Help on legitimate and illegitimate childs rights

[stormy_princess]

I need your opinion and help po.  My parents were separated for like 17yrs now. My mom and 4 siblings were thrown out from our house 17yrs ago because my dad chose his mistress over us. Meron sila naging anak na 16yrs old na ngayon and they are still living sa house namin which is in a compound of Dad's family. Last year my dad died,  ako nag asikaso ng funeral and all.  Now almost a year,  gusto sana namin magkakapatid na ipaayos ang bahay at kunin na ito from the mistress who lives their along with her family (mga anak at pamangkin nya from first marriage).  But the mistress is ayaw umalis because according to her sya naman nagpaayos sa bahay and all. My question is,  since meron kami illegitimate sibling, can the mistress use it against us para hindi namin mabawi ang house namin? Ano ang laban namin? I would appreciate your opinion and advises in my cases. Thank you in advance😊

[tischarmedlife]

^ Kung kasal ang parents mo, sya (your mom) at kayong magkakapatid ang may karapatan sa bahay na yun. Yung illegitimate child naman, half lang ng mana nyo ang makukuha nya dapat. Que si mistress ang nagpa-ayos ng bahay or what-not, so long as the property is under your father's name, the mistress doesn't have any right over that house.

According to Art. 996 of the New Civil Code: If a widow or widower and legitimate children or descendants are left, the surviving spouse has in the succession the same share as that of each of the children.

If the deceased spouse has illegitimate children, they are entitled to inherit under Article 176 of the Family Code. Which means, an illegitimate child gets only 50% of what a legitimate child is entitled to.

[stormy_princess]

Thank you sis.. Yes my parents are married po.  Our house is only one. Possible na pwede na lang makitira ang illegitimate child sa bahay as part of her rights or she should have a portion dun sa bahay talaga? Thanks

[adrianne1]

You should do an inventory of your father's property/ies first. Aside from the  house, may iba pa bang ari-arian ang tatay mo? During his lifetime, may gifts/donations ba that were given to his children?

Assuming that the house (including the lot) is the only property left, half of that automatically belongs to your mother, and the other half paghahati-hatian niyong compulsory heirs. As what one sister said in one of the posts above, kailangan may share si illegitimate child sa property. Hindi pwedeng makitira lang siya.

[mimiku]

The share of the illegitimate child is half of what is yours. In a pie, yung portion mo hatiin mo yung sa dalawa, yung half nun sa kanya. Hindi na pwedeng lampas dun. As for the renovation done by the mistress, if mapapatunayan na galing sa kanya yung money, ipareimburse mo na lang. Basta ang legal pa rin ang may karapatan sa lahat ng ariarian ng ama. Yung mistress walang makukuha ni sikong duling, yung illegitimate lang ang meron konti. Mananalo kayo diyan, patulong ka sa lawyer.

[stormy_princess]

Okay sisses. Thank you so much sa inyong lahat. Naliwanagan ako ngayon kung ano gagawin ko..

[lalee888]

sis stormy_princess, I hope you don't mind if i ask a related question on your thread ha?

Sisses, ask ko lang, what if the deceased (father or mother or both) left a last will and testament stating how they want their assets be passed (in terms of the children, not the wife/kabit)? Does the will supersede the law? Or the law supersedes the will?

I had previously thought the law is there to protect children and resolve disputes in case there is no last will and testament. But if there is one, which goes first? My grandparents have passed and have left a will of their assets to be divided in a certain way among their children.. some aunts/uncles are not happy with it but we think that the grandparents 'earned it' and have a right to gift it to whoever they want, nagkataon lang hindi even yung split... but we can't help if perhaps our grandparents have preferences...

[tischarmedlife]

Nabasa ko lang to online, sis:  that although the testator can choose his heirs, the will he created cannot prejudice the legitime, or forced share, of his compulsory heirs.

The law has reserved portions of the testator?s estate to compulsory heirs, which are: legitimate children or descendants, legitimate parents or ascendants, surviving spouse, and illegitimate children.

In other words, the testator cannot disinherit leave out the compulsory heirs without sufficient legal cause. Should they be disinherited, however, it must be stated in the will that the testator has created

[lalee888]

^thanks sis. in my relatives' case, they just received smaller portions than the rest of family, they were not disinherited. But this is very good to know. Compulsory heirs. Thank you!

[Shadow Angel]

In line with @lalee question I have a question din regarding sa properties of my parents. Before ako umalis ng pinas nabanggit ng mother ko na aayusin nya un properperties nila so binanggit nya kung kanino mapupunta mga properties nila. Actually sumama loob ko di lang ako nagpahalata kasi ayaw ko lumabas na nag iinteres ako. Sabi kasi ng Mama ko baka di na lang ako hatian kasi I am financially well and I have better life/future than the rest of my siblings. Gusto ko sanang magreact na sa totoo lang ako nagpagawa ng house namin including 80% ng laman ng house ako bumili. Bukod pa sa negosyo nila na ako tumulong na magkaroon sila. Before ako nag asawa inayos ko na para di sila hihingi ng monthly allowance sa akin. Kaya nga konti lang natira sa savings ko. Di ako nagreact kasi ayaw ko na isipin nila sinusumbat ko naitulong ko sa kanila. Nasaktan ako bilang anak kasi parang tinggal na un birth right ko. Just in case na gumawa sila ng will or hatiin na un properties so meaning zero talaga wala ako makukuha kahit lupa sa paso?

Although si hubby gusto nya bumili kami ng properties sa pinas for now sabi ko ayaw ko kasi sa ngayon parang ayaw ko ng bumalik ng pinas.

