term the first time it appears. Our English pages keep official Spanish names, with an explanation.
Independence
CaudalRelicto.com is not a government agency. Advertising, when it appears, sits in spaces labeled "Advertisement" and does not influence what we write. Some pages invite readers to request a consultation with an attorney-notary; that invitation does not change the content of the guide.
Corrections
If you find an error, write to us. We fix it and update the page date.