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Esteban A. Sánchez Caribbean Counsel · Punta Cana
§ 01 · Estate & succession · Cross-border Punta Cana · handled remotely
Estate and Succession Planning in the Dominican Republic.
Foreigners who own property in the Dominican Republic need a clear succession plan to ensure their heirs can inherit without unnecessary delays or complications.
Plan Your Estate Strategy →
The common belief
Dominican forced heirship overrides your will.
What the law allows · Law 544-14
A foreign will and the law of your nationality can govern your succession here.
The catch: the statute isn't self-executing. It has to be raised, proven, and applied correctly.
§ 02 · Why this matters
Without a proper plan, foreign heirs face long and costly processes.
Proper preparation ensures smooth transitions. A succession plan tailored to Dominican law protects your heirs from unnecessary delays, disputes, and costs when the time comes to transfer your property. The right approach combines Dominican compliance with your existing foreign arrangements — covering wills, ownership structure, and coordination with your legal team at home — so nothing falls through the cracks.
§ 03 · How it's handled
Services that cover every stage of estate planning and succession.
From drafting a compliant will to transferring title to heirs — each step handled by me and coordinated with your legal team at home.
Planning · before a death
Before.
Wills compliant with Dominican law, inheritance planning, and coordination with your foreign legal counsel — so your estate plan covers the Dominican property on your terms. Where useful, that includes structuring ownership through a Dominican company to give you additional control over succession.
Execution · after a death
After.
Transfer of property to heirs, execution of estate matters locally, and recognition of foreign probate where applicable — all handled without requiring heirs to travel. We act for foreign heirs through powers of attorney and clear the title so the family can sell, transfer, or retain the property.
Esteban A. Sánchez · Counsel
Esteban A. Sánchez · Counsel
§ 04 · Who handles it
You talk to the lawyer. Every time.
I'm Esteban A. Sánchez, a Dominican attorney based in Punta Cana. Cross-border succession is one of the most misunderstood areas of Dominican practice, precisely because it sits between two legal systems and most lawyers only work in one. I handle the Dominican side directly and coordinate with your planning at home, so your foreign will is given the effect Dominican law actually allows it.
Governing law
Law 544-14 · invoked correctly
You travel
Not required · power of attorney
Coordination
With your planning at home
§ 05 · Selected matters
What the right approach makes possible.
Names redacted · outcomes factual
Structured in time Outcome
An estate that held its shape, by design.
A foreign couple held their property through a Dominican company built for succession, so their estate passed on the terms they chose rather than fracturing under default rules.
Passed on their terms
Resolved after the fact Outcome
A frozen property, freed without travel.
A family arrived after a death to find the Dominican property frozen, unsellable and untransferable until a succession was opened here. We opened it, recognized the foreign probate (apostilled, no consular legalization required), and cleared the title so the family could move forward.
Title cleared
§ 06 · Questions
Before you reach out.
The questions foreign owners ask about wills, Law 544-14, and Dominican succession. Plain answers.
01. I was told Dominican forced heirship overrides my will. Is that true? +
Not necessarily. Law 544-14 on private international law allows a foreign will and the law of your nationality or domicile to govern your succession here, when it is properly invoked. The forced-heirship answer is the default many lawyers give, but it is not the only outcome the law permits.
02. What is Law 544-14, and why does it matter to me? +
It's the Dominican statute on private international law. For foreign owners, it's the key provision that can allow your home-country estate plan to govern your Dominican property, rather than having local rules applied automatically. Its benefit depends entirely on raising and applying it correctly.
03. Can owning through a Dominican company help? +
Often, yes. Holding the property through a company means your heirs inherit shares governed by terms you set, which adds a layer of control alongside what private international law already allows. It works best when arranged before, not after.
04. A family member died owning property here. What do we do? +
A Dominican succession has to be opened to transfer or sell the property, but a foreign will and probate can usually be recognized here when properly apostilled and correctly invoked. We handle the process for heirs who are abroad.
05. Do I need to travel to the Dominican Republic for any of this? +
No. Both planning and settling a succession can be handled through a power of attorney while you're abroad.

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§ 07 · The next step
A clear succession plan protects your heirs. Proper preparation ensures a smooth transition.
If you own property in the Dominican Republic, the time to plan is before it becomes urgent for your heirs. Tell me what you own here and where you are in your planning — I'll tell you exactly what needs to be in place.
Plan Your Estate Strategy →
+1 (829) 259-8645 · info@caribbeancounseldr.com
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