[mimiku]

Compulsary heirs such as in your cases, the legitimate children have equal rights regardless of any will and testament done by the parents. If the parents exclude one child without any valid reason, the legitimate child can bring it up to court. The law always favors the rule of equal sharing among children. Not even a will can change it.

Valid reasons when a testator can revoke a child?s right for equal sharing: 1. If the child attempted to kill the parents 2. Guilty of a crime accused by the testator and was convicted and punished for 6 years and up. 2. Had maliciously maltreated the parents by deed or word  (grayed area, maraming pwedeng gawin ang anak na ikinasira ng pamilya so it?s up to the court to decide whether the reason is valid or not).

[Shadow Angel]

^thanks sa pagsagot. Actually naalala ko lang about mana after ko mabasa ang thread pero honestly hindi naman talaga ako maghahabol. I am more focus na lang with my own family. kapag may kailangan naman sila sa akin tumutulong pa rin ako. Nahurt lang ako bilang anak. Iniintindi ko na lang na may magulang talaga na mas focus sa mga anak na hindi ok kesa un mga ok na anak parang isip nila hindi na need ng guidance nila. Hindi ko nga naiisip na masasabi sa akin ng Mama ko yan. Kaya naisip ko wala naman siguro sya ill feeling towards me iniisip lang nya siguro ng Mama ko na ok na ok ako unlike sa iba ko mga kapatid.

[lalee888]

Compulsary heirs such as in your cases, the legitimate children have equal rights regardless of any will and testament done by the parents. If the parents exclude one child without any valid reason, the legitimate child can bring it up to court. The law always favors the rule of equal sharing among children. Not even a will can change it.

Valid reasons when a testator can revoke a child?s right for equal sharing: 1. If the child attempted to kill the parents 2. Guilty of a crime accused by the testator and was convicted and punished for 6 years and up. 2. Had maliciously maltreated the parents by deed or word  (grayed area, maraming pwedeng gawin ang anak na ikinasira ng pamilya so it?s up to the court to decide whether the reason is valid or not).

sis this is very helpful! thanks so much for sharing. Would you happen to know how this law might apply to legitimate heirs who are mentally disabled (like someone legally/medically recognized with mental incapacity, someone with autism, or someone w/ down's syndrome)? I am guessing they are still compulsory heirs but will need representation. Who defaults as the legal representative and caregiver in such cases, if the parents are deceased? Would it be the eldest sibling?

Sis, thanks for sharing your knowledge. If you prefer to share a link/legal resources, that works too : ) nakakahiya na kasi maraming tanong hehe

[stormy_princess]

Hi sisses, just to update lang regarding my case. Since yung property ng father ko is located sa compound ng family nya, we agreed na ipahati ng maayos ang lupa. Then yung sa dad ko ililipat ng name ko after. By then, I can decide na kung papano hatiin. Hopefully it will be easy process and madali lang. I will go through a legal process na lang din by that time para pantay ang hati. Salamat ng marami sa nagreply and tumulong sa akin maliwanagan:)

[_hotbabe_]

Ask ko lang sa mga lawyers natin dito about heirs. My Mom had me when she was still single. Then she married and nagkaron sila  isang anak ng asawa niya. My bought a house para sa amin 4. Pera yun lahat ng mom ko kasi yung stepfather ko never naman nagwork. Silang dalawa ang nakapangalan dun sa title ng bahay. Ang tanong ko lang if ever pwede ba gumawa ng will yung mom ko tapos ang ilalagay niya lang na pwede magmana is kaming dalawa ng kapatid ko? Or pwede niya ilagay na dapat fair ang share namen 3 ng step father ko, step bro and me?

[amethyst028]

Pag may will kahit sino pwede ilagay kahit kabitbahay niyo or yung favorite niyang pamangkin. Kahit sino kasi will niya yun. But in the absence of a will, sa law ang hatian is 50% sa legal spouse then yung 50% pag hahatian kung ilan ang anak.

Sa case mo hindi ka ba in-adopt ng step father mo? Sa batas kasi natin ang illegitimate child will get half of what the legitimate child will get. For example dun sa parte nyo na 50%, 25% sa kapatid mo then sayo 12.5% yung remaining 12.5% will go to your step father.

Kindly refer to Articles 892-901 New Civil Code of the phils.

[_hotbabe_]

^No sis he didn?t adopt me. Pero pwede magpagawa ng will ang Mom ko kahit conjugal property yung nasa title nung bahay namen at wala magagawa yung stepdad ko dun?

[amethyst028]

Pwede naman kung yun ang gusto ng mom mo pero pwede i-contest ng step dad mo yung will at need niyo magharap sa court if ever.

[D4thAngel]

@_hotbabe_, the best thing na your mom can do for you is to create an insurance plan na ikaw  ang sole beneficiary. Pwedeng yung mamanahin mo ay i-set aside na nya via an insurance plan. Pag nawala sya, sayo lang yun, wala na makakahabol. Eto yung ginagamit ng iba pang balance ng mana ng illegitimate child. Sa case mo, nauna ka pa pala, unfair naman kung half lang ng mana ng legitimate ang nasayo.

[_hotbabe_]

Thanks mga sis. I?m fair naman with everything. Kaya lang etong step dad ko magulang sa pinaka magulang na nakilala ko. Ang lakas ng loob umasta to think from the start wala naman sha contribution sa family namen. Feel na feel niya yung pagiging may ari ng bahay. Kaya gusto rin ng mom ko talaga na mag consult sa lawyer para if ever sha ang mauna (wag naman sana) ready kami. Kasi for sure kawawa ako at gugulangan ako ng step dad ko.